THE MAYER-ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION
THE CEDARS
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE CENTER ON AGING
We are working toward the definition of excellence—together.
Our Team
CO-PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS
“Person-centered care to me means always feeling at home in an environment where you are physically and socially comfortable and a place where you have the opportunity to connect with others and be meaningfully involved in community life.”
Dr. Crittenden has over sixteen years of experience in professional and community education, program evaluation and program planning. Nearly all research projects and grant funded programs under her management entail the translation of academic research into professional and public education programs, events, and dissemination activities. Her experience in healthcare research and evaluation includes a variety of initiatives aimed at prevention and quality improvement across the care spectrum. Dr. Crittenden has served as Project Manager for the National Institutes of Health-funded Balancing Act Clinical Trial, a research study testing a falls prevention program among older adults with visual impairments; as the project manager for the Maine Partners for Elder Protection (MePEP) Project, implementing elder abuse screening in primary care settings; and the evaluation and training consultant for the Maine Health Access Foundation-funded Transitions with Care Project building skill among providers who facilitate healthcare transitions for older adults. She is also currently the lead evaluator for the MOTIVATE interprofessional oral health care project that is working to improve oral health care provision in long-term care. Dr. Crittenden holds an M.S.W. and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in gerontology from the University of Maine.
“Person-centered care means honoring the unique preferences, values, and needs of a resident so to successfully age with dignity and respect, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, religious preference, gender identity/expression or sexual orientation in a humane and holistic manner, while providing a solid organizational foundation for the workforce to effectively implement on this commitment to care.”
Angie has been leading the staff in excellent clinical services and the highest in customer service, all with a drive towards the most innovative programs for our residents. With a background in physical therapy, Angie is a hands-on leader for all staff. Angie is the recipient of the 2015 Excellence in Leadership Award from LeadingAge Maine and New Hampshire for her tireless work, incredible self-direction and unwavering commitment to seniors, staff and the long-term care non-profit community. Angie is guiding the community in the transition to the Household model of care by leveling the organizational structure, empowering direct care staff and putting the resident and their family at the core of our mission.
“Person-centered care is individualized care characterized by being treated as a person and not a patient, where relationship development is paramount, and your physical, social, and emotional needs and wants are continuously valued and respected.”
Dr. Lenard W. Kaye is Professor of Social Work at the University of Maine School of Social Work and Director of the UMaine Center on Aging. Lenard Kaye’s doctoral degree from Columbia University is in social welfare, with specializations in gerontology and organizational theory. Dr. Kaye’s career spans more than 40 years. He is a nationally recognized authority in health and human services, aging, and gerontological practice who is widely published (17 books and approximately 200 book chapters, research reports, and journal articles) and has an extensive record of federal, state, and foundation funding of his aging and health research, education, and outreach totaling in excess of $12 million dollars (including NIH/NIA, DHHS, EPA, and the Administration on Aging/Administration for Community Living) in the areas of rural aging, older men, social isolation, community and long-term care, elder caregiving, elder abuse, senior housing, home health care, and aging-related gender issues. He sits on the national board of directors of the Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP and is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America.
PROJECT ADVISORS
“To me, person-centered care is the new foundation for long-term care for its residents, employees, and families.”
Kathy’s career spans 40 years and she began her work with older adults as a nurse at the Jewish Home for Aged on Portland’s Munjoy Hill. Kathy has a great commitment and dedication to making homes for older adults, and she has led the organization through the transition to The Cedars on Ocean Avenue in 1991, the realization of a full continuum of senior living options on one campus, and into the future with the upcoming transformation to the person-centered Household Model of care. Kathy has received multiple awards including the 2012 Rose M. Richsafer Mentor Award from the Partners in Senior Life, and the 2010 Excellence in Leadership Award from Leading Age Maine and New Hampshire. Kathy is a visionary and a passionate advocate for Maine’s seniors.
"Person-centered care works to support the self-efficacy of clients by ensuring their authority for self-determination over their own healthcare. Ensuring ethical access to education and information so that clients can make fully informed decisions. It further seeks to uphold each client’s autonomy and self-actualization by offering care in supportive care environments, rich in kind, caring and compassionate encounters with practitioners and other service providers. In person-centered care these client-provider encounters further encompass respect, collaboration and open communication that offer opportunities to experience and express feelings at the moment they occur."
Judith Josiah-Martin, PhD, ACSW, CADC, has been a part of the University of Maine School of Social Work faculty for the past eight years, prior to which she served the UMaine community as the Director of Multicultural Student Life for six years. Before moving to Maine, she held the position of Manager of Clinical Services for Crossroads Center, Antigua. Her alma maters are Smith College School of Social Work for a PhD in Clinical Social Work, and Washington University-St. Louis for a MSW degree with an emphasis in Social Welfare, Administration and Community Development. Dr. Josiah-Martin has spent over 38 years working in the field of social work as a clinical social worker; program administrator; mental health trainer and consultant; community advocate; secondary and tertiary educator; social activist; grant coordinator; and researcher. Her areas of specialization include: clinical practice with individuals, groups and families; substance use and trauma related disorders; practice interventions for under-represented and marginalized populations; and intercultural effective communication and cultural diversity in the workplace. She is an avid reader, a musician and a world traveler who enjoys outdoor adventures.
“As a statistician, I see person-centered care as differing from what has traditionally been done where we “treat to the average.” No one person is average and utilizing information about the individual to personalize care is a model growing in popularity in many healthcare settings.”
Liam O’Brien received his doctoral degree in biostatistics from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health. While there, he developed methods for analyzing longitudinal data arising from multiple sources, with a focus on data arising from studies of mental health. He also holds bachelor of science degrees in engineering physics and mathematical sciences from the Colorado School of Mines. His primary appointment is Charles A. Dana Professor of Statistics at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of New England.
PROJECT SUPPORT TEAM
“Person-centered care means committing to and making an investment of resources -- at an individual, organizational, or societal level -- to really know people in ways that truly matter to them and to co-create a living and caring environment that is in alignment.”
Mary Lou Ciolfi is an attorney who practiced in Brunswick, Maine for 17 years before leaving private practice to help her family renovate and expand their private assisted living home in Bath, Maine. She was the Administrator of HillHouse Assisted Living for 10 years during which time she returned to graduate school at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School of Public Service to obtain a master’s degree in health policy. She later worked at the Muskie School as an aging policy researcher. She also currently teaches Public Health Policy and Public Health Law at the University of New England’s Graduate Programs in Public Health and teaches Heath Policy to UNE’s undergraduate public health students. Mary Lou received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and her law degree from University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce School of Law. She has a particular interest in ageism and recently completed the Gerontological Society of America’s and the FrameWorks Institute’s Reframing Aging Facilitator training.
“Person-centered care empowers residents to make choices about how they want to spend their days based on their own individual preferences and needs, and requires that caregivers develop relationships with each resident that honor and respect their individuality.”
Tracy Ericson is the Administrative Coordinator for this project. She has worked in the Development Department at The Cedars for 8 years. She holds a BS in psychology and has worked in non-profit organizations throughout her career. Tracy has an extensive background in fund-raising, community building, program implementation and development, and administrative organization.
“To me, person-centered care means providing care that promotes autonomy and individuality. It allows for individuals to feel recognized and heard with their peers and healthcare providers.”
Catherine Taylor graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from Champlain College in 2020, summa cum laude. Catherine acquired valuable experience working at the Acton, Massachusetts Council on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Boston, where she gained appreciation for issues related to aging and a passion for working with older adults.
“Person-centered care honors each person with respect to their unique qualities and life experiences. It places emphasis on personal preferences in a way that ensures the values of dignity and worth for each person.”
Kayla Thompson is a first-year graduate student at the University of Maine School of Social Work. Kayla graduated from the University of Maine with her Bachelor’s in Social Work, summa cum laude. Kayla is a Board Member for the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center and has previous case work experience with family systems.
“Person-centered care recognizes and respects a person’s unique history, material/social/psychological and other needs, sources of meaning, and provides the level of support that respects the autonomy of the individual and helps them to flourish in their own way.”
David Wihry is a Project Manager with the Center on Aging and will serve as Data Manager on the Designation of Excellence initiative. David received a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Delaware and has been with the Center on Aging since 2010. He coordinates or contributes to research and evaluation projects at the Center on Aging dealing with diverse topics in gerontology including transportation access, age-friendly communities, human services systems change, and falls prevention.
STEERING COMMITTEE
The National Steering Committee made up of long-term care and assisted living residents and family members provides a unique bottom-up, grassroots, operational perspective.
Dr. Beverly Ashley-Fridie is a Texan by birth where she grew up in Houston and presently resides in the Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas for over 30 years. Beverly is the daughter of Fred Ashley (93yrs.) and the sister of Larry Ashley (65 yrs.) who reside in the Abri at Edinburg Nursing Facility in Edinburg, Texas. They have shared a room for the last 14 months in Abri at Edinburg Nursing Facility.
She is founded of the, A+ Center for Education, LLC, an educational training, and consultant company and an adjunct professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She holds a Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership, Masters in Elementary Administration and Instructional Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education.
She is married to a Podiatrist, Dr. David H. Fridie II for 35 years. Their business savvy has provided them the opportunity to be successful developers of a premier professional business office plaza, Fountain Park Plaza. They have been too busy to have any children.
"Person-centered care is the complementary merging of best medical practices with an individual's desires regarding health care choices and life style preferences. Person-centered care respects individuals' decision-making capabilities and authority regarding the care they receive and the environment in which they wish to live."
Danny was born and reared in eastern North Carolina. He is 70 years old and retired. With MBA in hand, he moved to Greensboro, NC in 1977. His professional career included information technology, residential real estate sales and financial services.
His interests include reading, golf and automobiles, and his volunteer activities revolve around church, Mobile Meals and Kiwanis Club.
Danny’s older brother is a skilled nursing resident at Pennybyrn in High Point, NC.
“’Person-centered care’ is a psychotherapy method named and founded by Carl Rogers in the 1940s & 50s. At this point I think of it as respecting and treating people as nothing less than the individuals that they are, in full recognition of their unique personality, history and life experience. In the Wiki info, I particularly like the reference to the ‘individual's unique self-concept at the center of the unique sum total of the biochemical, physiological, perceptual, cognitive, emotional and interpersonal behavioral subsystems constituting the person’ Also: ‘Rogers affirmed individual personal experience as the basis and standard for living and therapeutic effect.’”
Born in England, I moved to the USA in 1975 and, in 1980, settled in the San
Francisco Bay Area with my female life partner, who began showing signs of
dementia in around 2016. In 2019, we moved to Fountaingrove Lodge,
Santa Rosa, California, the nation’s first LGBT and Friends senior community. Not long
after arriving, it became necessary for my partner to transition to The Terraces
memory care facility, on the grounds of the Lodge, where she resides today.
In 2020 I retired after a varied career including 15 years competing in and
managing women’s pro tennis; 22 years in organizational, marketing and
fundraising communications; and 20 years as a trainee and then licensed
psychotherapist focusing on music and arts therapies, both in hospitals and in
private practice.
"Person centered care means taking care of me! I am in charge of my care,”
Mary grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She moved to Iowa and met the love of her life at Iowa State University. She was “dancer 99” at a Shrine Bowl. She was in the back because she was so tall. Her husband was a teacher and she was a teacher’s aide. They have two daughters, Kelli & Linda, and 2 grandchildren. Her husband, Ron, passed away in 2021. She has lived at Friendship Haven since 2020 in the nursing home part, but was a resident there in assisted living for years prior to moving to the health center.
"Person-Centered care means that staff would support me throughout the day, providing care that is most meaningful to me. They will listen and respect my wishes."
"Person-Centered care is respecting me as a person, treating me with dignity and carefully addressing all my issues, concerns, and needs that affect my overall quality of life and well-being."
Dave has lived at Pennybyrn at Maryfield, North Carolina, for six years. Originally from Ohio, he spent most of his teenage life in Brockport, New York, on the Erie Canal. He attended University of New York in Brockport where he received an information technology degree. While working as a computer programmer, he became interested in veterinary medicine. This led him into the medical field. In 1988, he attended The Medical College of Wisconsin to pursue a career as a physician. His residency was in Greensboro, North Carolina where he stayed and practiced family medicine for 20 years. Later he was employed by an urgent care practice. Dave was married for 30 years and is blessed with three children. His hobbies include a love for movies and hand held radio operator.
The Person-Centered Health Care Initiative is important to me because the focus of the team's efforts is to see me as a person first and not just a set of symptoms.
I entered the current health-care environment 25 years ago when I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In a matter of months I was asked to change any plans I had made for an independent lifestyle.Little did I know that it also enabled me to meet many new friends, healthcare advocates and find new purpose. I was introduced to the Eden Alternative or Culture Change at Rowan Community where I have lived for more than 15 years.
During the 2013-14 Colorado state legislative sessions, I testified to the needs of
residents to have an increased state contribution to their personal needs accounts. As a result, Medicaid residents in nursing homes here have enough money to shop, enjoy a meal out, and afford the transportation.
I served on the Colorado Nursing Home Innovations Grant Board in 2015-16.
Long-term care facilities were able to create programs suited to their residents’
needs and be funded through state grants approved by the board. Examples of
what were successfully supported run from sleep studies using Fitbits to Music and Memory programs enhancing the lives of those who have Alzheimer’s.
The Covid situation has created a serious shortage of nurses and CNAs, and a
shortage in the workforce. How will longer-term care solve these problems? How
will the Person-Centered Long-Term Care Initiative address these challenges plus the high cost of healthcare? I am hopeful that we can work together to make the future of long-term care bright.
Person-Centered Care: "I believe that we are to give the person what they want and need, in the time and the place that they want and need it, and to do it with dignity and love. "
Pam has held leadership positions in the healthcare industry for over 45 years. She began her work as an occupational therapist, combining clinical expertise in pediatrics and sensory integration, while focusing on expansion of services into under-served and rural areas of the Midwest.
Prior to her retirement in 2020 from UnityPoint Health, a large Midwest health system, Halvorson has held positions as a Rehabilitation Director, Chief Operating Officer of the Trimark Physician Group, and Vice President of UnityPoint Clinic. In addition to the above roles, Halvorson was the Executive Sponsor for the Trinity Pioneer ACO, a first in the nation ACO under the CMMI Pioneer model.
Halvorson is the former Lead Executive for UnityPoint Accountable Care L.C. where she held operational responsibility for one of the country’s largest and most successful ACO’s with a network of more than 8,000 physicians, 40 hospitals, and 100 skilled nursing facilities. Ms. Halvorson and her team managed over 300,000 lives seeking to advance the triple aim; better care for individuals, better health for populations, and overall reduced cost. Under her guidance, UnityPoint Accountable Care became one of the top performing Medicare ACOs in the country
Halvorson also served as a technical expert and advisor to multiple organizations including the North Dakota State Board of Occupational Therapy Practice and Past-President of the Iowa Occupational Therapy Association. In 2018, Ms. Halvorson was selected as the Executive Sponsor for Governor Kim Reynolds’ Healthcare Roundtable, leading the Healthy Communities Workgroup. On a national scale, Halvorson was member of the National Association of ACOs (NAACOS) policy committee. She is also an inaugural member of the Occupational Therapy Advisory Council Drake University’s Doctoral Occupational Therapy program.
Halvorson is currently assisting the Institute for Exceptional Care, a Washington, D.C. based non-profit, dedicated to improving healthcare delivery to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Pam resides with her husband, Curt, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. Pam’s mother joined them in 2016, eventually going to live at Friendship Haven, a continuous retirement community in Fort Dodge. Her mother now lives at Journeys, Friendship Haven’s dementia care neighborhood.
"Person-centered care to me means that people living in an assisted and/or long-tern care community should be respected and treated with dignity despite their cognitive and physical abilities, no matter what."
I was born and raised in Wichita, Kanas, in 1939. I reflect a varied personality including ambition, generosity, thoughtfulness, and compassion. I like to be called “Gigi.” With the definitive goal of attaining an associate degree in English, I attended the University of Mississippi Gulf Coast. I had a fruitful career as a librarian, parish secretary, legal secretary, and administrative secretary. After 18 years of employment at the University of Alabama Huntsville, where I served as an administrative assistant in both English and art departments, I was promoted to an executive assistant to the Senior Vice Presidents Office. I really enjoyed my career at the University.
Married life, 23 years, has blessed me with three wonderful children, four granddaughters, and one great granddaughter. One of the highlights of my life included experiencing the birth of my great granddaughter, an experience I will always cherish. My love for my family runs deep. I was a born caregiver. I was a direct caregiver for both my great grandfather and mother, a responsibility that I am immensely proud of and loved every minute.
"Person-Centered care means staff respecting my individual choices and preferences in my medical and personal care, treating me as an individual in all aspects of my day-to-day life."
"Person-centered care allows residents to maintain as much independence as possible in the health care environment and have a strong voice in the decisions regarding their health and wellness. They should be consulted regarding their choices in care and activities. When there is a need for care, the person and their family members should have access to information that allows them to evaluate and compare the level of person-centered care provided by long-term care facilities. I agree with the World Health Organization’s definition of person-centered healthcare as 'empowering people to take charge of their own health rather than being passive recipients of services.'”
Glenda Rambo Jones lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband Charles. They have two children and three grandchildren. She has lived in Georgia her entire life and attended Spelman College and Georgia State University. She is a retired certified project manager (PMP) and learning design manager whose primary work was in the airline and telecommunications industries. Glenda currently manages several properties, volunteers with her community HOA, church, and other organizations. Glenda’s mother, June, currently resides at A. G. Rhodes – Cobb where she has been a permanent resident for 4 years.
"Person-Centered Care means listening to me and acting on my wishes and requests. Helping me to lead a fulfilling life, supporting me when I need help."
I have lived at Arizona State Veterans Home for several years. Originally, I was born in Athens, Ohio. As a child my father had a transient job, so we moved frequently. I have lived in Ohio, Alaska, Canada, Illinois, and Wisconsin. At the age of 19, I decided to join the military. I served for 2-years in the United States Airforce as an Administrative Specialist supporting an engineering company in New Mexico. Once I completed my service, I worked at Walgreens as a Head Cashier. I was married and have three children. While living at Arizona State Veterans Home, I remarried. My interest and hobbies include attending resident council, park walks, bingo, and Pokeno.
“When I receive good care, I feel like we have accomplished something.”
David Ross was born in Houlton, Maine but grew up in Portland’s East End neighborhood. After graduating from Portland High, David went on to get his BA in psychology from Worcester State University. He then worked for many years supporting group homes in Massachusetts. Some of David’s fondest memories are traveling Europe, especially the time he spent in Switzerland, and beach-combing Portland area beaches, Willard Beach, in particular. He currently resides at The Cedars in Portland. Most days he can be found drinking Starbucks coffee and listening to AC/DC. They’re “good boys”, he says.
