Posts Tagged: Independent Living

Retirement Community Living: Lending a Hand to Developing Countries

Recently a member of The Atrium at The Cedars retirement community had looked into donating some expensive medications that she had paid for herself but no longer needed, and that had not yet expired.  She had asked her physicians – who did not have any suggestions.  After contacting Elizabeth McLellan at Partners for World Health, she immediately accepted Gloria’s generous offer and brought them to the warehouse one afternoon in May. Here is a photo of Gloria with Elizabeth, after touring the huge warehouse full of medical equipment and supplies.  That day, United Way was there volunteering their time to help sort and pack the supplies. Did you know that in the United States, we throw away billions of dollars of perfectly good medical supplies every year?  Elizabeth McClellan, founder of Partners for World Health in Scarborough, Maine, faced this reality as a nurse in Portland’s largest hospital every time she...

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Best Retirement Community: Spring Art Show at The Atrium at The Cedars

The members at The Atrium at The Cedars are an interesting and varied group – which can be seen in the ways they choose to spend their time in retirement.  The excursions and gatherings at The Atrium include book clubs, Tai Chi classes, concerts in classical and jazz, season tickets to symphony and stage, and lectures in history and current events.  In addition to all of this, there is a strong thread of artists which invigorate our Art Studio on a daily basis.  Recently, we held an exhibit for our community which included an eclectic selection of works all created by our members at The Atrium.  The artists used such media as watercolor, acrylic, oil, and paper – and the results were stunning.  At the opening, President and CEO Kathy Callnan asked a few of our artists where they found their inspiration.  Several of the artists did not start...

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Best Retirement Community: Wellness for Seniors

The Cedars is introducing a state-of-the-art strength training program for our retirement community residents living in independent living and assisted living.  Sharon Leddy-smart, Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium and Angie Hunt, Director of the Hoffman Center recently presented this exciting new program to the members at The Atrium, The Cedars independent living community.  Angie and Sharon pointed out that aging is a natural process, and we all age differently.  Several studies show that exercise not only improves quality of life, but also helps people live longer lives.  The ten bio-markers of age, which are reversible include: Muscle Mass – Decreases Strength – Decreases Basal Metabolic Rate – Decreases Body Fat – Increases Aerobic Capacity – Decreases Blood Pressure – Increases Blood Sugar Tolerance – Decreases Cholesterol/HDL Ration – Decreases Bone Density – Decreases Body Temperature Regulation – Decreases The Cedars new program is an innovative wellness program focused on strengthening...

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Retirement Living Community: Health and Wellness

Wellness Tips from Sharon: May is National Arthritis Month By Sharon Leddy-Smart, Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium, Independent Living at The Cedars  Arthritis is the leading cause of disability among seniors and includes at least 100 different medical conditions affecting the joints.  Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid are two of the most common forms, typically resulting in pain, stiffness and fatigue.  Although the physiology of the diseases varies, many individuals have found a definite link between the kinds of food they eat and their arthritic symptoms. Dr. Rod Danoff, D.O. of The Arthritis Foundation explains that an increased intake of highly refined simple carbohydrates, fatty foods, alcohol and sugary drinks have resulted in flares of arthritic pain and accompanying body symptoms in arthritis sufferers. Inaddition, some patients have noticed an actual improvement in their symptoms, or a decline in their flare-ups, when consuming a more nutritious and well-balanced diet, including Oily fish such as...

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Retirement Living in Portland Maine: Senior Health and Wellness

Spring Into Fitness and Start Walking Now that spring is officially here, it’s a great time to get outside and get active and healthy.  There are plenty of ways to get our heart pumping outside, but one of the easiest ways is to walk or hike.  Walking is a low-impact aerobic exercise which helps strengthen our cardiovascular system, keeping our weight at a healthy level and protecting us against diseases such as diabetes and some forms of cancer.  Research has shown that the benefits of walking 5 times per week for 30 minutes can helpyou: Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels Improve blood lipid profile Maintain body weight Enhance mental well being Reduce the risk of osteoporosis Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer Reduce the risk of diabetes  For more information on starting a springtime exercise program, contact Sharon Leddy-Smart,...

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Best Retirement Community: Dining at The Atrium at The Cedars

We enthusiastically welcome our new chef, Simon Thorpe, to The Atrium at The Cedars. Simon is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and was an apprentice and chef at several five star restaurants from Chicago to Daytona Beach. He grew up in Liverpool, England and Ontario, Canada, moving to Maine in 1988 where he continued his culinary career with Unum Provident’s Business Catering Services and with another senior living community in New England.   Simon joined The Cedars last month but has already made a significant impression.  The members are thrilled with Simon’s creativity to date, as he compliments the menu with an assortment of personal specialties, such as his signature Yorkshire pudding, and various seasonal delights.  Simon explains that he enjoys talking with the members in the dining room as the evening winds down, “meeting with the members and getting feedback is one of my...

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Best Senior Living: Keep Your Mind Active

Members and Residents at The Cedars are finding that going back to school has its advantages.  It allows them to pursue interests they’ve always had or to learn something new that they were curious about but never had time for. There is the added motivation, however, from studies that suggest learning may actually help them stave off cognitive decline such as Alzheimer’s disease.  A recent article in the New York Times, Exercising an Aging Brain (March 8, 2012), states that many studies have found exercising the brain and being mentally active are associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease.  Dr. Arthur Toga, a professor of neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles explains that by having aninteractive conversation, you are changing the circuitry of your brain becausethe activity requires the nerve cells in your brain to fire, thereby using energyand delivering more blood flow and oxygen to your...

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Best Retirement Living: True Stories

True Stories by Debby Paley, Volunteer at The Atrium Independent Retirement living at The Cedars In our True Stories group, we take turns telling stories from our lives.  It turns out that story-telling as a social activity is making a comeback. There’s even a story-telling hour on Public Radio called “The Moth,” where people stand up at a microphone and tell their true stories.  Two things got me interested in this. The first was the story-telling event thathappens three times a year at my daughter’s high school. Everyone (teenagers,parents, friends, teachers, the principal) is invited to stand up and tell astory. My other inspiration was my mother, Cabot Paley. She loved to listen tostories and to tell stories herself.  She could weave an interesting story out of just about any everyday occurrence.  We all have stories to tell, and in the True Stories group, we simply sit andshare them....

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Best Independent Living: Heart Healthy Tips

Heart Healthy Tips from Sharon By Sharon Leddy-Smart, Lifestyle Coordinator at The Atrium, independent living at The Cedars  The American Heart Association has long appointed February as Heart Healthy Month and Sharon Leddy-Smart, Lifestyle Director and wellness expert, is sharing her tips for staying healthy and happy in 2012.  Eat Right: We all live longer and stronger with a healthy diet.  Be sure to focus on whole grains and fiber; breads, fruits and vegetables are also great options.  And don’t forget your calcium and protein needs by enjoying foods like milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, fish, and eggs. Drink Your Water: The American Medical Association recommends drinking six to eight glasses of water daily, especially with increased fiber intake and exercise.  Keeping our blood and tissues hydrated also helps to lubricate the joints and moisten the lungs to allow for healthy breathing, which all contributes to slowing down the effects...

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