SHARE:The Cedars is delighted to announce that The Lunder Foundation – Peter and Paula Lunder Family has awarded a $500,000 grant toward The Cedars’ memory support programs serving older adults in Maine. In recognition of this gift, The Cedars will name the “Lunder Memory Care Household” for assisted living on the first floor of the newly constructed Sam L. Cohen Households, which will officially open in March 2021. The gift will create a permanent endowment to support the development and operation of the “Lunder Memory Support Programs” serving residents of The Cedars. Richard Borts, Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Cedars, remarked that “This wonderful investment from Paula and Peter Lunder and The Lunder Foundation is an affirmation of The Cedars’ leadership work in caring for the most vulnerable among us, and a direct result of creating the first Household Model in Maine and Northern New England serving...
SHARE: How do you celebrate 90 years of quality care, innovative programs, and dedicated leadership? By breaking new ground. Since opening as the Jewish Home for Aged in 1929, The Cedars has set the standard for non-profit, senior care. Today, we offer independent living, assisted living, rehabilitation, skilled care and community-based programs. We mark this milestone by constructing a true home for Maine’s older adults – The Sam L. Cohen Households. This new model of care will feature age-friendly design, with a warm, person-centered experience: two households of skilled nursing care, and one household offering a new level of care, Memory Care Assisted Living. Residents of the Sam L. Cohen Households will experience a living environment that offers a quality of life previously unimaginable outside of their own homes. The Person-Directed Life Your loved one chooses the rhythm of their individual life, the rituals and pleasures that are part...
SHARE:In August, 2019, Troy D. Jackson, President of the Maine Senate appointed The Cedars President and CEO, Kathy Callnan to the Commission to Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues. Kathy will be serving the commission as a representative of a statewide association representing nonprofit housing and senior service programming. The Cedars has been focused on the workforce crisis, particularly as it applies to Maine’s older adults and their need to access care, for over ten years. With Maine have the oldest median age at 44 years, we have been working tirelessly to educate tomorrow’s workers on the opportunities in building a career in healthcare. With The Cedars Learning Community, our emphasis on person-centered care, and the upcoming Household Model of Care (construction begins September 2019), we have been forging partnerships to drive innovation at The Cedars. Our goal is to share our approaches to education, innovation, workforce development and the...
SHARE:In honor of Sam’s legacy, the Sam L. Cohen Foundation has made its largest gift ever—$1.5 million—to support building a brand-new Healthcare Center at The Cedars that will provide truly person-centered care. “Sam L. Cohen was, first and foremost, a people person. When the Foundation was first established, we researched the gifts Sam had made during his life,” explains Jeff Nathanson, President of the Sam L. Cohen Foundation. “Sam wasn’t here to tell us what he wanted and we hoped to discover what inspired his legendary, lifelong giving to guide us in our grant making. It quickly became very clear to us that Sam didn’t give to organizations or ideas. Sam gave to people.” SAM L. COHEN WAS THE LIFE OF the Jewish community of Biddeford, Maine. He was also its heart. More than ten years after his passing, his gregarious personality—and his generous philanthropy—remain legendary. The Sam L....
SHARE:We had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Susan Wehry, Chief of Geriatric Division of Primary Care for the School of Osteopathic Medicine at University of New England prior to her presentation at The Cedars Annual Meeting on May 2. It’s an interesting time with so few people going into geriatric medicine and the number of older adults rising every day. What is your goal and vision in your role at UNE? Whether future physicians want to go into geriatric medicine or not, they are going to be treating a lot of older adults because that’s who’s here. They’ll be working with older adults in orthopedics, primary care, gastroenterology, or even pediatrics – since many grandparents will be caring for their grandchildren. My goal isn’t to create more geriatricians – that situation will take care of itself. Rather, my goal is to ensure that tomorrow’s physicians will know how...
SHARE:On Friday September 21, Senator Susan Collins shared remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony and climbed aboard an excavator to deliver the first dig for the Sam L. Cohen Households at The Cedars. A Bold Change to Transform Senior Care The Cedars is building the Sam L. Cohen Households for skilled nursing care and introducing a new, vitally needed memory care assisted living, as well as renovating our current neighborhoods in households. The Household Model of Senior Living The visionary and person-centered Household Model is earning praise across the country and fast becoming the best practice as an enlightened approach to senior care. The Household Model features a home environment where residents have choices, including when to wake up, what to eat, and how to spend each day, just like we do at home. It’s a model we believe will not only meet and exceed the expectations of our senior...
SHARE: The Cedars, one of Maine’s most comprehensive senior living communities, recently hosted a panel of national experts at the symposium, A Silver Lining for an Aging State: A Bold Approach to Boost Maine’s Economy. Presenters examined the critical issues facing the State of Maine as our population rapidly ages and workforce steadily declines. They each offered insights into workforce and labor issues at the local, state and national level, shared innovative partnerships to benefit the people and the economy of Maine, and introduced creative solutions through a powerful new model of senior care that will transform how we live the later stages of our lives. The conversation was active and passionate throughout the room. The audience included members of the healthcare community, educational partners, local business representatives, policy analysts and more. Panelists and some key points include: John Dorrer, Workforce Development Consultant and former Acting Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor shared...
SHARE: A Silver Lining for an Aging State: Bold Solutions to Boost Maine’s Economy Wednesday May 30, 8-10AM A panel of national leaders will examine the critical issues facing Maine as our population rapidly ages and workforce steadily declines. RSVP 207-221-7005...
SHARE:The Cedars was honored to recently host Dr. Liliane Willens as she presented to a packed house, sharing her riveting story of growing up in China during World War II under the pressures of foreign invaders and civil war as recounted in her most recent book, Stateless in Shanghai. Lily spoke energetically for more than an hour about her experiences living in Shanghai, often injecting humor among the political and social details of this tumultuous time. Scholar, memoirist and humanitarian, Dr. Willens has conducted hundreds of lectures and interviews across the United States, Europe, Asia and into Africa. She has presented at Georgetown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stonehill College, the University of Maine, the Library of Congress, and to the Joint Harvard/MIT Washington Clubs. Born of Russian parentage in the former French Concession of Shanghai China, Liliane and her family experienced World War II under the Japanese military occupation and...
SHARE: Kelly has been working at The Cedars for 10 years – as a Certified Nursing Assistant, Rehabilitation Aide and super valuable team member. She was recently honored with the Maine Ombudsman Program Excellence in Long Term Care Award. The Cedars is blessed to have Kelly in our community. Here are some of Kelly’s special characteristics that we highlighted when nominating her for the award: Understands the value of person-centered care and makes the residents her priority Cultivates excellence and strong leadership qualities Demonstrates sincere compassion and understanding of residents with dementia An inspiration to watch as she makes difficult situations appear easy Embraces a challenge Willing to assist staff, always States what is on her mind Infuses her incredible sense of humor with everyone she encounters Takes on the transition to the Household Model of care through Learning Circles with staff and residents, storytelling as a means of learning,...
