by Marie Curcio

Casey Pons, our Morningside Program Enrichment staff member, will be assuming a new role at Cadbury on September 1st. Casey’s formal title will be Lead Program Enrichment Specialist for Community Programs. How is this role defined and what does it mean for Cadbury’s Morningside and Community Programs?
This role assures that our community programs are taking place as scheduled on a daily basis, evaluates Resident response to current programming and assures that the Resident Calendar Committee members have ample opportunity to bring new and exciting programs and events to Cadbury. Casey will assume responsibility for creating and distributing the monthly Calendar of Events for Cadbury’s Independent and Assisted Living Community, operating the General Store and overseeing the upcoming new and expanded Resident Computer Lab. She will facilitate the monthly Library Committee meeting and, in late Fall, offer a current events group twice a week.

The ultimate responsibility for calendar content, quality assurance in the aforementioned areas and supervision of Community Program Enrichment staff remain with the Director of Resident Support Services. I am pleased to have Casey, a compassionate, creative and talented individual, fully dedicated to the day to day Community Enrichment Programs at Cadbury. This Lead Program Enrichment Specialist role enables me to focus on our Morningside Program and social services for our Cadbury Community at large – a real bonus for me!
That having been said, we will miss Casey in her Morningside role. The good news is that she is not leaving the Morningside Program entirely! Casey will continue in her role as Program Enrichment Specialist every other Saturday and Sunday and will see our Residents regularly as the integrated exercise, music, swing dance and cooking programs I established earlier this Spring take place throughout our Cadbury Community. The full time Morningside Program Enrichment Staff role will be assumed by Paolo Farias, a current Morningside staff member much beloved by all. Paolo has “the knack” for bringing fun to every day and putting a smile on Residents’ faces.

Personally, I would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to Casey and Paolo for putting their hearts and souls into their Morningside roles and adding so much to the quality of each and every day for our Residents. I invite you to join me in wishing them both the very best in their chosen new career challenges at Cadbury.

By Marie Curcio

Marie Curcio, Director of Resident Support Service, enjoyed her summer holiday at her home in southern Maine. The 200 year old Cape farmhouse on 20 acres is a renovation work in progress. Marie has had a hand in most aspects of the renovation from re-designing space and re-shingling the barn to painting and installing custom windows, insulating, clapboarding, and tiling in the house. As she states, “It is nice to do something that achieves immediate, tangible results once in while.”
Marie’s peaceful vacation included reading and relaxing poolside during the best weather of the summer, but she did have a few “chores:” She managed to wean baby ducks from the barn to pond, helped a racing pigeon to heal and fly away, captured runaway Draft horses and tended garden.
Oh, those gardens! Flower or vegetable, the weeding never ends! It helps that the land is rich in nutrients – a long, long time organic farm. The vegetable garden – replete with haricots verts, heirloom tomatoes, basil, eggplant, garlic, pumpkins, broccoli, beets and leeks – requires planning for harvest. There is time needed for preparation for canning and freezing and lots of sharing with neighbors. It was a great year for blueberries…so I am I told. The wild turkey babies were fed this year’s crop by their mama bird.
Fortunately, far more time was spent on fun in the sun than chores. Boating in Cape Porpoise, farm to table dinners with friends and family, and a few Stonewall Kitchen Cooking Classes were great adventures. So… if you think Marie “never stops” at work, imagine her at home—relaxing.

by Barbara Booras, Director of Hospitality

Often times an Assisted Living Facility’s biggest competitor is a potential Resident’s current home. It is not always easy to leave behind the sentimental connection to a house you’ve spent a lifetime of making memories . In addition, by the time an individual may be considering senior housing, chances are they have accumulated quite the collection of personal items Antiques, knick-knacks, photos, furniture, you name it, they’ve got it. So how do you pack it all up and move it into a few square feet? The thought of “the big move” can be a little intimidating. When I started as Director of Hospitality, I was introduced to an industry I never knew existed: Senior Move Management. So, what exactly does a “Senior Move Manager” do? Whether it’s downsizing, organizing, packing, designing or the actual move, many managers do it all.
Some of our Residents have received the help of local Senior Move Managers and have been extremely satisfied. According to the National Association of Senior Move Manager’s website, “a Senior Move Manager is a professional who specializes in assisting older adults and their families with the emotional and physical aspects of relocation and/or “aging in place.” Though some have backgrounds in gerontology, social work, health care, nursing and psychology, others come to this industry from the corporate world of project management, technology, accounting or marketing.”
If you would like more information on how to get assistance with an upcoming move or to find a Senior Move Manager near you, please feel free to contact me for more information.

by Barbara Booras

The reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, from the Old State House Balcony has been an annual tradition for ages. The Captain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company reads this extraordinary document, from where it was originally read in 1776 after its completion. Just above the balcony on the rooftop edge stands two symbols of British power, the lion and the unicorn. These symbols serve as a perfect backdrop for the speech: a reminder of what exactly the crowds had gathered to commemorate.

I specifically recall one muggy Fourth of July a few years back, when I worked as a National Park Ranger in the city. My forest green, polyester uniform and distinguishable hat made it impossible to blend even in the sea of people surrounding the Old State House and the downtown area that day. Thousands had gathered to celebrate our Independence and to marvel at the city’s rich history.

As a park ranger I gave daily lectures on the pre-revolutionary history of Faneuil Hall up to present day. That Fourth of July, I vividly remember walking down the long center aisle to the front of the Great Hall prepared to give my speech. I glanced side to side at my audience. Hundreds of tourists from around the world and locals were sitting packed into rows of rickety wooden chairs from days gone by.

“The Cradle of Liberty was Boston’s nick name,” I said, as my voice echoed throughout the mammoth hall. “This is where it all began.” The eve of the famous Boston Tea Party started there at Faneuil Hall. The crowd protested and hollered that night. It stirred and grew so large it spilled out into King Street (now State St.). The mob marched feverishly to the closest space that could accommodate the colonists, The Old South Meeting House. It was that night the outraged Bostonians went on to heave over three hundred chests of tea into Boston Harbor, an act of defiance that would change the course of history. Our patriots would continue to fight tirelessly against unfair taxation all in the name of liberty and justice for all.

Recounting the long, remarkable history of Boston and the building we occupied, I couldn’t help but be filled with a sense of honor and privilege to be sharing such a powerful story. Not only was I becoming a part of history but it had become a part of me. You too can become a part of history by listening to the Declaration of Independence this 4th of July at 10:00am in front of the Old State House. Come celebrate your independence in the cradle of liberty with your fellow patriots.

by Barbara Booras

This past month Cadbury Commons gave me the fantastic opportunity to visit San Diego, California for Assisted Living Marketing and Sales Training. Will Nowell, master sales trainer, speaker, and author, was the facilitator of the training session. “We need to learn to stop selling the house, and start selling the experience,” said Nowell. Throughout the intimate three-day training session, I got to meet Mr. Nowell and hear personal stories and tips from his 25 successful years in the housing industry.

My time spent in California training was an invaluable experience for me as I take on my new role as Director of Hospitality. Not only was it an excellent intensive practical course in marketing and selling techniques for our industry, it was a time for me to replenish energy to allow for a successful and productive return to Cadbury Commons.

In training we learned ways to build rapport and trust in an honest and genuine manner. Techniques to discover urgency and to skillfully close a sale were discussed and practiced through many hours of educational role-play. Lastly, our group focused on understanding empathy and matching the values of prospective residents and family members with that of our own Assisted Living Community and its unique offerings.

I look forward to applying the knowledge and skills I gained through Will Nowell’s Value Match Program to my position. Well aware of the challenge that lies ahead, I approach these next few months with focus and a new positive dynamic.

by Marie Curcio

We are so excited to be taking advantage of the wonderful space throughout Cadbury Commons. Our daily exercise group has grown to include twenty to twenty-five residents throughout the community and now takes place daily in the Activity Center. This affords Morningside residents an opportunity to walk greater distances each day, several times a day, as well as increasing socialization opportunities. Our capable Program Enrichment Staff members all use the same work out model each and every day of the week and really get residents moving! We have invited guests to our Kitchen Korner (Cooking Classes) and music programs in the Activity Center each week. And we look forward to the bi-weekly Cook-Outs with members of the Cadbury Community at large. Now that the warmer weather has arrived we are once again venturing out, taking trips twice a week and spending more time in our Courtyard. We look forward to starting our garden once our Courtyard renovation project is completed. All in all, we are off to a great start to the summer!

by Judy Capone

July 4th is upon us and we can reflect on our Nation’s history. 227 years ago, on July 4, 1776, this great nation, the United States of America, in a struggle for what was right and free, was proudly born. May we celebrate that precious freedom for which our forefathers fought so bravely, the freedom that is inherent in our Stars and Stripes, our revered flag. Celebrate Freedom this 4th of July. Here are a few quotes from some of our past and present statesmen:

“I shall know but one country. The ends I aim at shall be my country’s, my God’s and Truth’s. I was born an American: I live an American: I shall die an American.” –DANIEL WEBSTER

“When I die, I desire no better winding sheet than the Stars and Stripes, and no softer pillow that the Constitution of my country”.-ANDREW JOHNSON

“We can’t all be Washington’s, but we can all be patriots”. – CHARLES F. BROWNE

“National honor is national property of the highest value.” – JAMES MONROE

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.” – WILLIAM J. CLINTON

“I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.” – NATHAN HALE

“If you are ashamed to stand by your colors, you had better seek another flag.” – AUTHOR UNKNOWN

“We need an America with the wisdom of experience. But we must not let America grow old in spirit.” – HUBERT H.HUMPHREY

“If our country is worth dying for in time of war let us resolve that it is truly worth living for in time of peace.” – HAMILTON FISH
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY !!!

by Conrad Wright

The following is the second of two parts on the history of Harvard Square.

Business activity in the Square was still mostly local. Officers if the banks might even be seen in church on Sunday morning. Dwight Andrews sold the real estate and Howard Peak repaired the roofs. Mr. Hawkins had his carpenter’s shop on Palmer Street and Mr. Malcolm his plumbing establishment in Brattle Square. Miss Cannon’s Shop was where you went for children’s clothes, Briggs & Briggs for music and Phillips Bookstore for second hand books. There were three grocery stores, including Sages. The Coop was a department store where you could buy clothing as well as books, a refrigerator as well as stationary supplies.

Cambridge was always changing, to be sure. But the changes then were essentially renewal, as one generation succeeded another. But the war time years produced a different kind of change, one that was transformational and not just successional. The University was a busier place during the war; members of the faculty were more likely to be in Washington rather than vacationing in New Hampshire and that persisted. Once wives had been at home to raise the children and supervise the domestic help; now the wives frequently had jobs also, and live-in maids direct from Ireland disappeared. Young scholars appointed to the faculty lived in Belmont or even Lexington, instead of in large drafty houses on Brattle Street.

Increased traffic in the Square became a problem; buses replaced trolley cars, traffic patterns were regularly experimented with, and a new subway station finally was built. The doctors no longer made house calls. Bit by bit, the old locally-owned stores catering to the needs of Old Cambridge were replaced by businesses catering to students and visitors. Billings & Stover experienced a lingering death, eliminated by CVS and the UHS pharmacy. The Coop became a bookstore run by Barnes & Noble. There once were several secondhand bookstores in the Square specializing in books for the academic community; now one had to go to Porter Square for the equivalent. The last market, Sages, closed. And today you cannot buy a spool of thread in Harvard Square.
© 2010 by Conrad Wright. Published with permission of the author

by John Moniz

Happy summer – almost! Pretty soon June 21st will be here, the official first day of summer. It seems like just yesterday we were ringing in the New Year and wearing winter coats. We had a very busy second half of the winter and spring, as we have been planning for the second phase of the renovations. We also have been busy planning events for the upcoming summer months, like the return of the Summer Jazz Series.

Yet as I look toward the future, I wanted to update you on the recent initiative that Cadbury Commons is pursuing. This past spring, Cadbury Commons sponsored an International and U.S. documentary on Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, and Bisexual aging in the country. The documentary, “Gen Silent,” premiered this past May at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The documentary featured LGBT members of the Boston Area community who deal with the negative struggles of an aging person who identifies as LGBT. The members of this community were receiving care in both a homecare setting and long-term care setting. Cadbury appreciates the challenges of ageism, and adding the issue of someone’s sexual orientation intensifies the struggle. No one should endure discrimination: that is why we felt very strongly about sponsoring the documentary. Our support has led to an opportunity.

The Somerville – Cambridge Elder Services came to me a few weeks ago, concerning an initiative for LGBT Seniors. Starting in June, Cadbury will be working with The City of Cambridge Council on Aging, along with the LGBT Aging Project. All of us have come together to host the first LGBT Senior Meal Site in Cambridge, which will be held at Cadbury Commons on June 23, 2010 at 6pm. Cadbury will host this meal site for LGBT Seniors every fourth Wednesday of each month. The gathering, to be held in our Activity Center, will be appropriately titled Cadbury Café.

As I stated earlier, Cadbury Commons is proud of our history of providing an inclusive community for all seniors. This extends beyond Residents; it extends to the staff at Cadbury, and the partnerships we create with outside vendors and partners. It is important that Cadbury Commons remain a place where a person can be comfortable no matter what their race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, gender, and/or sexual orientation. We are committed to these types of initiatives both for our Residents and staff at Cadbury Commons. We hope in the near future to provide diversity workshops for both Residents and staff.

I want to close this article by noting our recent outreach success stories. The first, on May 2, marked Marie Curcio’s and my radio debut on Talking about Health. We were invited to join the hosts of the radio show as a result of Cadbury’s upcoming Health Fair, as well as the success of our unique memory impairment assisted living area. An hour was spent on the show discussing our commitment to providing the highest level of quality of life for both our Independent and Assisted Living. It was an exciting experience to share Cadbury’s successes as a leader in the Independent and Assisted living Community.

Our next outreach success was the Mind & Body Wellness Fair that took place on May 13. It was exciting to have such a wonderful turnout of vendors, outside guests, and Residents. It was great to see connections being made by all who were involved, and it is reassuring to see our outreach efforts coming to fruition with such impact. There were over 25 vendors participating and we hope this is just the beginning. We would like this to become an annual event with even more participation.

Though Cadbury has had its fair share of changes this year, our name and reputation as a leader in the industry is growing each and every day. This is due to the hard work, dedication, and teamwork exhibited by my Directors and staff who make Cadbury the community it is. I hope you have a safe and healthy summer, and I look forward to reporting on our progress again in a few months.

by Barbara Booras

This past month, Dining Room Supervisor, Ethan Morgan, and I had the exciting opportunity to visit the Everett Senior Center for some outreach. Together, Ethan and I prepared a diabetic friendly three course meal with a Mediterranean theme. The menu included Roasted Eggplant Dip with Whole Wheat Pita Chips, Halibut with Couscous and a Warm Mediterranean Salad and, lastly, Dark Chocolate and Mint Frozen Yogurt. This one-hour cooking demonstration or “demo” was performed in front of a live audience of local seniors who are members of a Diabetic Support Group. When developing the recipes for the demo, we did our best to use little salt and fat in our recipes. If we did incorporate those elements, they were used sparingly.

“It was a rewarding experience, giving back to the community and sharing healthy and delicious recipes” said Ethan Morgan. “Seeing the seniors enjoy our demo so much, makes me eager and excited to do similar outreach in the near future.” This group of seniors was inquisitive and interactive. Although, only a few in the audience actually had diabetes, others were either connected with someone with the disease or looking to learn more healthy cooking methods. A diabetic diet happens to be a healthy diet for everyone, with or without diabetes.

Back at Cadbury Commons, more diabetic and heart healthy menu options will be incorporated on the upcoming and much-anticipated summer menu cycle, Healthy cooking methods such as steaming and grilling will be used more frequently and green vegetables will become a daily staple. Along with those changes, Residents can expect to see more fresh fruit as part of the dessert options. Poached pears, fruit and yogurt parfaits, dark chocolate dipped strawberries, mixed berry smoothies, orange and apple slices will be some of the new features. By incorporating more fresh fruits and vegetables, the new menu cycle will create a more balanced heart-healthy dining experience.

If you are interested in hosting your own cooking demonstration with Ethan Morgan and Barbara Booras, contact us at Bbooras@gmail.com or 617.868.0575.

To watch a video clip from the demo visit the following site: http://sharing.theflip.com/session/e1bda54ea3d341033a65cf8af7bca9bb/video/12735995