LEONARDTOWN, Md. – Since 1977, Cedar Lane Living Community has provided affordable apartment homes to seniors and disabled adults. Cedar Lane is a not-for-profit community with 195 total apartments and over 200 current residents. The community includes a library, general store, hair salon, dining room, lounges, patios and a shuttle van program.
According to Cedar Lane’s official website, “Our mission is to help seniors live with maximum dignity, independence and quality of life.”
Through grant funds from the Thome Aging Well Program, Cedar Lane has developed a unique wellness program called the Life in Balance Program, which is designed to empower seniors to age in place and remain independent as long as possible. The program offers physical therapy, emotional counseling and dietitian classes, conducted by licensed experts, located right in the Cedar Lane community.
The best thing is this program is now being extended to all qualifying seniors across St. Mary’s County!
So, what exactly is included in the program?
Emotional Counseling: Hope and Healing Therapy and Wellness Center
Hope and Healing’s mission is to “cultivate and make accessible a holistic approach to wellness of heart, mind, soul, and strength through personalized services which meet the needs of each client and eliminate the stigma around mental health and wellness for the Southern Maryland community.”
Physical Therapy: Personalized Therapy, LLC
“As the years pass and as we age, our basic bodily functions, including strength, balance, flexibility and mobility, can begin to deteriorate,” Personalized Therapy states. “With the help of licensed physical therapists from Personalized Therapy, you can increase your mobility and maintain your independence longer.”
Personalized Therapy’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for our patients by providing research-based interventions that will assist them in reaching their full potential.”
Dietitian Classes: MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
“What you eat makes a major impact on your health and wellness, energy level and ability to fight against disease. Some of the more common medical conditions where nutrition plays an important role in therapy or prevention include cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, kidney failure, gastrointestinal disorders, and obesity,” MedStar Health states on their official website. “A proper diet will help you feel good, maintain an appropriate weight, and prevent, delay, or help control certain diseases. If you have a chronic medical condition, good nutrition plays a vital role in your disease management, and nutrition counseling would be a good first step to achieving optimal health.”
Marjorie Beaudwin, a resident of Cedar Lane and a participant in the Life in Balance Program, had fallen twice last summer. While neither of her falls resulted in serious injury, Marjorie discovered she could not return to her feet without assistance.
“I had my knees replaced in 2010, and the right one is not very strong,” she said. “When I tripped on the curb and fell, I had to crawl on my hands and elbows to get to my car and my cell phone.”
When she learned about the Life in Balance program at Cedar Lane, she took it as a sign and went to the physical therapy group class.
“The instructors are wonderful. The exercises are exhausting. They go from top to bottom, neck to feet,” she said. “The class is very early. The alarm goes off, and I say, ‘Oh no, I have to go again.’ But I get there and have a great time. Some of the ladies in the class are a hoot, and the instructors have a good time with us. We figure we’re too close to the end of our lives not to have fun with this. The socializing is just as good for us as the exercise.”
“I have never been one who wants to go exercise, but I’ve surprised myself by really enjoying it. My legs are stronger, and my balance is better. During the balance exercises, I used to have to hold onto a chair for dear life. I don’t have to do that anymore. I’m walking better, and I feel safer in the shower because my balance is improved.”
If you want to learn more about the Life in Balance Program, call Cedar Lane at 301-475-8966 and ask for Linzy or Sarah!
To learn more about Cedar Lane, visit their website by clicking here.
To learn more about advertorials, contact our Accounts Manager Laura at laura@thebaynet.com
Contact our news desk at news@thebaynet.com