Quarry Hill

Mainecare Update

Posted on Wednesday February 1

By now, you’ve probably heard about Maine Governor Paul LePage’s proposal to plug a hole in the state’s budget by reducing or eliminating a number of services now funded by Mainecare, the state’s Medicaid program. In December, we asked our residents, friends, and everyone who cares about the well-being of older adults throughout Maine to join us in urging legislators to reject the governor’s proposal. We’re delighted to report that people everywhere answered the call—and our elected representatives got the message, loud and clear.

Here’s why it’s so important to protect MaineCare support for low-income elders: Currently, some 4,000 low-income seniors, including many of Quarry Hill’s current residents, rely on Mainecare to pay for assisted-living care. These folks don’t need nursing homes, but their needs are such that they cannot live at home. Many were not poor or low-income when they entered assisted living; however, by paying for the care they require, they have gradually “spent down” their resources to a point where they can no longer afford the cost of care. If we deny Mainecare support to these fragile seniors, we’ll have solved an accounting problem but abandoned some of our most vulnerable neighbors.

Today, thanks to the many who have told legislators not to balance the budget on the backs of Maine’s low-income elderly and disabled, we’re cautiously optimistic that the proposed Mainecare funding cuts will be denied. The Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee, charged with reviewing the proposal, have said that they’re committed to finding an alternative to the governor’s plan. But the underlying budget issues remain unresolved.

We’re grateful to all who have joined us so far in the fight to protect funding for assisted-living care. Rest assured: we’re keeping a watchful eye on developments in Augusta and will keep you posted as this important issue evolves.

Chill, Baby!

Posted on Friday December 30

Here at Quarry Hill, it’s our business to create a stress-free lifestyle for the residents we serve. But let’s face it: life is stressful. And never more so, in our opinion, than in January, what with post-holiday credit-card bills, slippery roads, and cars that won’t start.  So we’ve been especially grateful for the following advice on stress management, courtesy of  Rockport-based Reiki master (and former Quarry Hill nurse) Pauline Wilder, RN, MSN, AHN-BC.

Be still

Try setting aside time to simply be. Rather than jumping out of bed in the morning, give yourself five to 20 minutes of “quiet time.” Lie awake, or sit on the edge of your bed, feet on the floor, hands in your lap. Breathe slowly and deeply. When thoughts arise, accept them, and observe how they make you feel. Repeat daily, without fail. In time, a calmer, healthier, more serene you will emerge.

Name your pain

When stress escalates, most of us shift into denial. But suppressing our anxieties only leads to more trouble—what Wilder calls the “snowballing physical effects” of muscle tension, increased heart rate, diminished immune-system functioning, and more. Instead, she says, it’s far better to face your fears. List concrete steps you can take to deal with the problem. Ask yourself whose help you might enlist.

Choose peace

Conflicts with others—the rude cab driver, the surly teenager, that blankety-blank store clerk—can put you over the recommended daily allowance for irritation. But while your instinct might be to fight back, Wilder suggests taking the opposite tack. Begin each day with a proactive “forgiveness meditation”: wish peace first to yourself, then to your family, then to everyone on your street, town, nation, world. Later, should conflicts arise, ask yourself: “Would I rather be right? Or would I rather be at peace?”

With tools like these in your pocket, Wilder says, there’s no need to stress over stress management. The keys to a healthier life are in your hands.

New Technologies Enhance Nursing Care at Quarry Hill

Posted on Wednesday November 30

Two years ago, the Gardens, Quarry Hill’s 39-bed short- and long-term nursing care community, became the first center of its kind in Maine to offer patients and residents the services of an on-site senior services physician. Today, the Gardens remains on the leading edge, with the introduction of technologies designed to make patients’ and residents’ day-to-day lives more comfortable, streamline care, and improve outcomes.

Commenting on the developments, Director of Nursing Nancy Marcille, RN, BSHA, points to a range of enhancements that includes new patient lifts and improved diagnostics as well as expanded wireless connectivity to the Internet:

Patient lifts

A new system of portable motors and ceiling tracks helps individuals with mobility challenges get out of bed and navigate hallways more safely and independently. Part of the Safe Patient- and Family-Centered Care initiative underway throughout Quarry Hill’s parent organization Pen Bay Healthcare, the system promotes dignity, speeds recovery, and reduces the risk of injury for patients, residents, and staff. Ultimately, Quarry Hill expects to offer the system in all Gardens rooms.

On-site diagnostics

Diagnostic equipment newly installed at Quarry Hill has meant fewer unnecessary trips to the hospital.

For example, EKGs, which measure electrical impulses in the heart, can now be performed at the Gardens under physicians’ orders, thus eliminating a hospital visit. What’s more, the results often allow doctors to rule out conditions that would require a lengthier inpatient stay.

Another new tool, the ultrasound bladder scanner, allows specially trained nurses to measure the amount of urine in a person’s bladder and, if necessary, take steps to relieve retention. Retention may lead to urinary tract infections that can be particularly dangerous for frail or elderly patients; and catheterization, previously used to prevent retention, is uncomfortable and can itself lead to infection.

Wireless access

Wireless web access, now available throughout the Gardens, not only enhances patients’ and residents’ day-to-day lives, but has surprising therapeutic benefits as well.

“Today, more and more of the people we serve are web-savvy,” says Marcille. “We’ve found that those who stay connected to friends, family, and the larger world tend to be happier and recover more quickly.”

A Doctor in the House

Posted on Tuesday November 1

Only two short years ago, it all felt so novel. Quarry Hill had just become the only community of its kind in Maine to offer residents the services of an inhouse physician, and the mere sight of the snowy-bearded Richard Kahn, MD, striding the halls in his lab coat and stethoscope, had us all doing doubletakes. “Richie” Kahn is now an established and treasured member of our team.  But has the Senior Services Physician Specialist (SSPS) model—a homegrown innovation that once, and still, sets Quarry Hill apart in its field—lived up to its original promise? Actually, yes. And then some.

To be sure, more and more residents are feeling the benefits of Dr. Kahn’s care. As of October 2011, his practice had grown to include 74 percent of individuals residing in the Gardens, Quarry Hill’s short- and long-term nursing center; 71 percent of residents of the Terraces, our traditional assisted living program; and 78 percent of those in the memory-impairment community known as the Courtyard. Thirty-seven percent of our independent-living residents use Dr. Kahn as well.

And from what we hear, the vast majority of these folks are highly satisfied with the doctor’s care.

 “When I moved to Quarry Hill, I found I liked the convenience of having my own doctor, right here in the building,” comments independent-living resident Emily Mundo. “Dr. Kahn really listens to what I have to say. And because he specializes in the needs of older patients, I feel confident in his care.”

Similarly smitten is Camden resident Ann Montgomery, whose husband resides in the Gardens: “Now that Quarry Hill has a doctor on site, I can’t imagine being without him. Knowing that he’s there and able to take care of any problems that arise is a tremendous comfort to me.”

But convenience and peace of mind for those on the receiving end of the SSPS model aren’t the only reasons why people here are singing its praises.

Director of Nursing Nancy Marcille, RNC, BSHA, speaks from a clinical perspective when she raves about the changes that have occurred since the program went into effect.

 “In terms of both timeliness and continuity of care,” she says, “there’s simply nothing like having a physician on site. With Dr. Kahn here, we’re addressing medical issues before they become crises. We’re avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations; and we’re catching problems we might otherwise have missed that do warrant a hospital stay.”

Gardens Unit Manager Carmen Edwards, RN, chimes in: “Before, on a typical day, we used to work with as many as 10 different doctors. We had to track them down and then wait for orders and instructions. Now, patient care is much more efficient. Even when Dr. Kahn isn’t here, we can always reach him on his cell phone.”

So what once felt like a bold plunge into uncharted territory is paying off. With SSPS, “we’re providing better, safer, more consistent care for all our residents,” summarizes Carmen. “And that’s what Quarry Hill is all about.”

Quarry Hill Goes Green

Posted on Monday August 1

Concern for the environment—both indoors and out—is revolutionizing the way Quarry Hill cares for its buildings and grounds.

Within the Anderson Inn, home to some 170 residents, recycling has become standard procedure. Employees here have been recycling paper, cans, plastics, cardboard boxing, batteries, returnable bottles, and more for years—and encouraging residents to do the same. Environmental concerns are driving everyday cleaning choices, too, with housekeepers using earth-friendly agents for everything from surface cleaning to odor elimination.

Other initiatives seek to minimize Quarry Hill’s energy footprint. Spurred by the results of an audit undertaken about two years ago, the community has continued its transition from incandescent to watt-scrimping compact-flourescent and LED lighting in hallways, lobbies, and common rooms. In some areas, automatic on/off switches have been installed, and insulation has been added to cut fuel consumption.

Outdoors as well, there’s evidence of Quarry Hill’s increasingly “green” ethic. Fewer chemicals on the community’s 26-acre lawnscape means cleaner groundwater and reduced exposure for people, pets, and wildlife. So groundskeepers are using chemicals less, and organic fertilizers more, to keep Quarry Hill’s natural environment green in every sense of the word.

For more information about recycling programs and other “green” initiatives in your area, contact your local town, city, or county government; visit your public library; or try http://earth911.com or www.thedailygreen.com and click on “Get local info.” For tips on reducing your environmental footprint at home and at work, visit www.go-green.com.

Redefining Retirement

Posted on Tuesday June 28

You say you want a revolution? Well, don’t look now, but you may be smack in the middle of one of the largest and most significant paradigm shifts in American history.

The change is in how Americans think about, plan for, and transition into what we once (quaintly) referred to as “the retirement years.” In fact, experts say, the word retirement itself could be on its way to the verbal junkyard, as the nation’s oldest Baby Boomers, now 60-somethings, roar into “old age” in a way that is anything but retiring.

Dr. Lenard Kaye, director of the University of Maine Center on Aging, says these up-and-coming seniors view retirement as “the youth of their old age, not the old age of their youth.” Casting into a future beyond their present workaday lives, they see themselves leaping not into a rocking chair, but a fresh new phase—one that’s more about what “I want” and less about what “I have to.”

And what do they want? Far more, it turns out, than their parents dared dream of. Dr. Kaye says Boomers demand, among other things, access to classes and other learning opportunities, outlets for their hobbies and interests, homes that are comfortable and convenient, and outstanding healthcare. They want emotional and spiritual well being. They want to stay active. They want a continued presence, and a respected voice, in the communities they call home.

Indeed, research suggests, 80 percent of those now 44 to 62 years old say they won’t retire at all but intend to keep working, at least part time. Thirty percent plan to start a business. Legions look forward to launching a second or third career.

How about you? Are you part of the Unretirement Revolution? If so, we think you’ll take to Quarry Hill, and Midcoast Maine in general, like a windjammer to water. Why not come for a visit, and begin planning the next big adventure of your life.

Quarry Hill is on Facebook!

Posted on Friday May 27

Welcome! As technology advances and social media becomes the most popular way to stay connected and find information, we at Quarry Hill want to be sure that our residents, their families and anyone looking for information they will need down the road for themselves or for a loved one is available via multiple avenues. We are thrilled to announce our new blog, and our new Facebook page! Please like us on our Facebook page to stay connected with us!

Quarry Hill, located in the charming seaside village of Camden Maine, offers independent living, assisting liviing, and nursing services.

History & Values

As you get to know Quarry Hill, you’ll notice something special: We’re not part of some big, faceless corporation. We’re homegrown, locally owned, and managed by people you’ll probably run into at the grocery store.

Our commitment to community goes back to the opening of our predecessor, the Camden Community Hospital (CCH), in 1960. CCH was a true community hospital. Neighbors and summer visitors alike contributed to the building fund-so generously, in fact, that the modern, fully equipped hospital was able to open debt free. In 1976, the town added a 203-bed wing dedicated to providing long- and short-term nursing care plus rehabilitation services. The two facilities became known collectively as the Camden Community Hospital and Health Care Center.

The hospital closed in 1982, following the opening of Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport, but the health care center continued to provide nursing care. In 1996, a task force consisting of members of the community, local government officials, and others began looking for new uses for the old hospital site. The concept of an extended-care retirement community emerged as the best way to serve the area’s healthcare needs; and in 2002, the original hospital and nursing home were taken down, making way for Quarry Hill.

Today, Quarry Hill continues the tradition of caring for the people of Midcoast Maine by providing unsurpassed independent living, assisted living, short- and long-term nursing care and rehabilitation, and specialized memory-loss care. We’re a proud member of Pen Bay Healthcare, committed heart and soul to the well-being of the people we serve.

Our Mission

To provide a full range of living options, high-quality health services, and individualized care plans designed to respect older adults’ varied interests, abilities, and needs and promote independence and well-being.