Judson Smart Living® Programs

A Smart Commitment To Proactive Health & Wellness

Access to quality health services and experts is an important part of both preventing and responding to changes in health and overall wellness. Our signature Health & Wellness program offers a team of experts to help maintain your optimal level of well-being with access to healthcare, should the need arise.

• Wellness
  • Our wellness team helps you maintain your optimal level of wellness. A wide variety of classes are offered at each campus. These classes help to support your health and well-being.

• Physician, Nurse Practitioner, or Other Medical Services
  • Our team of medical professionals provide on-site appointments in the Medical Clinic or in your home to meet your various medical needs.
• Nurse
  • The Independent Living Resident Care Manager is a Registered Nurse who leads your health care team in meeting your needs by providing nursing advice and guidance.
• Social Work
  • Our Social Worker is a key member of the health care team and works in collaboration with the nursing team and other health care professionals. The Social Worker helps to connect you with resources and other services that support you as your needs change.
• Therapy
  • Our therapy team helps you maintain your independence and provides services following an illness or hospitalization. Services include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language therapy in each community.

• Home Care
  • Wherever it is you call home, Judson Home Care offers household management and personal care services that are customized to meet your unique needs. Our associates are carefully selected and committed to upholding Judson’s reputation of providing excellent care. We will meet with you and your loved ones regularly to discuss what level of support is most suitable for your needs. We match you with the best caregivers to provide you the assistance you require and ensure the highest quality experience.
• Hospice
  • Our interdisciplinary team of specialized healthcare professionals provide quality hospice care while enhancing comfort, dignity, choice and quality of life. Our program is licensed, certified and offers support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A Smart Commitment To Proactive Wellness

Maintaining and building strength and physical fitness is an important part of successful aging, helping to prevent health decline and preserve vitality. Our signature Fitness program offers anything from strength training, land and water exercise classes, to swim lessons for all ages and massage therapy.

• Strength Training
  • Tools to meet your strength training needs—free weights, stretch bands, and state-of-the-art resistance machines are available at each of the campus Wellness Centers. After a private consultation, a fitness trainer can design an individual, progressive fitness plan once your doctor gives approval.

• Land Exercise Class
  • Classes are taught by certified instructors, last 30-45 minutes and meet three to five times per week. Equipment, mats, and towels are provided. Classes focus on balance, posture, and strength training and are done through a variety of seated and standing exercises. Other classes are offered periodically, such as Gentle Yoga, Improvement Through Movement, Tai Chi, and Mindful Meditation.
• Water Exercise Class
  • Certified instructors teach classes that last 45 minutes. Showers, dressing rooms, and towels are provided. These classes are designed to promote cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle strength and balance. Using water weights and “noodles”, the focus is on using water’s natural resistance to provide a complete upper and lower body workout.

• Hot Water Plunge Pool
  • Residents and guests may use the wonderfully relaxing hot tub if medically appropriate. The water temperature is kept at a constant 102 degrees.
• Swim Lessons
  • Private and semi-private lessons are available for all ages, by appointment only.
• Massage Therapy
  • Therapeutic massage is provided by our licensed massage therapists who have years of experience with residents, staff, and members of the community. By appointment only.

A Smart Commitment To Proactive Engagement Across Generations

Expanding daily experiences to include interaction across generations keeps life interesting and enriches the lives of the young and old alike. Our signature Engagement Across Generations program offers opportunities to live, learn, and connect with individuals of every age.

• Artist-In-Residence Program
  • Judson embarked on a collaboration with The Cleveland Institute of Music and Ursuline College to launch an Artist-in-Residence Program. Master’s level music and art therapy students live among the residents at Judson Manor and Judson Park at no charge, in exchange for monthly concerts and art programs at all three campuses. These programs have created a one-of-a-kind, internationally recognized intergenerational living experience that have benefited both students and residents alike.

• Educational and Community Partnerships
  • In 1981, Judson Smart Living® founded its first intergenerational
    collaboration with Ruffing Montessori School in Cleveland Heights. Today, with the support of generous donors, Judson works with local educational and civic groups on curriculum-based programs that serve as a national model for connecting generations, enriching lives, and stimulating the minds of all ages. The program represents a rich and dynamic cross-section of age, location, and activity. Young people – pre-school to college-age and beyond – engage with Judson residents daily. In return, Judson residents are out in the community, volunteering at schools and with community groups, actively mentoring the next generation. Judson’s locations in University Circle and Chagrin Valley offer a myriad of opportunities for meaningful exchange. These cultural institutions, such as the Cleveland Museum of Art, the History Center at the Western Reserve Historical Society, the Natural History Museum, Chagrin Documentary Film Festival, and the Chagrin Historical Society, are key partners for enriching life at Judson.

A Proactive Approach to Memory Support

Having readily available support in the event of changes in memory or cognition is an important part of successful aging. Our signature Memory Support program is accredited by Comfort Matters®, a renowned evidence-based approach to caring for people with dementia.

Comfort care meets the physical, social, spiritual and emotional needs of the individual. Knowing their routine and anticipating needs is key towards proactive care. Offering their favorite snacks and refreshments because we know they enjoyed one in the evening, watching for signs of sleepiness and helping them lie down beforehand, or engaging them in an activity before they are bored.  We respond to the changes of the disease, and continually assess the individual’s needs.

With Comfort Matters®, the core belief is that individuals with dementia are experts on their own comfort.  They know when they are comfortable or not, but have difficulty communicating that to others.  It is important to know about the person’s history, so that care is truly customized for each individual. Understanding the totality of who the individual is, helps to provide quality of life for someone with dementia.  We see the individual at the center, with their family and friends surrounding them, and Judson associates as an expansion of support and care.

This empowered team works together with all departments to create an environment that is safe, engaging, along with care that includes both non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions to support the individual.  During the person’s journey with dementia and to maximize comfort at all times, we encourage various care approaches.

The foundation for Comfort Matters® is based on simple yet powerful, holistic concepts. This type of care model was developed by Beatitudes Campus, a continuing care retirement community in Arizona. As an accredited Comfort Matters® community, Judson has embraced this model to ensure that those with dementia are cared for in the best possible way.