Adelaide of Newton Director Receives Dementia Certification

Benchmark, a human connection company and leading provider of senior living services in the Northeast, today announced that Susan Cohen Cwieka, executive director of the company’s forthcoming new-concept, Mind & Memory® community, Adelaide of Newton Centre in Newton Centre, Mass., has earned board certification as a dementia educator from the National Institute of Dementia Education (NIDE).

Cwieka will use the certification to better understand and care for residents at the community, which is expected to open this summer. The training introduced her to the latest trends and research in the field of dementia care, equipping Cwieka to educate residents’ family members and Adelaide associates about the disease.

Located on the highest point of Newton Centre on the former Andover Newton Theological School campus next to Hebrew College, Adelaide of Newton Centre is an adaptive reuse project that is presently transforming the original 1700s structure into a 55,000 square foot, light, bright and green-filled space featuring urban farmhouse style. The thoughtfully designed community will bridge the art of meaningful relationships with the science of high-quality care and therapeutic experiences. Through some of the latest research, technologies and programs, residents will participate in stimulating, engaging and social interactions. A caring team of skilled, empathic memory specialists will serve as care partners to future residents and guides to their loved ones.

Among the many unique amenities will be outdoor dining, plentiful gardens, a spa and cafe, customized nutrition plans from a licensed nutritionist specializing in brain health, daily Mind & Memory exercises based on Benchmark’s Live Now, Live Engaged™ program and a brain fitness center. Adelaide of Newton Centre will be capable of housing 61 residents in 50 luxury apartments, most featuring awe-inspiring views of Newton and Boston.

The community’s name pays homage to Newton’s rich history and the late Adelaide Ball, the first woman to be elected to the Newton Board of Aldermen. Ball’s volunteer work for a wide variety of civic organizations and her political career spanning nearly 20 years contributed significantly to the development and growth of Newton.

Cwieka’s over 30-year career in senior care has included leadership of three other Benchmark communities in the Newton area—Cabot Park, The Falls at Cordingly Dam and Chestnut Park at Cleveland Circle in Brighton. Her interest in health care began at age 12 when she first volunteered at a local nursing home. Cwieka earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing home administration from Simmons College and graduated from Suffolk University with a master’s degree in public health administration.

The Adelaide information center is located at 1320 Centre Street, 4th floor, in Newton Centre. For information about the community, please call (617) 544-3454.