Friday, August 22, 2014

The Quaker Philosophy & Cadbury at Cherry Hill

Members of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, founded Cadbury at Cherry Hill in 1978. Their philosophies, including social justice, peace and equality, continue to guide the way Cadbury at Cherry Hill operates.

“We look at our understanding the tenets and beliefs of the Quakers and try to apply that. One of the basic things Quakers believe is that there is God in each of us, so everyone is equal. We’re very non-discriminatory. We’re welcoming to all faiths, religions, races, genders, sexual orientations, cultures—everything. We also look at individuals as they age and become more frail, we make sure they are treated with respect and dignity. We apply that in everything that we do,” said Vic Amey, Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE), president & CEO of Cadbury Senior Services (the parent company of Cadbury at Cherry Hill).


“From an operational standpoint, one of the things Quakers believe in is finding consensus. They don’t use parliamentary procedure or Robert’s Rules of Order to make decisions. All decisions are made by consensus,” explained Vic. “We apply that here, even on a daily basis. When we’re deciding what part of Cadbury someone should live in, we put together a team, consisting of the resident, whoever the resident chooses, and our clinical staff, and we arrive at a consensus of what we think is best for that particular resident.”

Beyond the operational decision-making process, the Quaker philosophy also influences the way they determine the care plans for each resident.

“We respect their right to independence. This Quaker-guided philosophy moves us to strive for our unwritten mission, which is to help everyone age with grace and dignity and to remain as independent for as long as possible,” said Vic. “We’re very sensitive to not dictate how a particular resident is cared for. There is very little, in our minds, that is black and white. It’s a lot of grey, and a lot of thought goes into answering each question.”

Vic views one of the other main benefits of living in a Quaker-guided community as a demonstrated history of being good stewards of residents’ funds.

“The country has gone through tough times over the past five years, and I won’t deny that it has impacted us as an organization, but we have managed the organization in the best interest of the residents and, at the end of the day, that should offer some peace of mind to the individuals who are investing a large sum of money,” said Vic.

Cadbury at Cherry Hill’s Quaker influences make it a special place to call home. If you want to find out more about Cadbury at Cherry Hill or the Quaker influences, send us a note through our Contact Us form!

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