Los Angeles Jewish Home

We just came across an interesting blog.


Coincidentally, the Jewish Home is reaching out and offering our expertise in senior care to the broader community. Perhaps you read our eNews update introducing our four-event Community Education Series.

Just like Heritage Pointe in New Jersey, we recognized that many in Los Angeles want information regarding the best options available for aging loved ones. To better serve that need, the Jewish Home is hosting seminars on the various aspects and options surrounding aging and eldercare.

They are all free of charge.

The second event in our series is coming up the Tuesday after Memorial Day. It will cover common physical and cognitive issues associated with aging, how to recognize when help is needed, and the community resources available to you. The event features two experts in geriatric medicine, Dr. Edward Schneider and Dr. Esiquio Casillas. If you or a loved one are interested in issues regarding aging and care options, this is an hour you won't want to miss.

For more information on the Jewish Home's Community Education Series, click here or on the picture of the event postcard.

Labels: Aging, Assisted Living, Baby Boomers, Blog, Community, Cross Post, Education, Long Term Living, Sandwich Generation, Seniors, Series, Staff

A decade and a half ago, a third grade teacher from Balboa Magnet School in Northridge teamed up with the Jewish Home activities staff. The goal was to bridge the intergenerational gap, pairing third graders with residents at the Home for a year. Once a month, the students would take a field trip to the Jewish Home, and participate in fun activities with their "buddy".

Labels: Around the Home, Balboa Magnet School, Buddy, Children, FOI, Friends of Ida, Friendship, Generation Gap, Ida, Inspiring, Olivia, Seniors, Staff, Students, Third Grade

Labels: Annenberg, Barzall-Sola, Blood Pressure, DeGuzman, Flittner, For the Body, Leung, Nguyen, Nursing, Nursing School, Nursing Students, Pail Level, Pulse, Staff, Temperature, Vital Signs

Why do some people age gracefully, while others do not?

Why do individuals differ so greatly in their ability to roll with the punches? How is it possible for one person to be content and engaging despite significant physical challenges, while another in relatively good health is constantly grumpy and discouraged?

One reason is the way each person deals with the reality of suffering in life.

A matter of meaning

No one likes to suffer. After all, to suffer is to experience continual, undeserved pain of the body, mind, and spirit. To suffer is to feel pain that will not go away. Yet suffering, we must realize, is in the eye of the beholder. One person can be in pain without suffering, just as another can suffer without being in physical pain.

People who feel pain but do not suffer are unsurprised by pain. They recognize pain is a part of life, and a reminder they are alive.

Looking at their present situation, these individuals may not find meaning or purpose at the moment, but they expect to discover it someday. They understand they are human — vulnerable, finite, imperfect.

In contrast, people who suffer without physical pain believe they deserve a pain-free life. To their way of thinking, limitations should be managed, controlled, manipulated, and mastered. These individuals cannot easily find meaning or purpose in their present situation, because the pillars upon which they built their lives have been threatened or destroyed. They are in spiritual distress, hurting in the soul as well as the body.

Viktor Frankl, the noted Viennese psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, coined this formula:

D=S-M, or despair (D) equals suffering (S) 'minus,' or without, meaning (M). Despair is the combination of pain with a sense of meaninglessness.

The other side of the coin is that having a sense of meaning in our lives can inure us to almost any pain. Frankl quotes Martin Heidegger, the existential philosopher, by noting that a person with a 'why' to live can deal with any 'how.'

Responses to pain

We all suffer, but to varying degrees. It's what we do with our pain that distinguishes people who age 'spiritedly' from those who do not.

Caring health and wellness professionals always consider how their patients respond to pain as individuals. Are they, as older adults, able to transcend pain and suffering to see the value and purpose in life? Do they realize they can find meaning in spite of pain, and sometimes even through that pain?

Unfortunately, health and wellness professionals sometimes cope with their patients' suffering by avoiding its complexities. That's because, in dealing with the suffering of others, professionals must often confront their own pain, vulnerability, and limitations. But professionals who have yet to come to terms with their pain may be closed or insensitive to their patients' pain and suffering.

Another way health and wellness professionals may deal with suffering is to try to fix it, as if they have the power to remedy another's suffering.

The truth is no one can fix another's pain. If Frankl is right and D does equal S-M, only the sufferer can work through his or her despair, because only he or she can judge this suffering to be meaningful, valuable, or worthy. Most sufferers do not seek 'answers.' They need companions who will listen to them and support them while they are suffering.

The gift of growth

My personal trainer once said the same words my high school track coach used to shout many years ago: "No pain, no gain." This cliché might be controversial in a senior wellness/fitness setting, but it turns out it is true in spiritual caregiving as well that growth comes whenever life is challenged.

Recommended Reading

• Albom, M. Tuesdays with Morrie. New York NY: Doubleday, 1997
• Byock, I. Dying Well: The Prospect of Growth at the End of Life. New York NY: Riverhead Books, 1997
• Eiesland, N. The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability. Nashville TN: Abingdon Press, 1994
• Frankl, V. Man's Search for Meaning. New York NY: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1959
• Frankl, V. The Will to Meaning. New York NY: A Meridian Book, 1988
• Kurtz, E. and Ketcham, K. The Spirituality of Imperfection. New York NY: Bantam, 1992
• Lustbader, W. Counting on Kindness. New York NY: The Free Press, 1991

Labels: Feature Articles, For the Spirit, Koepke, Staff

You can’t find your keys. Or you open the refrigerator door but forget why. Or you can’t remember the name of someone you’ve met several times. Situations like these can create frustration and even fear in middle-aged adults. Could these be early signs of Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?

Relax and enjoy a sigh of relief, because episodes like these are common in middle age, and are most likely features of normal, age-related memory change. The key words here are “normal” and “age-related.” For many of us, these normal changes can begin around 35 years old.

How do we distinguish normal, age-related memory lapses from AD? There are several factors, including the severity and frequency of the forgetting; the extent to which forgetting interferes with your work or social life; and whether or not you are able to benefit from using a calendar, notes, or other mnemonic devices. It’s also important to understand that AD is much more than a memory disorder. It involves cognitive, behavioral, and even personality changes.

The Differences are Striking

To illustrate the difference between age-related memory changes and AD, consider the thought process and steps you might take when your keys are lost.

Most of us look in the places where we usually leave our keys. Then we check the purse we just used or the pockets of any jackets we recently wore. Then we would widen our search to include less likely places, such as the front door or car, and eventually other places where they might be.

The fact that you can remember the likely places requires memory and cognitive abilities that a person with AD usually cannot muster. A person with AD might find the keys by searching randomly, or might forget what he was looking for and abandon the search altogether.

Consider another scenario: it is common to get lost while driving to a location we have only been to occasionally. However, a driver with early stage AD might get lost even on frequently driven streets.

A routine of doing two errands together, such as going to the bank and then the supermarket, can be challenging. A person with AD who goes to a different branch of the bank, though still in the neighborhood, might not be able to find the way to the supermarket. The inability to recognize and implement the necessary adjustments to the routine is a cognitive deficit common in Alzheimer’s disease.

More examples of the contrast between the age-related memory changes and AD are included in the “Know the 10 Signs” section of the Alzheimer’s Association website: www.alz.org.

Memory Improvement — It's for Everyone

There are a number of tips we can all use to improve our memory, or to make forgetting less costly or time-consuming. Follow the adage: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” Try to leave your keys in the same bowl, on the same hook, or in a specific pocket of your purse.

Write things down and frequently update your “to do” list. Maintain a detailed calendar with upcoming appointments, birthdays, and even events that recently occurred. Although this might sound obvious, if you jot down a phone number, make sure to write the person’s name next to it.

Set an alarm clock or timer to remind you when to leave for an appointment. It also helps to say out loud or to yourself things you want to remember, even something as simple as why you are going into a room.

Make Connections in Your Mind

This is especially helpful if you pair a word with a visual image. If you meet someone named Mike, try to picture a microphone. Annabelle? Envision a bell. To make it easier to remember the names of people you meet, repeat the name silently to yourself a few times, and then try to use it aloud with the person in your conversation. If you forget a name, try reciting the alphabet in your head since hearing the first letter will often jog your memory.

In general, to improve memory, focus your attention on one thing at a time. Listen closely when you’re in a conversation rather than focusing on the next point you want to make. Stay in the moment and avoid letting your mind wander.

If you become upset when you do forget something, first calm yourself with a few deep breaths. Give yourself a chance to remember. These techniques can help your memory and, in doing so, reduce anxiety you may have about signs of AD.

If you do have concerns about your memory or that of a loved one, regardless of age, please have an evaluation by a physician or psychologist with specialized training in this field.

Labels: Feature Articles, For the Mind, Rosett, Staff

We are all exposed to research findings in the media that present prevailing wisdom on health and dietary issues only to reverse itself six months later with the publication of a new finding.

Coffee, alcohol, wine, and chocolate have been hot topics over the past several years. But the most common confusion I encounter in the clinical setting results from misinformation patients and families receive regarding the amount of salt and water we should consume on a daily basis.

Most Americans understand that adding extra salt to food is not healthy for them, and that excess salt can contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease. Unfortunately most people do not understand that the normal American diet already contains an extremely high amount of sodium, as salt is measured in most prepared foods, averaging 4,000 mg per day. This is much higher than the American Heart Association guideline of 1,500 mg per day.

It is estimated that limiting sodium intake to recommended levels could save 150,000 lives each year by reducing complications from high blood pressure and heart disease.

Surprise — It's Not the Salt Shaker

Many patients feel they are not at risk for excess sodium if they don't add extra salt to their foods at the table. However, sodium added to foods from a salt shaker only accounts for 5% of the sodium consumed in the regular American diet. Ninety-five percent comes from processed foods themselves.

It comes as a surprise to most of my patients that many common foods contribute to high sodium intake. Most canned soups have nearly 1,000 mg of sodium in one serving, which is two-thirds of the daily limit in one meal. One small package of soy sauce also contains nearly 1,000 mg of sodium.

With such a high sodium content in everyday foods, many patients exceed their daily limit before lunchtime. Patients with the diagnosis of heart failure are often the most vulnerable to excess sodium intake, which commonly leads to excess water retention in the legs and lungs and is a common reason for heart failure admissions to the hospital.

By eating fewer processed foods, and adding more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet, you can help keep your sodium intake well within the recommended guidelines.

Water — Large Quantities are Not for Everyone

Water consumption is another dilemma for patients. It is generally assumed true that drinking several large bottles of water a day may be good for a young, healthy person. But for patients with certain medical conditions, such as heart failure or kidney disease, large amounts of water can actually compromise their conditions.

Depending on the severity of their particular condition, physicians often limit patients daily water intake to one-two liters (two-four 500ml bottles) per day. The American Heart Association recommends less than two liters of fluids per day for patients with heart failure and patients with end stage kidney disease often are recommended to drink about one liter per day.

Well-informed about the benefits of hydration, patients are often surprised that they are drinking more fluids than the recommended amount and that drinking too much fluid can make them sicker.

It is always advisable to discuss your particular fluid and sodium restrictions with your physician because these two essential nutritional elements can have an enormous impact on your health.

Labels: Casillas, Feature Articles, For the Body, Staff

Living life to the fullest — that is what we all strive to do every day. Our golden years present a better opportunity to live life, learn new talents, revisit old hobbies, or seek out new adventures than at any other time in our lives.

Often, seniors must look to the care of others so they can continue to add life to their years. Whether dealing with the normal signs of aging or abrupt emergencies, it pays to be prepared. With a little education and some planning ahead, the transition into the different levels of care can be seamless and nearly stress free.

Starting this month, the Los Angeles Jewish Home's expert staff is organizing four short seminars to help with that education and planning process. From choosing the best in-home caregiver, to in-residence options, advanced directives, and hospice care, we want to help the greater Los Angeles community care better for their aging loved ones.

Our first seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 17th at 6:30pm. Entitled How to Find, Hire, and Manage the Right Caregiver, the Jewish Home's vice president of human resources, Shelly Ryan, and the CEO/administrator of our skilled nursing hospital, Ilana Grossman, will explain what to look for if you or someone you love needs a little extra daily assistance.

Oh, one more thing — all four events are free! But space is limited and reservations are required.

For more information, click on the picture to see the official event postcard. Or, you can visit here to see the web version.

Labels: Aging, Caregiver, Caregiving, Community, Education, Free Seminar, Healthy Aging, Jewish Home Event, Planning, Senior Care, Staff

Last week’s reading is known simply as “Holiness”, applying laws for every person to live a moral life. This week, we read about laws of holiness specifically for the priests.

But, the very first verse is peculiar:


Three times in this one verse the verb “to say” is used, and calling Aaron’s sons “the priests” appears to be redundant.

The Rabbis of the Talmud suggest that “saying” is much gentler than “speaking”, which is harsh and judgmental.   Perhaps what we have here is a gentle question for the kohanim.

The Talmud in Nedariis m 32b describes the kohanim as sheluchei didan. The kohanim act as our agents or emissaries as they perform the Temple service. Yet this idea - that the kohanim act as agents for the Jewish people - appears to violate the legal definition of the powers of a shaliach. An agent acts on behalf of the one sending him, executing his wishes. The agent cannot do that which the principal himself is incapable of doing for himself. So how can the kohanim perform the Temple service on our behalf, when non-kohanim are not permitted to serve in the Beit HaMikdash?

The parashah also opens with special directives for kohanim: "God spoke to Moses: Tell the kohanim, the sons of Aaron..." (Lev. 21:1). Yet the text appears repetitive — do we not know that the kohanim are descended from Aaron?

According to Rav Kook, these two terms — 'kohanim' and 'sons of Aaron' — indicate two different aspects of the special sanctity of kohanim. The first is an intrinsic holiness, inherited from one’s father. The phrase "sons of Aaron" refers to this inherent sanctity.

The second aspect is an additional layer of holiness — one’s actual functioning as a kohen. This aspect is designated by the term 'kohanim.' (The verb lechahein means 'to serve,' so the word 'kohanim' indicates their actual service.) Thus, the term "sons of Aaron" refers to their inherited potential, while 'kohanim' refers to their realized state of priestly service.

Usually a kohen will have both potential and actual kohanic-holiness.  This intrinsic sanctity cannot be revoked.

Perhaps we may now understand the description of kohanim as 'our agents.' How can they be our emissaries in their Temple service when we ourselves are forbidden to perform this service?

In fact, the Torah speaks of the entire Jewish people as "a kingdom of kohanim" (Ex. 19:6).

Non-kohanim may not serve in the Beit HaMikdash, for they lack the holiness of actual priesthood. Yet every Jew has a quality of potential kohanic-holiness. Because this inner holiness will be revealed in the future, the entire people of Israel are called 'God's kohanim.' And it is due to this potential holiness that the kohanim are able to serve as our agents in the Temple service.

This understanding of the role of kohanim sheds a new light on the ceremony of birkat kohanim. The significance of their daily blessing is to awaken the latent kohanic-holiness that resides within the entire Jewish people. As the kohanim extend their arms to bless the people, they reach out to Israel's future state of holiness. Their outstretched arms point to a future era, but whose seeds are planted in the present.

This week we are gently reminded of our potentiality of holiness. Just as Aaron’s sons must strive to be deserving of their special status, likewise we strive to live holy lives in accordance with kedoshim.

Shabbat Shalom

Labels: Aaron, Emor, For the Spirit, Judaism, Kohanim, Parshah, Pennes, Priesthood, Shabbat, Word of Torah

Mother's Day is only a few days away! Have you made plans to celebrate your mom, your grandmother, your great-grandmother, or that special woman in your life? The Jewish Home is helping to make that celebration a little brighter this year. We just created two new e-Cards. And on top of that, they're both free!

Labels: Birds in Paradise, e-Cards, eCards, Grandma, Grandmother, Great-Grandma, Great-Grandmother, Mom, Mother and Child, Mother's Day, Oil Paintings, painting, Residents, Spring Blossoms, Staff