Los Angeles Jewish Home's Blog: December 2014

Los Angeles Jewish Home's Blog

Thursday, December 11, 2014
Celebrating and Reflecting

The holidays are a special time to spend with friends and family. Gathering together for a festive meal, telling stories, sharing a laugh…it's all great fun. In today's world, it's common for families to be spread across the country. For many families, the holidays may be the only opportunity to be together. It's a great time to catch up and talk about experiences and plans for the future.

For adult children with aging parents, it's also a chance to reflect on how your loved ones are doing, both physically and mentally. The difference from one holiday to the next may be subtle, or shocking. In order to help your parents stay healthy and safe, the Mayo Clinic recommends asking yourself the following questions:

Are your parents taking care of themselves? Pay attention to their appearance: Are they keeping up with their personal grooming? What about their clothes — are they clean or in disrepair? Are your parents experiencing memory loss? Modest memory problems are a fairly common part of aging, such as forgetting appointments or where the keys are. Are memory changes more concerning, such as forgetting common words when speaking, getting lost in familiar neighborhoods, or being unable to follow directions?

Are your parents safe in their home? Is it tidy or is it uncommonly messy or dirty? Are there repairs that are being neglected? Is it safe, meaning grab bars or hand rails in place where needed, no loose rugs or mats to trip on, well lit, and smoke and/or carbon monoxide monitors and alarms are functioning? Are your parents safe on the road? If your parents become confused while driving or you're concerned about their ability to drive safely, it may be time for them to stop driving. This can be a difficult loss of independence. Many seniors make the transition by utilizing a service, such as Access or Access-a-Ride, or other local options.

Have your parents lost weight? Losing weight without trying could be a sign that something's wrong. Are your parents having difficulty preparing their meals? They may have lost their sense of taste or smell. An underlying medical condition could also be the cause, such as malnutrition, dementia, depression or cancer.

Are your parents in good spirits? A drastically different mood could be a sign of depression or other health concerns. According to AgingCare.com, signs include: an “empty” feeling, ongoing sadness, and anxiety; tiredness, lack of energy; loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities; sleep problems; eating more or less than usual; crying often; aches and pains that don't go away when treated; difficulty in focusing, remembering or making decisions; feeling guilty, helpless, worthless or hopeless; feeling irritable; thoughts of suicide or death. Listen carefully to see if your loved one is asking for help.

Are your parents able to get around? Do they seem to have any difficulty in walking around the house or usual distances? Are they having problems walking up and down stairs? Do they seem steady of their feet? Have they fallen? Falling is a major cause of disability among older adults.

Even if you live far away, here are some tips on how you can help:

Share your concerns with your parents openly and honestly. Consider including other family members or friends in the conversation. This should be done in a caring, compassionate way as it may be a difficult conversation for your parents.

Encourage regular medical checkups. If possible, make arrangements to accompany your parents to the doctor or ask another family member or friend to do so.

Address safety issues. Help make a plan to resolve any possible safety issues.

Consider home care services. This can be as basic as hiring someone to help with cleaning, cooking and errands. If your parents need more assistance, a home health aide can help with bathing, dressing and other activities of daily living. If remaining in their home is too challenging or unsafe, discuss the possibility of moving to an assisted living facility.

Contact their doctor for guidance. If you believe your parents' health and safety are at risk and they disagree, see if their doctor has permission to speak with you about their health and needs.

Seek help from local agencies. Contact the local Area Agency on Aging or Department of Aging for information and resources regarding appropriate services that may be available to assist your aging parents.

Realizing the extent of your parents' aging and their growing needs can be overwhelming. Ask for help — it's available. Working together, seniors and their adult children, family members, friends and other resources can help keep them safe and healthy for years to come.

For more information, please visit the Jewish Home's website at www.jha.org/resources/jewish-home-community-education.asp or call our toll-free Connections to Care hotline at 855-227-3745. We are here to help you and your loved ones.

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Monday, December 1, 2014
Urban Zen Comes to the Home

The Los Angeles Jewish Home always strives to promote employee health and wellness. To encourage staff to live a healthy lifestyle, the Home provides a variety of weekly fitness classes exclusively for employees. The newest addition to these classes is Urban Zen.

Founded by designer Donna Karan, Urban Zen is a holistic healthcare practice which was created to give individuals another option for treating pain, anxiety, nausea, insomnia, constipation, and exhaustion. Urban Zen combines five techniques — yoga, Reiki, essential oils, nutrition, and contemplative care, such as meditation — and is often used as a supplement to conventional care. Here at the Home, Urban Zen sessions give employees the chance to step away from their hectic office settings and enter into a more tranquil atmosphere where they can find a sense of harmony within themselves.

Vice president of human resources Sharon Ginchansky explains, "At the Jewish Home, we want to help our employees be healthy and happy. A big part of promoting employee wellness is lessening their stress levels and Urban Zen is an excellent way to do this." She reports, "Taking a few minutes out of our day to focus on our own well-being can help us recommit to the work at hand and bring a sense of inner peace. Urban Zen is a great de-stressing practice because it can be as simple as inhaling fragrant oil or focusing on breathing."

While the calming effect of Urban Zen is something that must be experienced to be understood, the following is a description of what happens in a typical session:

Once in the class, staff members sit on chairs in a room with dimmed lights and are given a few drops of essential oils to rub between their palms. Subsequently, once the oil is spread, participants place their hands close to their faces and inhale the fragrance. Then, the participants are led through a variety of light stretching and breathing exercises. The final activity in the session is a complete body scan. During this relaxing exercise, the instructor leads the class through a meditation that helps participants to get in touch with different regions of their bodies.

Due to its soothing nature, Urban Zen has become a favorite among many employees of the Home. Fund development's Cheryl Kater is an avid fan of the new program. "I'm so glad to have the chance to participate in this incredible activity," Cheryl expressed. "Urban Zen really helps to center me after I've had a busy day at work. The deep breathing and meditation are my favorite parts of the class — there's no better way to get into a relaxed state of mind."

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Annenberg School's VN Class of 2015

Offering a variety of classes throughout the year, the Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) is an ever-bustling hub of education. The school offers three ongoing programs — vocational nurse, nurse assistant, and home health aide. Currently, the vocational nursing (VN) course is in session.

The vocational nurse program commenced at the beginning of this year with twenty-three students, six of whom have completed Annenberg's nurse assistant course in the past. The twelve month program — which will conclude in February of next year — prepares students for the NCLEX-PN® licensing exam. The class is made up of 17 females and 6 males, with the youngest of the class 18 years old and the oldest student 46 years old.

Although the program is full time, eleven of the twenty-three students enrolled are also working part time. Six are employees of the Jewish Home. Seventeen of the students have applied for financial aid in order to accommodate the costs of tuition.

Once the course is completed, a number of the prospective vocational nurses plan to care for the elderly and quite a few students intend to pursue employment at the Home. Almost all of the students in the VN course have plans to continue their education and become registered nurses.

Whether they're studying to become a nurse assistant, home health aide, or vocational nurse, students from all walks of life are welcome to discover and master nursing at the Annenberg School of Nursing. Director Marie Cordeiro explains, "We provide our students with an exceptionally supportive and inclusive learning environment so they can acquire the hands-on skills they need to excel in their future careers. There is not a better place in Southern California to study nursing."

If you or someone you know is interested in enrolling in ASN's VN course, the school will host an open house on Tuesday, November 18th at 5:00pm. Space is limited, please call the number below to register. If vocational nursing is not for you, you can learn about ASN's fantastic nurse assistant and home health aide programs by contacting admissions coordinator Cindy Thomas at (818) 757-4431 or Cindy.Thomas@jha.org, or by visiting the ASN website at www.asn.edu.

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