Los Angeles Jewish Home

From May 15th to May 21st the Jewish Home staff, residents, and visitors celebrated Staff Appreciation Week. Employees from all of the Home's facilities were encouraged to join this week of food, friends, and fun at the Grancell and Eisenberg Village Campuses. Events included a carne asada luau barbecue, instant recess, delightful pancake breakfast, variety show, and Employee Recognition Ceremony.

The employee variety show was a highlight of the week. Fantastic dancers stunned audiences with Santa Rita Bailable, traditional Indian, Cha-Cha, Hawaiian, modern hip hop, retro rock and roll, Bollywood Bhangra, and Flamenco dance performances. Employees also performed routines to Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast, Don't Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee, Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, Shake it Off by Taylor Swift, Lazy by Bruno Mars, as well as the theme songs to The Addams Family and The Brady Bunch. A talented staff member sang the American and Israeli national anthems, while another employee sang and played Iridescent Eyes, an original song. Other groups wowed spectators with an exhilarating drum drill and an amusing game show skit.

Staff Appreciation Week concluded with the Employee Recognition Ceremony. Outstanding employees were showered in applause and appreciation for all of the contributions they've made to the Home over the years. Long standing staff members who have been working with the Home for 5, 10, 13, 15, 20, 25, and 40 years were honored for their diligence within the community. Preselected staff members were welcomed to the Jewish Home Home Team, a special team of 160 employees recognized by peers, visitors, and families for their outstanding contributions to the Home.

As the Home's staff members revert to their normal work schedules after a multitude of shared meals, exciting events, and fun festivities, they do so with a sense of joy and pride knowing their hard work makes a difference within the Jewish Home's community. Vice President of human resources Sharon Ginchansky commented on the importance of this celebratory week, "Staff Appreciation Week is the one week we shine the spotlight on our staff's commitment to excellence as well as the passion and pride they exude in their daily duties. It's an honor to celebrate the achievements of our peers and to give our thanks to the people who make the Home the wonderful place it is." 

Please click here to view photos from Staff Appreciation Week 2015.

Special thanks to the Home's Human Resources, Dietary, Housekeeping, and Maintenance Departments for working so hard to make sure this week of festivities was an incredible success.

Nearly 100 members of the Legacy Circle of the Los Angeles Jewish Home gathered on May 21 at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills for the annual Legacy Circle luncheon.

The Legacy Circle is comprised of individuals who have made provisions in their estate plans for the Home. Naming the Jewish Home in their estate plans helps ensure its future for generations to come.

Each year significant funds come to the Jewish Home from legacy gifts. Although many of these donors choose to be anonymous, members of the Legacy Circle set a standard that others emulate, helping to secure the future of our Home. Regardless of size, or how they are legally and technically structured, it is these gifts which communicate these donors' personal legacy: their values, priorities, and inspirations. Hosting the annual luncheon is the Home's way to thank generous individuals.

The Home's CEO-President Molly Forrest provided guests with an informative update on the state of healthcare in America. The keynote address was presented by the Jewish Home's Jack H. Skirball Director of Spiritual Life, Rabbi Karen Bender, who noted she is learning from those in attendance, since they have all followed many mitzvot through their plans and remarkable generosity.

For more information about the Home's Legacy Circle, please contact Aaron Levinson, planned giving officer, at (818) 757-4416 or Aaron.Levinson@jha.org.

Have you ever heard a favorite song from your distant past and immediately felt like you were taken back in time? You could see the people you were with and remember what you were doing, maybe what you were wearing, as the music played. You actually feel — mentally and physically — like you are there in that long ago moment. How can that possibly happen?

Current research finds our brains are actually hard-wired to connect music with long-term memory. According to the non-profit organization MUSIC & MEMORY^®, even persons with severe dementia can tap deep emotional recall. Favorite music or songs associated with important personal events can trigger memory of lyrics and the experience connected to the music. Beloved music often calms chaotic brain activity and enables the listener to focus on the present moment and regain a connection to others.

Founded by executive director Dan Cohen, MSW, in 2006, MUSIC & MEMORY^® has a simple goal: to provide new and used iPods to nursing homes so each resident can enjoy music personalized for them. In 2012, a documentary about the program, Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory, helped greatly in boosting awareness and interest in the benefits of music related to memory. 

The organization's ongoing research and evaluation shows consistent results:

The Los Angeles Jewish Home is happy to announce our participation in the MUSIC & MEMORY^® certification program. With trainings taking place for staff of the Home's skilled nursing facilities, Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), and Skirball Hospice, we will be initiating MUSIC & MEMORY^® across our campuses and in the community. Approximately 25 employees are participating in the training, which includes a series of three 90-minute webinars, taught by founder Dan Cohen. The webinars provide instruction on creating an iTunes library, managing resident playlists, handling equipment and security concerns, integrating digital music into daily care plans, and evaluating the program's effectiveness.

After certification, the Home will receive one year of coaching support from MUSIC & MEMORY^® to ensure success of the program and ten iPods with headphones. Additional iPods will be purchased and/or donated, both new and gently used.

Rolling out the program across the Home began with the BCSC team. Susie Fishenfeld, executive director of BCSC, previously experienced the MUSIC & MEMORY^® program and knew the impact it can have on seniors as well as their families and caregivers. "Our goal at BCSC is for our participants to enjoy increased stimulation and activity.  We also believe it will be a way to bring families and caregivers closer with participants through sharing the music they love and the memories it brings."

Timothy Carlson, RN, resource clinical advisor for the Jewish Home, is serving as the point person for MUSIC & MEMORY^® in other areas of the Home, including skilled nursing and Alzheimer's and dementia care. "This is a powerful program to enrich the lives, move the spirits, and stimulate the minds of the cherished seniors we care for at the Home," Tim explains.  "Music moves us all, and the MUSIC & MEMORY^® program brings this truth front and center."

The Home's Skirball Hospice is also participating in the certification. "We will begin our training this month," says Lee Rothman, volunteer coordinator for Hospice and point person for this project. "We will initially introduce the program to our patients who have a diagnosis of Alzheimer's with dementia, which currently is about one-third of the individuals we serve. We are excited to be involved in this program with the goal of improving the quality of life for our patients and their families."

"We are pleased to provide MUSIC & MEMORY^® in addition to all the amazing and innovative programs we offer at the Jewish Home," says Tim.

We will be bringing you updates about the program as it is implemented throughout the Home. Check out future issues of e-News and Jewish Home News for the latest information.

Heather, a board certified registered nurse, has over 15 years of progressive experience in an acute care setting. Her leadership roles, including lead crisis RN and program manager, have resulted in her depth of knowledge regarding the complexity of patient care and healthcare administration.

Prior to the Jewish Home, Heather was employed at Northridge Hospital Medical Center for eight years. As inpatient program manager, her duties included supervision and teaching of the medical center's Pro-Act (professional assault crisis training) class as part of employee orientation. Heather then served as nurse clinician for the partial hospitalization program, which allows individuals to commute to the center for treatment of mental health issues and remain living at home. In that position, she was a key member of the acute mental health team of medical professionals providing leadership and management of staff. Working with psychiatrists, Heather developed comprehensive treatment plans for patients diagnosed with a range of illnesses including intense depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and severe anxiety. 

"I am very excited to be part of the Jewish Home," says Heather. "As program director for AGPU, my goals are simple: to provide the best care for our patients and to create a great environment for our staff to excel, to be empowered to make a difference in the lives of our seniors."

"In searching for the right person to serve as program director of AGPU, we focused on finding a manager who is aligned with our mission and values," explains Ilana Grossman, CEO/Administrator of JEKMC. "We also wanted someone who could partner with our hospital leadership in positioning our program for future growth. Heather brings a combination of strong clinical and leadership management skills, along with a warmth and a commitment to create a safe, quality healing environment for our seniors."

Heather received her Masters of Science in Nursing with specialization in leadership and management from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

On behalf of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, we welcome Heather and look forward to working together to improve the health of our seniors.