Los Angeles Jewish Home

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

Imagine you are alone on a desert island. There's no one to tell you what to do; you can live wholly without restriction. Of course, after a while, you would stop relishing your "freedom". That kind of life is not true freedom; it is a life of loneliness and sterility.

When I was discussing Passover in one class recently, I asked what freedom was about. The first answer I got was "the right to express yourself." Indeed, free expression is one of the central principles of a free society, like in the United States.

But freedom of expression is very important on a personal level too. Even when we are surrounded by other people, we can still feel we are on a desert island. If I feel myself totally alone – an individual without real relationships, not truly part of a community – am I free to express myself? Not really, I think. I can truly express who I am only to people I can trust, people who care for me and will listen to me.

Let us remember, this Passover, that our true freedom lies in relationship and in community. Let our own Exodus be from loneliness to relationship, as we reach out to each other, and get to know cherish each other. Through those caring relationships we will all find our dignity and our freedom.

I wish you all a happy – and heart-warming – Passover!

Rabbi Anthony Elman serves as Rabbi of the Jewish Home's Grancell Village Campus. His professional background is multifaceted, encompassing the fields of law, social work, and psychotherapy. Rabbi Elman has been with the Home since his ordination and graduation from the Academy for Jewish Religion-California in May 2007

Labels: Community, Dignity, Elman, Exodus, For the Spirit, Free Society, Freedom, Freedom of Expression, Friends, Friendship, Island, Loneliness, Passover, Pesach, Relationships, Seniors

By Ellis Simon, 87...a ten year resident


The Jewish Home is my home and yours
So pick up the phone & arrange the tours
All the residents have a smile on their face
We're the luckiest people in the whole human race


The activities here, and there are quite a few
With over 300 a month, you'll find lots to do
The food's delicious, and plenty of it
You'll like it so much, you'll eat every bit


The doctors here are really the best
And our medical department will pass any test
The nurses, you'll love them, they are really great
And the best part, there's rarely a wait


The friends that you make, will forever be true
You'll love them, and they'll love you
Whether you're seventy, or maybe ninety seven
This is the closest that you'll ever get to Heaven


So give us a call, and get all the news
Then make your move, and then no more blues
To make you happy is the war we are waging
So come on in to the Jewish Home for the Aging

Labels: Activities, Aging, Around the Home, doctors, food, Friends, Friendship, Jewish Home, medical staff, nurses, Poems, Poetry, Residents, Simon, tours

Dennis McCarthy, a columnist for the Daily News in Los Angeles, stopped by the Los Angeles Jewish Home the other day to hear the remarkable life story of one of our residents. Abe Daniels, a brand new resident and veteran of the Second World War, was a Marine pilot on the Pacific front.


Read the entire story here.

Labels: Around the Home, Daily News, Daniels, Dennis McCarthy, Feb 7, Friendship, Staff, Veteran, Weinbaum, WWII

Marie Matz recalls the day Rose Wayne struck up a conversation with her. It began with a simple hello, and as they spoke, the two women, aged 86 and 101, discovered how much they had in common, beginning with a love of conversation!

Marie and Rose became good friends, and continue to enjoy conversation and knitting together. Over time, the bond between them has grown stronger. "If she's sick," Marie says, "I worry."

New friendships, and the speed at which they are formed, can seem almost miraculous. Yet they happen all the time because, as social scientists point out, we are all, at every age and stage of life, highly social creatures.

Surveys of seniors reveal that one of the most cherished features of residential communities is the opportunity to form new friendships.

Being socially engaged, studies suggest, improves memory and other cognitive skills. Socially-inclined people tend be more active and to carry that energy in their faces. This, in turn, invites more people to engage and interact with them.

Why Friendships Are Good for You

Socially active seniors not only appear more energetic, but studies show they may actually live longer and feel better. And their mental agility benefits from the interpersonal interaction. Among the more intriguing findings are that:

Friendships boost your longevity.
In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, researchers following nearly 1,500 seniors for a decade discovered that people with a strong social network are likely to live longer.

These findings were duplicated in another study of 1,200 older adults conducted by Biomed Central Geriatrics.

Social activity boosts your thinking skills.
In a study of more than 2,000 older men and women, people who engaged in one or two social activities regularly did much better on cognitive skills tests, according to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

Volunteer work is more satisfying (and rewarding) for seniors.
In a study comparing how adults over 60 and under 60 feel about their volunteer work, researchers found that older adults reported greater improvements in life satisfaction from their work than did younger volunteers. This was especially true among older adults who volunteered for many hours. Older adults also perceived their health as being better than the younger volunteers did. The study was published in The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

It All Starts with a Smile

Social researchers and cognitive behavioral therapists agree that a few simple steps can enrich our social skills and bring the rewards of friendship into our lives:

Smile!
A pleasant smile while maintaining eye contact is the best invitation to conversation, and almost naturally leads to a remark that initiates conversation. Try it!

Be proactive.
This can take the form of a simple greeting or sharing your impression of a specific event that affects both you and the person you're addressing. Remember, a generous impulse is never wasted.

Build Rapport.
Discover common interests as soon as you can. These can stimulate discussion, give you the confidence to speak more openly about yourself, and put you and your partner on firm ground.

Listen and Learn.
The more you know about your partner, the more you will find opportunities to make helpful and appropriate remarks or suggestions. Knowing who you are talking to also helps you relate your experience to theirs.

Overcome Shyness.
It really can be as easy as that. Experts tells us that focusing on other people's experience is a great escape from ourselves, especially when we are self-conscious to the point of shyness. Ask someone about themselves, and give yourself the challenge of remembering exactly what they tell you.

Keeping the Door Open

Residents at the Jewish Home agree that opportunities to engage with others begin with each new day. And they believe the same applies to seniors everywhere who have a mind to take part in what's going on.

With a little effort, and by keeping the door open, seniors who see themselves as 'loners' can soon find themselves table-hopping, just for the pleasure of catching up with friends and acquaintances.

Political or current events discussions can be a wonderful way of stimulating discussion and bringing opinions to the fore. Often, it is common experiences or shared values that bring seniors together for those invaluable exchanges that blossom into friendship.

It's a wonderful feeling to be accepted for who you are, and, as the data and the testimony of Jewish Home residents show us, well worth the effort we put into it.

Kathleen Doheny is a Los Angeles-based journalist who also writes for WebMD.com, healthday.com, Weight Watchers, the Los Angeles Times and other publications.

Labels: Aging, Doheny, Feature Articles, Friendship, Longevity

A Roundtable of Jewish Home Residents Takes on the Big 5

In a era that is redefining the way Americans age, many myths still surround what we can expect in our senior years. The Jewish Home recently brought together a group of residents to explore some of the attitudes that have traditionally cast doubt on the potential of senior years.

Myth 1 — Advanced Age Means Illness

While most seniors acknowledge making adjustments for changes in balance and eyesight, a vast majority of the routine challenges of aging are easily handled with good medical care, dietary accommodations, and physical conditioning, and do not impair functioning.

According to "Older Americans 2008," a federal study of how older Americans are faring, 54% of women and 43% of men report having arthritis, percentages that are actually far lower than was commonly supposed.

Though about half of senior Americans have high blood pressure, it is easily managed with medication. And as health care and awareness improve, fewer American seniors are battling heart disease, asthma, chronic bronchitis, cancer, and diabetes.

Myth 2 — Your Learning Days are Over

"That's a lot of baloney," says Dorothy Creager, 88, who teaches classes to fellow residents at the Jewish Home, and witnesses the transformation of people who, after years of living alone or in a learning-poor environment "come in with long faces and go out loving themselves."

The explosion of senior education opportunities in "Emeritus" universities and community colleges throughout the U.S. is another testament to the ongoing desire to learn, share, and apply knowledge at every stage of life.

Computer skills, arts training, and memory enhancement classes are all well-subscribed and appreciated by residents of the Home, who recognize that the exercise of the mind is a cornerstone of self-fulfillment and well-being at every age.

Myth 3 — Social Contact Declines

For the vast majority of us, social experience is simply matter of opportunity. Socializing among seniors is no different, and is facilitated in residential settings.

Given the proximity of people and events at places like the Jewish Home, resident Shelly Balzac, 81, pointed out, "It's actually pretty difficult to avoid the social interaction!" Mealtime conversations are often a whirlwind of exchanges about politics, the arts and current events, club and family news.

Resident Bette Dashoff, 85, finds it much easier to socialize today than she did living independently. Getting dressed and out to dinner with friends, while one of the great pleasures, became more and more of an effort. "The minute I came here," she said, referring to new social opportunities, "I became a different person."

Myth 4 — Depression is Inevitable with Age

While depression can affect older adults, it is not the norm as the "Older Americans 2008" report reveals. Only 17% of women and 11% of men experienced clinical depression when data were gathered between 1998-2004.

"Mood swings can and do happen," said Dorothy Creager, but she compares them, only half-jokingly, to teen mood swings.

"Health problems can be discouraging," noted Shelly Balzac. But like most seniors he's learned to adapt and accept the health challenges that come with aging.

When the blues set in, Irving Mandel, 90, takes a step back and counts his other blessings. His bottom line about being blue or bored is: "I don't have time for this!"

Myth 5 — Sexual Interest and Activity Decline

"Guess again!" said Dorothy Creager. "As long as we have blood in our veins, there is not a problem."

Jeannette Schlesinger, 83, also took exception to the myth. "I don't feel any differently than when I was a young woman," she said.

Ellis Simon, 85, pointed out that romance and sexual desire seem to be alive and well among members of his generation, pointing out the many couples who met and began relationships at the Home.

A recent University of Chicago research project reflects this never-give-up attitude, as well. Researchers found that most people 57-85 still consider sexuality to be an important part of their lives. Sexual activity is still common, the research found, among people in their 70s and well beyond.

Kathleen Doheny is a Los Angeles-based journalist who also writes for WebMD.com, healthday.com, Weight Watchers, the Los Angeles Times and other publications.

Labels: Aging, Depression, Doheny, Feature Articles, Friendship, Illness, Learning, Longevity, Myths, Sexuality