Los Angeles Jewish Home

Each year, the Jewish Home holds its annual Sarnat Symposium for Geriatric Care. Social workers and caregivers from across Southern California converge on the Jewish Home to hear experts in various fields relating to senior care. In that past, the only way to obtain the valuable information our experts imparted was to attend the Symposium. This year, those who work in geriatrics can now get hold of our expert lecturers’ presentations online!

In our Resources section, you’ll find a new page: Resources for Social Workers & Geriatric Professionals. Check it out to see the presentations and handouts from the 14th annual Sarnat Symposium!

Labels: Around the Home, Caregivers, Geriatric Care, Handouts, Presentations, Resources, Sarnat Symposium, Senior Resources, Social Workers, Staff

Throughout the entire lifespan, most people crave human contact — whether it’s comforting hugs from a close relative, or private intimate moments with a spouse or significant other. It’s a need that never diminishes or goes away, regardless of our age.

Sometimes, though, we make the mistake of ignoring those desires in our elder community. The fact is, though, seniors make up one of the most social, active, and — if they’re healthy enough — sexually active age groups.

This is where Katherine Forsythe comes into the picture. Holding an MSW from the University of Cincinnati, she is one of the foremost authorities on sexuality and aging. Forsythe works with individuals and senior care communities across the country, educating people of all ages on issues revolving around intimacy and relationships.

Katherine’s unique area of expertise makes her a go-to person for health media. She has been quoted in WebMD, 50Fabulous, Active Over 50, and other publications. And her websites, www.getasecondwind.com and www.katherineforsythe.com, attract wide audiences.

On Wednesday, October 26th, 2011, the Jewish Home will be welcoming Katherine Forsythe to our 14th annual Sarnat Symposium. Her presentation, Honoring the Whole Person Throughout the Lifetime: Senior Sexuality Sensitivity Training for Professionals, promises to be enlightening and informative. If you’re interested in hearing Forsythe in person, visit our Sarnat Symposium webpage and register for the event today!

Labels: Aging, Get A Second Wind, GetASecondWind.com, Intimacy, Katherine Forsythe, MSW, Relationships, Sarnat Symposium, Seniors, Sexuality, Staff

Gambling addiction among seniors is a growing problem. The cocktail of loneliness, cognitive decline, too much free time, and the perception of money to spare have the potential to create a perfect storm that could lead to a serious mental condition and a financial mess.

Enter Dr. Timothy Fong, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and co-director of the UCLA Gambling Studies Program. His life work is dedicated to finding the root causes of — and solutions to — gambling addiction.

After receiving his Medical Doctorate from Northwestern University, Dr. Fong did his residency and served in a fellowship position at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital. He is considered a leading figure in addiction pathologies. Watch the video below for a brief introduction into Dr. Fong’s expertise.

On Wednesday, October 26, 2011, the Jewish Home will be welcoming Dr. Fong as one of our guest speakers at the 14th annual Sarnat Symposium. His discussion, Pathological Gambling: Addressing the Hidden Addiction, will delve into the underlying issues behind senior gambling addiction and the ways to help victims of this debilitating condition.

If you would like to hear Dr. Timothy Fong speak at the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s 14th annual Sarnat Symposium, visit the Sarnat Symposium webpage and register today.

Labels: Addiction, Elderly, Gambling, Neuroscience, Pathology, Psychiatry, Sarnat Symposium, Seniors, Staff, Timothy Fong, UCLA

There’s no doubt that if you’ve watched television, turned on the radio, browsed the internet, or read a newspaper, you’ve seen something about changes in funding for aging services—both in California and nationwide. If you’re unclear about what those changes are, look no further.

At the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s 14th annual Sarnat Symposium, Aging Services of California president and CEO Joanne Handy, one of the leading experts on senior care advocacy, will be discussing all of the possible changes to senior care funding in her lecture, Impact of Federal Healthcare Reform on Aging Services.

Handy has been at the forefront of senior healthcare for decades. In the past, she worked for organizations like the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston, the Institute of Aging in San Francisco, and UCSF – Mount Zion Medical Center. She also was a national board member of AARP.

Today, as head of the premier senior care advocacy organization in the state, Handy raises awareness and develops strategies to improve care for aging Californians. For those who don’t know, Aging Services of California is the state affiliate of LeadingAge, formerly known as AAHSA.

If you would like to hear Joanne Handy speak at the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s 14th annual Sarnat Symposium on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, visit the Sarnat Symposium webpage and register today.

Labels: AAHSA, Aging Services of California, Federal, Funding, Government, Healthcare, Jewish Home for the Aging, Joanne Handy, LeadingAge, Los Angeles Jewish Home, Sarnat Symposium, Senior Care

Have you been to one of the Jewish Home’s annual Sarnat Symposia? Over the last 13 years, the Jewish Home has amassed an impressive list of speakers on a vast array of topics. The 14th annual Sarnat Symposium is proving to be no exception.

One of our guest speakers in this year’s lineup is a USC professor named Victor Regnier. A Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Regnier holds a dual bachelor’s degree in engineering and architecture, as well as a master’s degree in the latter specialty.

Over the last few decades, Professor Regnier has become one of the foremost experts behind housing for seniors. He is the only person to hold a dual appointment to a school of architecture and a school of gerontology.

At this year’s Sarnat Symposium, Regnier will be giving his talk entitled Innovative Ideas for the Design of Housing for the Elderly from Asia, the US and Northern Europe. For those interested in the future of senior living, this is a rare opportunity for a sneak peak at the newest developments from one of the most respected minds in that field.

If you would like to hear Professor Victor Regnier speak at the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s 14th annual Sarnat Symposium on Wednesday, October 26, 2011, visit the Sarnat Symposium webpage and register today.

Labels: Architecture, Elderly, Gerontology, Innovation, Professor, Sarnat Symposium, Seniors, Speaker, USC, Victor Regnier