Los Angeles Jewish Home

The Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), our new Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) facility, received some tremendous news coverage over the last couple weeks. Both of the LA local news teams from NBC and ABC visited us, and their reports are terrific!

Since BCSC is one of the only PACE centers in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and the only one in the San Fernando Valley, the kind of care we offer seniors—allowing them to access nursing home-quality care while living in their own homes—is incredibly unique.

Check out the videos below!

NBC News:

The first ABC News story:

The second ABC News story:

Labels: ABC News, BCSC, Brandman Centers for Senior Care, NBC News, PACE, Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, Senior Care, Senior Healthcare

Originally reported in the Los Angeles Times on September 10, 2012 by Martha Groves.

The Los Angeles Jewish Home, a leading provider of senior housing in the L.A. area, has bought 2.5 acres at Playa Vista and plans to establish its first Westside facility, officials said Saturday.

Plans call for developing a senior care community that would become the hub for a network of related services.

Now in its centennial year, the Jewish Home opened in 1912 in Boyle Heights to give shelter to five residents. For the next few decades, Boyle Heights -- named for Andrew Boyle, an Irish immigrant -- served as the hub of Jewish life in the area.

In 1975, the home followed the Jewish migration to the San Fernando Valley, selling its Eastside home to Japanese American interests that created what is now Keiro Senior HealthCare.

The Jewish Home's two campuses in Reseda now serve about 2,600 elderly clients each year, including about 1,000 residents and 1,600 clients of clinics and other programs.

Most of the residents are people dependent on government assistance, said Bonnie Polishuk, marketing manager. Residents' average age is 90, a figure that has skyrocketed over the years from about 60 when the home first opened, she said.

"Our average age is older than the general population in U.S. nursing homes," Polishuk said.

Jewish Home officials said the push into the Westside was in part a response to pent-up demand. Of 400 people on the home's waiting list, half live on the Westside. The average waiting time is 18 months.

Plans call for developing services for elderly care in the Village at Playa Vista, an as-yet uncompleted portion of the Playa Vista development south of Marina del Rey.

The new facility is expected to serve an additional 500 seniors a year.

Being Jewish is not a requirement for residency.

Among those that have donated funds to create the Playa Vista facility are the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Foundation and the Saul Brandman Foundation.

Labels: Brandman, CCRC, Continuing Care Retirement Community, Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus, Los Angeles Times, PACE, Playa Vista, Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly, Senior Care, Westside

Far too often, seniors in need of care confine themselves to their homes—too frail to venture out, and too proud to ask for assistance. Often, finding reliable resources on services for seniors can be difficult. And, while senior care communities have become vibrant places of health and activity, decades-old images of what senior homes used to be make some seniors and their adult children reticent to seek the help they need. Luckily, newspapers are beginning to communicate that, when it comes to senior care, there are a variety of choices. And each option balances the individual’s level of independence and medical needs.

On Monday, the Los Angeles Times’ Bob Young published a story detailing care options for seniors, featuring expert advice and insight from the Jewish Home’s very own Molly Forrest.

From better healthcare access to increased activity and social interaction, seniors who take advantage of the care options best suited to their needs tend to live longer, happier, healthier lives. And, with variety of services ranging from in-home assistance to skilled nursing (and everything in between), seniors often attain an increased level of independence and higher quality of life.

Read the full LA Times article here. And if you know a senior who could benefit from senior care services, check out our community education resources.

Labels: Adult Children, Aging, Bob Young, Cross Post, Healthy Aging, Los Angeles Times, Molly Forrest, Resources, Senior Care, Senior Resources, Seniors, Staff

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

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

The Los Angeles Jewish Home is celebrating a very special birthday today! Shirley Strozenberg, our oldest resident, just turned 108. Yes, she is older than the Home itself.


Originally from Poland, Shirley is a long-time resident of Los Angeles, and recently moved into the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center. 


Over the last 99 years, the Jewish Home has become world renowned for its quality of senior care. Our residents' average age is 90, and we're home to 31 centenarians. This is a testament to the Home's philosophy of caring for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.

Labels: Aging, Around the Home, Birthday, Centenarian, Healthy Aging, Jewish Home, Oldest Resident, Poland, Remarkable Residents, Senior Care, Senior Living, Seniors, Staff, Strozenberg, Super Elderly

Cross posted from ElderDepot.com.



Maria Shriver helped cared for her father, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, and has become a champion of Alzheimer’s Caregivers. Her journalism career began with KYW-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but she soon moved up to the National News and later gained a different sort of fame when she married Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former First Lady of California has been a lifelong advocate for people with intellectual disabilities and recently co-authored an Alzheimer’s study with the Alzheimer’s Association.


Princess Yasmin Aga Khan cared for her mother, Rita Hayworth, who was suffering from dementia. Yasmin is internationally recognized for her advocacy work promoting awareness of Alzheimer’s Disease.


Steve Slater cared for his father, who suffered from Lou Gehrig’s disease, until his death. In 2010, while caring for his mother who suffers from Lung Cancer, Steve achieved national notoriety for quitting his job as a JetBlue Flight Attendant in spectacular fashion.


Susan Boyle was the primary caregiver for her elderly mother until she passed away at the age of 91. In 2009, two years after her mother passed away, Susan appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and gave a performance of “I Dreamed a Dream” that made her an International Sensation overnight.


Rosalynn Carter helped care for her father when he was diagnosed with terminal leukemia and has since cared for several family members, including her late mother who died in 2000 at the age of 94. The former First Lady of the United States has even authored a book on Caregiving entitled, Helping Yourself Help Others – A Book for Caregivers.


Can you think of Famous Caregivers that we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add them to the list.


Read the original blog post.

Labels: Alzheimer's, Caregiving, Cross Post, Dementia, Elder Depot, Eldercare, For the Spirit, Senior Care, Staff

The transition from a private home or apartment to a senior living facility requires physical, emotional, and, perhaps more importantly, attitudinal adjustments. It also requires generous time to discuss, evaluate, and then make the move.

Experts agree that the key for a successful move is understanding that the change itself can result in an overall better quality of life. It is best to keep in your thoughts and your discussions that the purpose of transitioning to senior care is to enhance their physical, psychological, and social well-being.

The Challenge of Change

Change is difficult at any age. Consider how good it feels to return home, even after an enjoyable vacation. Our first response is usually "it feels so good to be home." That's because our minds and bodies experience new environments as an additional stressor.

New places put new demands on us, requiring us to remember where we are, to learn how to access resources, and to make new plans for how our needs will be met.

Home, by contrast, is easy and familiar, a place where we accomplish our movements by rote — from getting a drink in the middle of the night to finding the TV remote!

The Learning Curve

A new setting can take at least three months — and often twice that — for a senior to "learn." Even with full acceptance that the move to a senior living community is a positive step, the learning curve can be steep. The right preparation can make the move a lot easier.

One helpful approach is to step back and look at the big picture. Consider or discuss all options and emphasize what will be gained rather than lost. Many tremendous benefits are often hidden or overlooked in the pressure wrought by change. The fact is that most seniors gain rather than lose independence.

Transitioning

Rather than embarking on a move abruptly, keep an eye out for opportunities to ease gently into a new situation. Try visiting a new residence during the lunch hour. Have lunch there with your parent (or loved one). An ordinary activity, like dining, can help familiarize you or a loved one to a new environment.

On your next visit, stay a little longer after a meal. Participate in a social activity that appeals to you, whether it's a game of cards or watching a favorite show or movie.

In all interactions with staff, try to be comfortable accepting assistance, and remember they are experienced professionals who are committed to their work.

An Emphasis on New Freedoms

After making a move, seniors sometimes compare their new homes to living on a cruise ship. It's true! You move in, the room is fresh and clean, and the place is yours. Meals and snacks are provided for you around the clock.

You have the opportunity to take a variety of educational, artistic, or recreational classes. Exercise classes or individual workouts can restore or improve health. Spiritual activities and support can provide a new sense of fellowship and well-being. Through social opportunities, new friendships are developed and old friendships rediscovered.

Transportation worries are over, and life opens up in new ways. Seniors are now free to take in a movie or museum, or to go shopping whenever they like. For many who have been struggling to keep up their own homes, it is a tremendous relief to have someone else take care of everything.

In an age when more and more senior living facilities are sensitive to the needs of the whole person, seniors are leading far more enriched lives full of meaningful activities that make each new day an opportunity to enjoy all that life has to offer.

A 35-year veteran of senior housing and healthcare issues, Molly Forrest is the Chief Executive Officer-President of the Los Angeles Jewish Home, one of the foremost multi-level senior living communities in the U.S. and the largest single-source provider of senior housing in Los Angeles.

Labels: Aging, Feature Articles, Forrest, Moving, Senior Care, Senior Living, Transition