Connecting Through Books
Connecting Through Books
Oct 15, 2018
Volunteer Phil Moser is pulling best-selling books off the shelves in the Maxine Dunitz Family Learning Center, located on the ground floor of the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center (JEKMC), and putting them onto a rolling cart. He's only been volunteering at the Home for a month, but already knows large-print books are in demand. He also knows fiction is more popular with the residents than non-fiction. Once his cart is loaded, he begins his rounds, offering books to residents in the common areas, tidying up the smaller libraries on each floor, and visiting with residents in their rooms.
Phil retired from his career in the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services 15 years ago, then began volunteering in downtown's Central Library. "When you retire, you want to volunteer at places you want to be." His wife Aylene Kovary, whose mother lived in the Home for 12 years, has been volunteering here for about 15 years. Aylene reads to residents and operates the Boutique on the Eisenberg Village campus. When she heard the Home needed help with the library, she knew it would be a natural fit for Phil and told him about it.
In addition to housing books for residents, the Maxine Dunitz Family Learning Center serves as the medical library for the staff in JEKMC. Residents also use the center to access computers and Dakim cognitive fitness learning machines.
Phil has begun friendships with many book lovers in JEKMC. On the second floor, he chats with resident Bernice Edelman, who enjoys browsing through the books on the cart and selects several each Monday. When asked about Phil's help, she declares, "I love it!" Bernice also buys her own books and donates them to the Dunitz Center when she's finished for others to enjoy. Her roommate Charlotte requests a Danielle Steel paperback. If Phil can't find it in the collection, he'll pass the request along to the donors of the library, who make book purchases regularly.
Phil stops in to visit Bayla Fineman and her husband, Sam. Bayla reads a book a day. "I start in the morning and finish at night," she says. Sam points to his head and adds with a smile, "It keeps her sharp!" Phil knows to keep an eye out for fiction by Michael Crichton and Lee Child for Bayla. As he pushes his cart down the hall to continue his rounds, he says of his new position, "It's a good gig."
Recent Articles
Nov
29
Grand Opening of Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Program West Los Angeles Location
Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly), a program of Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH), held an opening celebration for its new facility located at 9800 Pico Boulevard in West L.A. The day included well wishes from dignitaries, a ribbon cutting, and an open house offering tours of the new facility to more than 150 guests in attendance.
Formerly the site of a Chase Bank branch, the building has undergone a comprehensive transformation and is now a state-of-the-art social center for older adults. The facility includes medical and dental clinics, and inviting activities rooms. Poised to enroll its first participants on December 1, 2023, the new BCSC location will provide adult day health care services to hundreds of local seniors, 55 and older, who can take advantage of door-to-door shuttle service to and from the center. This is the second Brandman Centers for Senior Care facility; the first is located on the Grancell Village campus of Los Angeles Jewish Health in Reseda.
PACE is a vital program of Los Angeles Jewish Health, a non-profit health system that cares for 4,000 seniors each year. Program participants receive medical care onsite from doctors, dentists, nurses, and therapists whose specialties include primary and specialty care; medications; nutritional counseling, state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies; optometry; hearing aids; podiatry; and mental health counseling.
Brandman Centers are a safe and enjoyable place to come and participate in stimulating activities, enjoy delicious and nutritious meals, and receive medical care. Brandman Centers for Senior Care Vice President Susie Fishenfeld said that opening the latest BCSC facility “has been a dream, a long time in the making as we worked to find the perfect location that will benefit the most seniors from the local community. We understand that today more seniors want to stay in their own homes, but they may be frail and need extra help and support to do so. Our PACE centers empower seniors to continue living independently at home while receiving vital services at thriving activity centers located near them. We even provide comfortable, sterilized shuttle transportation to and from the centers.”
Joining in the celebration was Los Angeles Jewish Health Chief Executive Officer and President Dale Surowitz, who shared that, “Today is a very special day for all of us at Los Angeles Jewish Health. We are immensely grateful to Joyce Brandman and the Saul and Joyce Brandman Foundation for funding this second Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE location. Joyce’s unwavering support of our work over the past decades has ensured the health of the older adults in our care, while enhancing the quality of life for each and every participant and their families. Support from donors like Joyce is what makes days like today possible.”
The PACE Program accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal, and private pay. To find out more, call (855) 774-8444, or visit brandmanseniorcare.org.
You can see event photos at our photo gallery
Nov
15
Los Angeles Jewish Health Celebrates Opening of Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE Program, Offering Care to Seniors on Los Angeles’ Westside
BCSC PACE West Los Angeles Location Opens
Program enables seniors to live independently in their homes while receiving vital health and social services in their local community
(November 15, 2023, Los Angeles) Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE (Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly), a program of Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH), held an opening celebration for its new facility located at 9800 Pico Boulevard in West L.A. The day included well wishes from dignitaries, a ribbon cutting, and an open house offering tours of the new facility to more than 150 guests in attendance.
Formerly the site of a Chase Bank branch, the building has undergone a comprehensive transformation and is now a state-of-the-art social center for older adults. The facility includes medical and dental clinics, and inviting activities rooms. Poised to enroll its first participants on December 1, 2023, the new BCSC location will provide adult day health care services to hundreds of local seniors, 55 and older, who can take advantage of door-to-door shuttle service to and from the center. This is the second Brandman Centers for Senior Care facility; the first is located on the Grancell Village campus of Los Angeles Jewish Health in Reseda.
PACE is a vital program of Los Angeles Jewish Health, a non-profit health system that cares for 4,000 seniors each year. Program participants receive medical care onsite from doctors, dentists, nurses, and therapists whose specialties include primary and specialty care; medications; nutritional counseling, state-of-the-art medical equipment and supplies; optometry; hearing aids; podiatry; and mental health counseling.
Brandman Centers are a safe and enjoyable place to come and participate in stimulating activities, enjoy delicious and nutritious meals, and receive medical care. Brandman Centers for Senior Care Vice President Susie Fishenfeld said that opening the latest BCSC facility “has been a dream, a long time in the making as we worked to find the perfect location that will benefit the most seniors from the local community. We understand that today more seniors want to stay in their own homes, but they may be frail and need extra help and support to do so. Our PACE centers empower seniors to continue living independently at home while receiving vital services at thriving activity centers located near them. We even provide comfortable, sterilized shuttle transportation to and from the centers.”
Joining in the celebration was Los Angeles Jewish Health Chief Executive Officer and President Dale Surowitz, who shared that, “Today is a very special day for all of us at Los Angeles Jewish Health. We are immensely grateful to Joyce Brandman and the Saul and Joyce Brandman Foundation for funding this second Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE location. Joyce’s unwavering support of our work over the past decades has ensured the health of the older adults in our care, while enhancing the quality of life for each and every participant and their families. Support from donors like Joyce is what makes days like today possible.”
The PACE Program accepts Medicare, Medi-Cal, and private pay. To find out more, call (855) 774-8444, or visit brandmanseniorcare.org.
You can see event photos at our photo gallery
Oct
31
When It Comes to Providing Expert Care for Veterans, Los Angeles Jewish Health Is Proud to Serve
In December 2022, when Navy veteran Ed Vibar, 72, first came to Los Angeles Jewish Health’s Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), he rolled his wheelchair through the doors. Ed had been unable to walk for four years, following an ankle injury. He had begun to lose hope that he would ever recover his mobility and had turned to LA Jewish Health and BCSC PACE as a last resort.
For Ed, the road to Los Angeles Jewish Health had been a winding one. He immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a young man and enlisted to serve his adopted country, spending 12 years on active duty and another five in the Naval Reserve. He loved his work, which included stints on a guided missile destroyer in Vietnam and a project management position that had him collaborating with the Army Corps of Engineers to oversee a $300 million budget. During the course of his career, Ed was married three times and had four children, bringing him the attendant joys and heartaches that can accompany domestic life.
Ed Vibar
Retirement brought an end to Ed’s health insurance, so when he injured his ankle in his late 60s, he sought care at his local Veteran’s Affairs Hospital. Though imaging showed damage to nerve tissue and tendons, at that time Ed was told the VA lacked the resources to provide appropriate therapy, and doctors informed him he was unlikely to recover the ability to walk. Meanwhile, the longer he remained confined to a wheelchair, the more his health declined, and he began to suffer from gout, high blood pressure, and depression. Being unable to drive made it hard to buy groceries and cook nutritious meals, and eventually, he lost all his teeth.
When he saw a brochure for BCSC PACE, Ed decided to investigate. “I went online and realized BCSC PACE was exactly what I needed,” he recalls. “In addition to offering state-of-the-art physical therapy, they would also coordinate all of my care and provide transportation, which was becoming increasingly difficult for me to access. And the costs were all taken care of thanks to my Medicare and Medi-Cal coverage!”
At BCSC PACE, Ed was paired up with Jensen De La Luna, an expert physical therapist who went to work creating a rigorous treatment plan. “Ed was clearly depressed, and initially, his drive to get better was fairly low. But we dove into therapy twice each week, and his motivation picked up. After three months, he started walking again,” Jensen says.
For Ed, being able to get up and around with a walker was transformational. “Jensen inspired me to try, which really gave me a boost,” he says. “I kept thinking, if I work a little harder, I can travel to see my grandchildren.”
Soon, he was able to stand on his feet to cook, do dishes, and clean up after his dog. “It really changed my life, and I did end up taking the train to Texas, all on my own, to see my grandkids,” he says. “I owe it all to LA Jewish Health’s BCSC PACE program!”
Today, Jensen says Ed’s mobility has increased by more than 50 percent – and his pain has decreased by an equal amount. “I’m so happy for him,” Jensen says. “It’s amazing to see that someone who used to require a wheelchair to come see me can now walk right through the door!”
In addition to physical therapy, Ed also received occupational therapy (to help improve his performance of daily tasks) at the BCSC PACE program – and he had a team of professionals helping meet his other medical issues, as well. “I didn’t have proper teeth, and BCSC PACE got full dentures for me right away. Now, I can eat everything, including a full steak dinner. They were so amazing at anticipating my needs,” he says. “I used to be afraid to smile, but now I want to open my mouth wide and say, ‘Come to the BCSC PACE program and Los Angeles Jewish Health!’ I would recommend it to any veterans, and to all seniors who want to get better healthcare and improve their life situation.”
The Brandman Centers for Senior Care’s PACE program continues to expand to meet the needs of the community. The newest site – on Pico Boulevard, in West Los Angeles – is scheduled to open this November. For more information call (818) 774-8444 or go to BrandmanSeniorCare.org.
Ed Vibar and Physical Therapist Jensen De La Luna