Seminars Inform And Stimulate
Connections to Care Mobile Hero
Home / News & Events / Newsletter / Seminars Inform And Stimulate

Seminars Inform And Stimulate

Jul 11, 2014

There’s a new activity being offered to seniors living in residential care (RCFE) at the Jewish Home’s Eisenberg Village (EV) Campus. Now, in addition to painting, drama, choir, bingo, and a wide variety of discussion groups and other activities, a monthly educational seminar is available. The seminars focus on topics that are important to seniors. “Our goal is to provide an opportunity for our residents to learn from staff they are familiar with as well as speakers from the community,” said RCFE administrator Ashley Teal. “With their input, we created a list of meaningful topics, such as medication protocol, fraud prevention and reducing the risk of falls.” To date, the seminars have been well received, with attendees asking questions and sharing experiences.

Elderly people on a seminar


The topic for the most recent seminar was reducing the risk of falls. Everyone knows a fall is something that can happen to anybody at any time: we trip over a loose rug; we fall out of bed; sometimes we stand up too quickly, get dizzy and fall. But do you know the underlying reasons? Presented by EV’s director of rehabilitation, Deborah Crea, MS, PT, the seminar focused on three main causes of falls: balance, posture, and walking speed.

“Our ability to balance is based on three sensory systems: vision, vestibular, or inner ear anatomy, and somatosensory, which is the ability to orient yourself using your joints, muscles, and senses,” explained Deborah. The systems can be affected by many things, including aging, a history of falls, medications, gait, neurological status, use of assistive devices, foot function, cardiovascular status, a fear of falling, vision, incontinence, joint function and pain.

“For posture, the ideal is simple: head up, shoulders back, abdominals tight, and glutes tucked in,” Deborah said. If you’ve ever tried to walk while balancing a book on your head, you get the idea! This struck home with some of the residents, as they talked about the posture challenges presented by using a walker and the importance of having the device at the correct height.

Last, but certainly not least, is walking speed. This is currently a hot topic in the field of physical therapy. “We are now looking at walking speed as a reflection of various underlying physiological processes,” Deborah continued. “Knowing how much time it takes for someone to walk ten feet can help us predict falls.” Walking speed tells the therapist where someone is in their overall conditioning, cardiovascular health, and ability to participate in activities. For someone being discharged from a hospital, it assists in the determination of appropriate level of care, such as assisted living or skilled nursing.

After a fall, physical therapy is needed to help regain or improve overall physical status and reduce the risk of future falls. Balance can be improved by exercises, such as standing with your eyes closed, walking on uneven surfaces, standing on foam, and developing ankle/hip/stepping strategies. Other balance exercises include T’ai chi, yoga, and general strengthening exercises. Specialized testing can determine or rule out vestibular issues.

After physical therapy, the goal is to maintain that newly gained physical status, and hopefully continue to build upon it. “At the EV rehab center, our goal is for physical therapy clients to complete their prescribed therapy and then incorporate exercise into their lifestyle,” said Deborah.

As you can see, the seminars are comprehensive and meant to enhance the knowledge someone may already have about a particular subject. “We hope to stimulate the cognitive function of our residents in an atmosphere that requires them to listen, think, problem solve, and ask questions,” Ashley explained.

“These seminars show the Jewish Home’s concern for our residents and allows us to share our own personal experiences,” said Robert Lehman, a resident at Eisenberg Village and currently serving as Resident Council President. “The fall risk reduction seminar offered good tips on measures we can all take to be safe.”

One of the next seminars will focus on another resident-recommended topic of significant importance: cognitive impairment as we age and how we can lessen those effects. It’s sure to be thought provoking and stimulate a great deal of conversation!

Sign up for the LAJHealth Newsletter, Connections.

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
Read More
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
Read More
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
Read More