Serving the Needs of Our Residents, from Shabbat to Bingo

Home / News & Events / Newsletter

Serving the Needs of Our Residents, from Shabbat to Bingo

Mar 31, 2020

At the Los Angeles Jewish Home, our residents are accustomed to enjoying a wide range of engaging activities on a daily basis. Shabbat services, sing-a-longs and games of Bingo, are all integral parts of the Jewish Home experience.

Now with social distancing in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), our staff are coming up with creative ways to engage with our residents to help combat the feelings of isolation.

To "pierce that isolation" and serve the spiritual needs of our residents, Rabbi Karen Bender, the Home's Skirball Director of Spiritual Life, teamed up with Eisenberg Village's Rabbi Ron Goldberg to bring Shabbat services directly to the residents (while keeping a safe six-foot distance apart).

Rabbi Bender led what she calls a "Shabbat serenade" through the hallways at both Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center (JEKMC) and the Mark Taper Skilled Nursing Building on Grancell Village. With guitar in hand, Bender appeared on every floor and at the entrance of every room, singing Shabbat songs and wishing residents "Shabbat Shalom!"

"People laughed and smiled and clapped along to the music," Bender said. It took her nearly two hours, but she wanted each resident to know that despite the mandate to remain isolated, none of them is forgotten.

Rabbi Goldberg toured the hallways at Eisenberg Village, accompanied by Volunteer Services Director Stacy Orbach and Lifestyle and Enrichment Director Annette Weinberg, singing songs. "Residents opened their doors as they heard the music," Orbach said. "We sang together, we danced together and we cried together (of course exercising social distancing). I witnessed joy, happiness and gratitude from our residents like never before."

And at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village, Activities Coordinator Lauri Kamiel and Lifestyle and Enrichment Director Carolyn Clark took their "Welcoming Shabbat" show "on the road" to their residents. "From their doorways, we sang Shabbat songs, and said the blessings for the candles, wine and Challah," Kamiel said.

Earlier in the week, Kamiel and Clark toured the hallways with a cart full of board games. They knocked on residents doors and shared some jokes and songs. The duo agreed that one of the highlights came when everyone sang "Tomorrow," from the musical "Annie." "Many residents are familiar with this song and joined us in an uplifting, feel-good moment," Kamiel said.

Staying in Touch

While the Home's Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), recently closed its day center, in compliance with guidance from California and the City of Los Angeles, the BCSC Clinic and Therapy services will continue to remain open to meet essential healthcare needs.

In the meantime, even though most of the participants, who reside in the local community, are not physically in the BCSC Day Center, BCSC staff are doing everything they can to keep them healthy and well. Staff are calling to check in with participants, sending health care providers out into the community, delivering both meals and supplies to those who need them, and sending care packages to keep participants engaged.

Dial-A-Bingo

If you've spent time at the Eisenberg Village campus, then you know how passionate residents are about their Bingo games. To help fill that void, Weinberg, came up with a solution: Dial-A-Bingo.

Weinberg distributed a flyer detailing the rules with a phone number for interested residents to use if they wanted to play. Then she handed out Bingo cards and colored paper squares to cover the called numbers. Weinberg, along with Orbach and Sandy Schipper, Lifestyle and Enrichment Assistant, phoned the residents and connected them into a conference call. They called the out the numbers, told jokes and kept track of the winners.

"All the residents who have played say it's a lot of fun," according to Weinberg. "They appreciate the effort. Residents are having so much fun that the word is getting out and more and more want to play. We plan to offer this daily during the week."

For resident Audrey Barger, who in normal times, volunteers as one of the Bingo callers on the EV campus, the activity is a welcome break from the daily routine. "Everybody looks forward to Dial-A-Bingo," she says. "It's a great way for us to connect with each other."

Putting Out the Word

To brighten the hours of our residents' days, we've put out the word that they would love to receive cards, pictures or letters! And, families have already responded to the call. If you would like to join the effort, please direct your cards and letters to our Director of Volunteer Services, Stacy Orbach, at our Eisenberg Village Campus at 18855 Victory Blvd, Reseda, CA 91335.

Prev Page Next Page

Share

Sign up for the Los Angeles Jewish Health newsletter, Connections.

First Name

Last Name

Email

Recent Articles

Jun 3

Los Angeles Jewish Health Receives Prestigious Certification from the American Heart Association

As the largest single-source senior care provider in the area, Los Angeles Jewish Health is recognized as a distinguished leader in the field committed to making a positive difference in seniors’ lives. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently recognized the quality of care at Los Angeles Jewish Health by awarding the organization its Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification. Fewer than 1 percent of nursing facilities nationwide hold this distinction.LAJH is one of the first Jewish facilities to receive this certification, and the first outside New York and New Jersey.“This prestigious recognition reflects the dedication of our healthcare team, who have provided exceptional care for more than 114 years since LAJH’s founding,” says Dale Surowitz, chief executive officer and president of LAJH. “As seniors live longer and their medical challenges grow in complexity, we are proud to be keeping pace, setting national standards for excellence in cardiac care, and in geriatric care more broadly, that are enabling seniors to make the most of their later years.”The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating skilled nursing facilities against the AHA’s rigorous requirements for heart failure care including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management, and clinical improvement.CHF Certification TeamNoah Marco, MD, CMD, LAJH’s chief medical officer, says the organization’s state-of-the-art heart failure management unit continues to demonstrate transformative approaches to care.“Twenty percent of heart failure patients admitted to the hospital are brought back to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. But our unit, by preserving patients’ independence, managing their multiple chronic conditions, and empowering those we serve to meet their goals, has a readmission rate of under 2%,” Dr. Marco says. “The AHA’s certification is a meaningful endorsement of our approach and our impact across Southern California.”Mark Taper Building Administrator Charlette Ofrecio notes that a wide range of factors drive the unit’s success, among them its focus on coordinated compassionate care.“Each of our residents in the unit benefits from a deeply collaborative team including a cardiologist who oversees the program and regularly reviews each resident’s clinical status with our interdisciplinary staff,” Ofrecio says. “Through the combined expertise of pharmacy, dietary, and nursing, along with innovative, noninvasive monitoring technology, we’re able to proactively manage heart failure and provide meaningful education to residents and families for success at home.”Dr. Marco says that, while an unplanned hospitalization is an extremely stressful event in the lives of older adults and their families, LAJH’s heart failure management unit can offer critical peace of mind.“Our staff have the knowledge and expertise necessary to address one of the most challenging chronic diseases that older adults can face,” he says. “Heart failure patients who come to us can rest assured that there is literally nowhere else in our community better equipped to provide the specialized care they need.”

New Sculpture Honors Beloved Los Angeles Jewish Health Donor

When Dr. Rosalyn Heyman passed away in 2021, Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) lost a staunch supporter and dear friend. But she remained dedicated to the organization to the end, leaving a significant bequest to continue advancing its vital mission. To recognize Heyman’s generosity, LAJH commissioned a sculpture in her honor, unveiling the piece last month in a dedication ceremony that celebrated her enduring legacy.The sculpture, entitled “Tanya’s Gift,” is the work of noted local artist Jonathan Bickart, whose installations are on display at UCLA, Griffith Park, and other locations across Los Angeles. Featured prominently on LAJH’s Grancell Village campus between the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center, the Mark Taper Building, and the Schulman Medical Building, the sculpture depicts a young girl sitting atop a stack of books—a tribute to Heyman’s distinguished career as a pioneering figure in the L.A. education landscape.“Rosalyn was an amazing person who made an incredible impact on her community,” says Aaron Levinson, LAJH’s vice president for planned giving. “She started out as a teacher with the Los Angeles Unified School District, then became one of the district’s first female principals [of Berendo Junior High], and ultimately rose to serve as the district’s assistant superintendent of secondary education.”Levinson says Heyman’s stories of her time at LAUSD were larger than life.“Rosalyn was unbelievably bold and seriously funny,” he recalls. “She used to tell me she wanted to write her memoir and call it Bad Things I Did With Good Results. For instance, when she took over at Berendo, it was the worst-performing school in the district, and there was significant gang activity, with kids storing knives and guns in their lockers. One day, she started cracking down by opening up every locker and confiscating all the weapons. She knew she’d never get official permission to do it, but went ahead anyway, and when I asked her about whether she was worried she would get in trouble, she said, ‘What were the kids or their parents going to say to me: Someone came in and stole my gun?’ Her plan went off without a hitch, and she ended up turning the school around.”Heyman’s professional success was mirrored by her philanthropic achievements. She was involved with numerous charitable causes, but, says her friend and estate attorney, Chuck Tigerman, she had a special affection for Los Angeles Jewish Health.“Rosalyn was a devout agnostic, but she was culturally very Jewish, and proudly so. She lived for a time at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village, and later in her life, as her health deteriorated, she moved to the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center for skilled nursing assistance. She had the resources to go anywhere, but she chose LAJH,” Tigerman said.Following Heyman’s death, LAJH staff commissioned the sculpture in her honor, selecting Bickart and fellow artist Tanya Ragir for the work.“Tanya had a tragic ending because she received an unexpected brain cancer diagnosis, so she wasn’t able to do much on the sculpture, but I discussed it with her and showed her my progress until her death,” Bickart says. “When it was finished, we decided to name the sculpture ‘Tanya’s Gift’ in her memory.”Given Heyman’s passion for education and learning, Bickart incorporated space for a small lending library at the base of the statue, allowing passersby to leave a book for others or to take one for themselves. With a wink to Heyman, Bickart also gave one of the books in the sculpture itself the title she had selected for her own memoir, Bad Things I Did With Good Results.“The sculpture is really beautiful, but more importantly, it captures the spirit of a truly special person,” Levinson says. “We were truly fortunate to have Rosalyn Heyman in our orbit.”To learn more about making bequests to Los Angeles Jewish Health, contact Aaron Levinson at (818) 757-4416 or [email protected].

Los Angeles Jewish Health Earns Rare American Heart Association Certification for Excellence in Heart Failure Care

LAJH is among fewer than 1% of nursing facilities nationwide to earn this designation, and the first Jewish facility outside of NY or NJ LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) has received the American Heart Association’s Skilled Nursing Facility Heart Failure Certification, a distinction held by fewer than 1% of nursing facilities nationwide recognized for excellence in evidence-based heart failure care. LAJH is one of the first Jewish facilities to receive this certification, and the first outside of New York or New Jersey.LAJH is the largest single-source senior care provider in Los Angeles. Across the organization, LAJH serves more than 4,000 seniors each year, including those in skilled nursing facilities who receive 24/7 specialized heart failure care.The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating skilled nursing facilities against the American Heart Association’s rigorous requirements for heart failure care, including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management, and quality improvement.“This prestigious recognition reflects the dedication of our healthcare team, who have provided exceptional care for more than 114 years since LAJH’s founding,” said Dale Surowitz, Chief Executive Officer and President of Los Angeles Jewish Health. “Amid the challenge of a growing number of seniors, we are committed to delivering comprehensive care for all, rooted in our Jewish values.”“Participation in this certification benefits the patient and the facility by standardizing care practices,” said Cory Woods, DNP, MHA, MSN, RN, volunteer chair of the American Heart Association’s Quality Certification Business Management Committee and assistant chief clinical officer at Rockport Healthcare Services in Los Angeles. “When there are clear processes during every phase of care, patients have the best opportunity for positive outcomes.”Dr. Noah Marco, Chief Medical Officer of Los Angeles Jewish Health, added, “Patients with heart failure require specialized, closely coordinated support, and we are proud of the systems we’ve built to provide care that is both effective and compassionate. As our team helps seniors navigate a wide range of cardiac conditions, we continue to innovate and adopt best practices to strengthen patient outcomes. The AHA’s certification is a meaningful endorsement of our approach and our impact across Southern California.” ### Founded in 1912, Los Angeles Jewish Health (formerly Los Angeles Jewish Home) is the largest non-profit, single-source provider of comprehensive senior healthcare services in the Los Angeles area, serving nearly 4,000 people each year. At Los Angeles Jewish Health, thousands of seniors benefit from community-based and in-residence care and services. Programs include independent living; assisted living; senior behavioral health; short-term rehabilitation; skilled nursing; Brandman Centers for Senior Care PACE; and geriatric and memory care. Los Angeles Jewish Health is also home to the Annenberg School of Nursing.