At Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH), we are enormously proud of the dedicated staff members who help care for our beloved residents. Each person on the team brings their own unique talent and history to the organization, together weaving a beautiful tapestry of care, compassion, and love.Tapestries are right up the alley of Radka Falk, director of LAJH’s popular Arts & Crafts Room, located on the Eisenberg Village campus and a key component of the Lifestyle and Enrichment Department. For nearly 20 years, Radka has been a supportive, engaging, and steadying force at LAJH, helping residents channel their creative energies as they make extraordinary objects of art.A native of Bulgaria, Radka emigrated to the United States in 2000—a single mother of two in search of better economic opportunity.“I worked for a big newspaper and also as a teacher in Bulgaria, but once my son was accepted to university there, I knew that, even with multiple jobs, I wouldn’t have been able to pay his tuition,” she recalls. “It was time for me to make a change.”When she arrived in the U.S., Radka found employment as a private caregiver. In addition to introducing her to her future second husband (a friend of the owners of the caregiving company), the job enabled her to develop critical skills for working with seniors.“One of my clients had Alzheimer’s, and when she was accepted at LAJH, I came and stayed with her for a time,” she says. “The wonderful people I met there offered me a position helping with activities, and that was almost two decades ago. I’ve never looked back.”What many do not know about Radka is that she is an accomplished writer and painter who has authored multiple well-received volumes of poetry. Securing her position at LAJH allowed her to combine her interest in the arts with her newfound abilities in senior care. Under her direction, the Arts & Crafts Room has become a beloved retreat for residents, many of whom visit several times a week. She shares her passion for textile-making and helps others create beautiful handcrafts, from sweaters and skirts to quilts. The participants also work with Radka to explore a wide array of other artistic mediums and to explore their culinary side by cooking delicious baked goods in the onsite kitchen.“I love to knit and to sew, and I also love to help people,” Radka says. “In this job, I get to do both. I am so grateful to have found a home at LAJH.”Both Radka’s colleagues and residents at LAJH say the appreciation is mutual.“It is a pleasure working with Radka,” says Annette Weinberg, campus lifestyle and enrichment director for Eisenberg Village. “There’s something very special about her: She’s such a positive force and a loving person, and her creativity is just amazing. Whether someone needs a hem stitched or we’re seeking blooms to decorate the dining room, she always says ‘yes.’”It’s a sentiment repeated again and again by all who know her.“Radka and I have been close,” says resident Norman Garber. “It’s a pleasure collaborating with her because she’s so talented; there isn’t a thing she can’t do. And she is so compassionate and kind—always with a positive word for everyone.”Radka’s cheerleading offers residents a big boost as they undertake new creative endeavors.“She’s so fantastic at helping me explore my sewing abilities, and she helps me push the limits of what I can learn to do,” says resident Casey Joseph. “I love how understanding Radka is and how she can listen to your ideas, then figure out a way to make them real. It’s such a feel-good environment that I look forward to coming to Arts and Crafts five days a week!”Arlene Bercu, another LAJH resident, is equally glowing in her praise.“I knew at once after touring the Arts and Crafts Room that it would be my happy place,” she says. “Everything Radka does is original and creative, from the beautiful handbags down to the made-from-scratch mandel bread. I actually wore a dress she made me in our recent Purim play. I always tell her she should have owned her own couture shop!”In March, Radka brought the world of high fashion directly to LAJH, working with Annette and the rest of the Lifestyle and Enrichment team to run a fashion show featuring clothes she has made for residents. The clothes were modeled by the residents themselves.“We had a runway for our models, and nearly all of the women who spend time in the Arts and Crafts Room participated, including some who actually had careers as fashion models!” she says.Whether coordinating a runway or supervising a cross-stitch, Radka brings her signature creativity, energy, and enthusiasm to every endeavor.“I enjoy doing all this stuff, and it’s exciting because I am able to create something new every day,” she says. “I absolutely love this job.” 

The Jewish holiday of Purim is known for many things: delivering baskets filled with goodies to friends and loved ones; providing gifts to the needy; and perhaps most famously, the Purim spiel—a fun, festive play that retells the story of the Book of Esther. While versions of the spiel are produced each year on the campuses of Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) and typically performed by staff who volunteer for the roles, this year, the talented residents of the Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer (JEK) Medical center mounted their own Purim production, complete with colorful costumes, songs, and prodigious amounts of laughter.The decades-long tradition of LAJH staff performing the Purim play continued this March at the Taper Building and at Fountainview on the Eisenberg Village campus. The staff dedicated their time for rehearsals and performances, entertaining residents with their comical retelling of Mordechai’s pride, Haman’s evil cunning, and Queen Esther’s bravery. But residents of JEK   flipped the script and stretched their acting chops as they brilliantly infused their own creative ideas and energy into the holiday skit—making it the most special one yet.“Traditionally, we as staff would do the entertaining during Purim, but the residents were excited to play a role, so they ‘fired’ us in the most beautiful way,” says Ilana Springer, JEK’s CEO and administrator. “We were thrilled to witness this turn of events because it meant our residents were feeling empowered to run programs and to lead their lives proactively and intentionally. It’s wonderful to see them taking so much initiative.”Orchestrating the event was JEK’s Director of Therapeutic Activities Susan Leitch, who helped organize rehearsals, run technical aspects of the production (such as sound), and provide other key support.“What was so amazing about this year’s spiel is that the whole thing was resident-driven,” she says. “From choosing the script, to adding songs and dialogue, to casting, they were the ones calling the shots!”Resident Barbara Fallick delighted in the opportunity to dip her toe in the world of theater.“It’s so much fun being dramatic!” she says. “We can be childlike in our portrayals of the villain Haman, as beautiful as Esther, and as dignified as Mordechai.”Fellow cast member Steven Horowitz also loved participating.“Coming up with a play that was original to the story, but a different adaptation in a humorous way—it was really fun,” he says. “All of our rehearsals made a big difference, and it was an awesome experience.”The Purim spiel was just one in a series of LAJH events related to the holiday. Other celebrations on the Grancell Village campus included a Purim concert by well-known singer-songwriter Cindy Paley (who also performed at Eisenberg Village) and a traditional reading of the megillah (the Scroll of Esther) by Orthodox Rabbi Hershey Spitzer. At Eisenberg Village, in addition to the Purim spiels, there was also a resident-led megillah reading and an Arabian-themed buffet dinner complete with professional belly dancers.“The energy here at LAJH during Purim was truly infectious across the board,” Ilana says. “Everybody came together as part of a warm and cohesive community.” 

Working to Enhance Seniors’ Quality of Life There are so many ways Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) PACE helps make a difference in the lives of participants. Its comprehensive services spanning head-to-toe medical assistance, engaging social activities, rehabilitation, transportation, social services, delicious meals, and even home care services enable participants to stay healthier, active, and engaged—making BCSC PACE so much more than just an adult day healthcare center.“As people live longer and the number of older adults in our community grows, there is an increasing demand for programs like BCSC PACE, which offers seniors critical services that empower them to continue to reside in their own homes for as long as possible,” says Vice President of BCSC PACE, Kim Stratman. “Seniors and their loved ones trust us to support their daily needs, and we are honored to fulfill that commitment every day.”People from all backgrounds and walks of life look to BCSC PACE as a vital source of care and comfort as they seek to enhance their wellbeing. They turn to the program for the stability and support it provides—uplifting them with essential assistance in improving their diets; strengthening their bodies; sharpening their minds; managing anxiety and depression; learning to navigate illness; making new friends; and even coping with grief and loss.Steven Glick is a prime example of how seniors benefit from BCSC PACE’s incredible array of services. He depends on expert, compassionate care from the entire BCSC PACE team at the Reseda location as he continues to recover from a life-threatening bike accident that left him with a broken neck and shoulder.“I was at UCLA West Valley Medical Center for the first three months following the accident, then in a nursing home for a year before ending up at Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center,” Steven recalls. “It was there that I met Dr. [Casey] Ott, medical director of BCSC PACE, who recommended I come to Los Angeles Jewish Health’s (LAJH) Grancell Village Campus for rehabilitation. That was last July, and thanks to the progress I’ve made, I haven’t had to be readmitted to the hospital since!”Steven GlickHe now rents a room in a shared house in Sun Valley and visits BCSC PACE three times a week for exceptional medical care, delicious nutritious meals prepared by the outstanding dietary team, stimulating games and activities and wonderful camaraderie and socialization with fellow seniors. The center also arranges his transportation and identifies any medical specialist he needs.“I’ve had so much injury in my body, and the folks at BCSC PACE have really listened to me and taken an active role in my recovery. The doctors and nurses who treat me there are world-class, and when my care requires specific expertise, they partner with outside specialists. During my time here, I’ve seen nerve and spine specialists, a cardiologist, physical and occupational therapists, an acupuncturist, a massage therapist, you name it. Whether it’s the medical staff, the person who drives the shuttles, or the cook who makes you meals, everyone is so full of love,” he says. “I never thought I’d get my quality of life back after my accident, but that’s what Brandman has given me. I’m forever in their debt!”Participants like Steven are especially thankful for the fantastic activities that get their bodies moving and their spirits soaring. From puzzles, trivia games, and bingo, to stretching, music therapy, special entertainers, holiday celebrations, and beyond. BCSC PACE is a one-stop-shop for seniors eager to reap the physical and mental health benefits of robust social engagement.BCSC PACE currently serves nearly 450 area seniors on its two campuses in Reseda and West L.A. Among those who visit the centers are: Fabiola Anleu, who enjoys coming for craft activities and credits BCSC PACE with “saving her life”; Linthong Phannaporn, who lights up when she visits, spreading joy as she shares her passion for knitting and crocheting with fellow program participants; and Alberto Masnicoff and his wife, who appreciate the physical and emotional nurturing they receive from BCSC PACE staff.Across the program, among participants, families, and other loved ones, there is a deep sense of community for all who are involved with BCSC PACE. Perhaps Steven sums it up best: “Whenever I talk to my brothers, who have closely followed my health struggles, they always say, ‘Thank God for Brandman!’”