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Last month, seniors gathered in the Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC) to participate in the Center’s newest activity —a healthy cooking class. The course, one in an ongoing monthly series led by BCSC activities coordinator Karla Lopez, showcased simple recipes for vegetable-centric meals and snacks. Seniors sat at their work stations, donning aprons and gloves, excitedly awaiting instruction. Equipped with knives, cutting boards, skewers, and an assortment of fresh vegetables, the participants had everything they needed to begin. Karla started the lesson with an announcement. “Today we will be making grilled vegetable skewers – a delicious, balanced meal that only takes 25 minutes to make.” The room began to buzz with excitement. Participants followed Karla’s detailed directions, carefully peeling onions, chopping bell peppers, halving mushrooms, and finally skewering the mixture of colorful vegetables. Once the fresh components were assembled, Karla placed three skewers on a pre-heated portable grill, demonstrating how to properly prepare the food. Participants took turns manning the grill, patiently waiting to flip the skewers until vegetables were tender and the edges were slightly browned. After only a few minutes, the batch of skewers were cooked to perfection. Seniors took their seats and prepared to enjoy the fruits of their labor. Karla said, “And now it’s time for the best part, the taste test.” Seniors bit into the juicy, grilled vegetables and were delighted with the results. “These are delicious!” Brandman Center participant Maria Hernandez exclaimed. “I never knew making a healthy meal could be so easy. I love coming to Karla’s classes, I’ve learned so much about nutritious cooking.” BCSC’s registered dietician nutritionist Randi Drasin explains the importance of the class. “Eating healthy is an essential part of living a long life. Seniors and people of all ages can greatly benefit from maintaining a healthy diet, high in fruits and vegetables. BCSC’s new cooking class exposes participants to delicious plant-based meal options and fresh cooking concepts, showing seniors eating healthy can be easy, inexpensive, and fun.” “At the Brandman Centers, we offer a variety of unique activities to engage, educate, and inspire seniors,” says Jillian Simon BCSC director. “Our monthly cooking classes provide our participants with an exciting, hands-on experience they can easily recreate at home. Activities like these provide seniors the tools they need to continue to lead active, independent lives in the comfort of their own homes.” For more information about adult day healthcare at the Brandman Centers for Senior Care, please click here to visit the BCSC website or call 818.774.8444.

As a philosophy, hospice care provides pain and symptom management to those needing end-of-life care. At Skirball Hospice, our team of physicians, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors, home health aides, office staff, and volunteers provides biopsychosocial and spiritual comfort, throughout the greater Los Angeles community and at the Los Angeles Jewish Home. After the death of a loved one, the bereavement team provides support to family members for 13 months in the form of counseling, referrals, and mailings, as well as guidance with logistical concerns. An important part of our support is our Annual Skirball Hospice Memorial Service – a time to remember and celebrate the legacy of the patients that died in the previous year. This year, the Memorial Service was held on Sunday, March 5, 2017, at the Skirball Cultural Center. Led by members of the Skirball Hospice team, attendees joined together through songs, readings, and prayers. Stories of love and laughter were shared as the memories of loved ones came to life throughout the day. Family members and friends expressed their gratitude to the hospice team for their support and guidance; team members rekindled relationships with those they had regularly been in communication with in the year past; and everyone experienced a sense of fulfillment, hope, and peace in continuation of the journey through grief and through life. Skirball Hospice is a program of the Los Angeles Jewish Home. If you have any questions or comments you’d like to share with the Skirball Hospice team, please feel free to contact us at any time on our 24-hour line at 818.774.3040. We look forward to connecting with you, and thank you for giving us the honor of serving you and your loved ones during a most sacred time.

November is National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. During this time, hospices across the country are reaching out to raise awareness about the highest quality care for all people coping with life-limiting illness. This year’s theme is Know Your Options! Being aware of your options before a medical crisis can help ease some of the stress that most people experience in that situation. The Los Angeles Jewish Home offers both palliative and hospice services through Skirball Hospice and the Jewish Home Center for Palliative Medicine. Let’s take this opportunity to explore what each service offers. “Palliative” means to relieve or lessen without curing. Palliative medicine is often thought of as only a part of hospice care provided to someone who has been diagnosed with a fatal disease or illness. While it is a crucial component and indeed grew out of hospice care, palliative medicine is a much broader specialty and can treat patients in various stages of their illness, including alongside curative treatment. Palliative care can be provided in a hospital, cancer center, nursing home, outpatient clinic, hospices, or in the patient’s home. Focusing on the symptoms of both the disease and the treatment, palliative care helps with a wide range of issues. These may include pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, shortness of breath, constipation, nausea, loss of appetite, and difficulty sleeping. It also helps an individual to gain the strength to carry on with daily life and can help improve the ability to tolerate medical treatments. Palliative care also gives an individual more control over their care by improving their understanding of treatment options. Compassionate end-of-life care, provided by hospice services, enables individuals and their families to overcome fear and discomfort, to cope with loss, and to embrace the experience and value of each and every day of life. Hospice care recognizes the needs of patients who choose to remain where they live, outside of the hospital, so they can be surrounded by loved ones when hospitalization is no longer expected to cure their illness. It provides the support that allows someone to spend the last stages of their life in a loving environment, comforted by friends and family, and free from discomfort. While the use of hospice care has increased over the years, many people are still uncertain about the type of services available and when they can be accessed. Hospice is for anyone facing a life-limiting illness. Patients and their families receive care for an unlimited amount of time, depending on the course of the illness. Family members are encouraged, supported, and trained by hospice professionals to care for their loved ones. Hospice staff is on call to patients and their families 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help care for their loved ones. Medicare beneficiaries pay little or nothing for hospice care. Most insurance plans, HMOs, and managed care plans cover hospice care. Bereavement services and grief support are available to family members for up to one year after the death of a patient. At Skirball Hospice, this support is available for thirteen months. Both the Jewish Home Center for Palliative Medicine and Skirball Hospice provide compassionate care and expertise through an interdisciplinary team, including physicians, nurses, rabbis, medical social workers, registered dieticians, and certified home health aides. To learn more about your options, please visit our website at www.skirballhospice.org or call (877) 774-3040.

For one week in June, the Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), hosted its second annual Emergency Preparedness Fair. Representatives from the Jewish Home staff, the City of Los Angeles, and the Braille Institute presented helpful information on the proper procedures for emergency situations. The event, planned by the Brandman Center’s high risk committee, gave seniors insight on basic first aid practices, how to prepare your home for an emergency, and strategies for emergency situations in the participants’ homes as well as at the Brandman Center. “At the Brandman Centers, our participants’ wellbeing is our top priority,” Jillian Simon, BCSC director explains. “We believe it is imperative to provide seniors with the tools needed to ensure they are best prepared in the event of an emergency – either on-site or at home. This is why we provide our participants and their families with a variety of educational opportunities and resources. We are thrilled to partner with our local community programs, such as the Braille Institute and the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, to host our second annual Emergency Preparedness Fair.” During the event, representatives from the Brandman Centers distributed educational handouts and activity sheets, and tested participants on their safety and emergency knowledge. After each presentation, seniors were able to ask the experts questions, share stories and experiences, and examine sample emergency kits and poster displays. Seniors who attended the fair were given a reusable tote bag, magnifying glasses, 7 day pillboxes, and hand sanitizers. “Our goal was to give our participants the tools and knowledge necessary to stay safe in an emergency situation,” says Santos Rodriguez, BCSC’s director of marketing. “Being prepared for earthquakes, fires, and floods is crucial for seniors and people of all ages. Having a plan in case of an emergency could mean the difference between life and death.” City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Coordinator Mona Curry says, “In the case of an emergency situation in greater Los Angeles, first responders might not be able to get to everyone in a timely manner. That’s why it’s important for seniors to know what they can do on their own to protect themselves for a few days.” Brandman Center participant Lee Kramer was delighted with the fair. “This is my first time at the Emergency Preparedness Fair, and I think it has been very helpful,” Lee shares. “I learned quite a few tips for preparing my home for an emergency. In the future, I plan on keeping extra water and clothes in my bedroom so I know I’ll be ready when an emergency occurs.” “It is a big advantage to be a member of the Brandman Centers,” says BCSC participant Azucena Roca. “Not all of this important emergency information is available to seniors who live on their own.” Special thanks to the City of Los Angeles, the Braille Institute, and BCSC’s high risk committee for helping to make the event a success. People who are 55 or older, in need of nursing home level of care, are able to safely live in the community, and are living in the BCSC service area are eligible to become participants. To schedule a first meeting with the Brandman Centers for Senior Care, call 818.774.8444, toll free at 855.774.8444, or via TTY at 818.774.3194 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Members of the Marilyn & Monty Hall Statesman’s Society (MMHSS) look forward to their twice yearly exclusive restaurant events. It’s always a foodie experience and a great time to catch up with friends and with news about the Jewish Home. On June 28th, the group celebrated a uniquely special occasion, the 95th birthday of the Statesman’s Society namesake and founder, Monty Hall. For the past 29 years, Marilyn and Monty Hall have been actively supporting the Jewish Home through their involvement in the MMHSS and their annual Chanukah visits with the residents of the Home’s Eisenberg Village campus. Marilyn and Monty were honored with the Habonim, or Builders, Award at the Home’s Celebration of Life: Reflections 2010 gala. The dinner, held at Madera Kitchen in Hollywood, was replete with a decadent chocolate birthday cake serving the 75 members in attendance and a video presentation showcasing Monty’s years of involvement with the Jewish Home. It was a meaningful and celebratory evening honoring a very special man and his deep and long friendship with the Home. The love in the room for the Halls was palpable. To view photos from the event click here. The MMHSS celebrates donors who give $5,000 or more annually to the Jewish Home. MMHSS members are invited to members-only events at exclusive L.A. restaurants in gratitude for their generous support of the Home. We welcome you to join our community. For more information, contact Lesley Plachta at 818-774-3282 or [email protected].

The Jewish Home’s Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) began its vocational nurse program in 2007. The 12-month, full-time program includes classroom and skills lab instruction as well as clinical training at local hospitals and other sites. A vocational nurse, or VN, is trained to administer medication, change dressings, monitor vital sign, and maintain patient charts. The program prepares students for the NCLEX-PN® licensing examination. ASN is currently accepting applications for the Class of 2017, scheduled to begin in September. Information is available online at www.asn.edu or by attending an Open House event, which will be held on July 19th and August 2nd. While someone considering a career as a vocational nurse has many schools to choose from, there are some very good reasons to choose ASN. First of all, it’s a program of the non-profit Los Angeles Jewish Home, an organization that has provided excellence in senior healthcare since 1912. The relationship between the Home and ASN is a major reason many students choose ASN for VN, nurse assistant (CNA) and home health aide (HHA) studies. According to the VN Class of 2016, additional reasons to choose ASN are: facilities • accreditation • financial aid package • low tuitionfaculty • NCLEX-PN® pass rate • employment resourceexcellent clinical sites • graduation rates • small class size Alumni of ASN’s VN program agree. “The small class size provided a fantastic experience for me, and faculty and staff were always available to help with anything we needed,” says Joselyn Shmaeff, BSN, MBA, RN. After licensure, the Class of 2011 graduate went on to work as a LVN in skilled nursing at the Home, in pediatric home health and outpatient wound care, and to teach VN students. She completed her Bachelor’s in Nursing and attained her RN license in November 2015. Joselyn now works full-time as a RN in the ICU of Valley Presbyterian Hospital. “I owe the Annenberg School of Nursing everything! They provided me with an excellent foundation in nursing and a great starting point to a career with endless possibilities.” Class of 2009 graduate Norma DelCid, BSN, RN, also speaks highly of her experience at ASN. “I could not have chosen a better school to start my life – and I say life because nursing is my life.” Now director of health services at the Home’s Fountainview at Eisenberg Village, Norma explains, “The instructors prepared me for the real world of nursing. I am now a BSN, RN, and I still refer back to what I learned at ASN, whether it be documentation, assessment, or bedside manner. The faculty and staff encouraged me to believe in myself and molded me into the nurse I am today.” ASN director Marie Cordeiro has some thoughts about the Annenberg experience and how it can lead to a successful career in nursing. “Our curriculum is comprehensive – we cover the full journey of life, from birth to death. We offer excellent resources, such as our skills and computer labs.” The skills lab features medical manikins that provide a way for students to practice inserting gastric tubes for feeding, giving injections, and wound care. A special maternity manikin, Coco, allows students to practice delivering babies and providing post-delivery care. “We’ve also added two clinical sites to our rotation,” adds Marie. “Kaiser Permanente, a medical-surgical hospital, currently provides our students with hands-on experience in their maternal/child clinics. ASN has been approved to utilize all Kaiser clinics as clinical sites in the future. Our students will be rotating through Pacifica Hospital, where they will care for patients in the sub-acute unit. These patients may be on ventilators, have tracheotomies, or have gastric feeding tubes.” At Mission Community Hospital, ASN students work in the out-patient surgery department, where they see a wide variety of procedures, and in ICU. “Our students are exposed to all components of nursing, and have the ability to begin a career in any area of nursing.” Nursing continues to be a fast-growing field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that nursing, and particularly vocational nursing, will grow by 25% by the year 2022. According to Marie, “This is significant. As our baby boomers age, the “oldest of the old” will become the largest segment of our population. They will also be the biggest consumers of healthcare. There are not enough RN schools to fill all the spots that will be needed. And, home health care will continue to grow, which is a natural fit for a VN.” The field of nursing is one that offers challenges and provides great rewards. If you are considering nursing as a career, consider the Annenberg School of Nursing. For more information, please register to attend an Open House by calling Cindy Thomas at (818) 757-4431 or visiting the ASN website at www.asn.edu.

With summer already here, Associates-IMC is busy planning its 86th Tree of Life Luncheon to be held on Wednesday, August 10, at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills. This prominent auxiliary support group of the Los Angeles Jewish Home will be honoring two exceptional individuals whose commitment to the Home and Jewish community is unparalleled. Rosanna Hirshon Bogart will be honored with the Zelda White “Woman of the Year” Achievement Award, and Bob Hirsch will be recognized with this year’s Humanitarian Award. Rosanna Hirshon Bogart has tirelessly supported the Jewish Home for many years and served as president of Associates-IMC from 2003-2007. She helps provide yearly scholarship funds for the Home’s Annenberg School of Nursing. Rosanna is a member in the Tiffany Society, the Marilyn & Monty Hall Statesman’s Society, the Century Club, and the board of governors. Having gifted the Home with the Rose Garden Wall on the Grancell Village campus in memory of her parents and late husband, Arnold “Bogie” Bogart, Rosanna is an active and supportive executive advisor of the Associates-IMC board of directors. Her community involvement includes her support of the Child and Family Guidance Center, American Technion Society and the L.A. Opera. She sits on the board of The Music Guild and is an active member of the California Retired Teachers Association. Bob Hirsch has served on the Jewish Home’s building and facilities management committee and as a past chair of the Home’s board of directors, on which he continues to serve. He was on the Home’s executive committee, the building and safety committee, the council of past presidents, and the Annenberg School of Nursing board. Bob is a member of the Marilyn & Monty Hall Statesman’s Society, Century Club, Legacy Circle, the board of governors, and The Executives’ Generation to Generation. He recently donated over two acres of land adjacent to Grancell Village currently being developed as the Hirsch Family Campus. Bob’s extensive community involvement includes being a board member of Alzheimer’s Los Angeles, as well as working with the Skirball Cultural Center, Beit T’Shuvah, the Shoah Foundation, de Toledo High School, and the Jewish Community Foundation. The Tree of Life Luncheon will begin at 10:00 a.m. with a boutique featuring many diversified vendors. The luncheon will start at 11:45, when Madeleine Rosenberg, president of Associates-IMC, will be welcoming all the attendees. Florence Gorlin, luncheon chair, is looking forward to introducing the special guest speaker, Jeanne Phillips, also known as “Dear Abby,” the world’s most widely syndicated columnist. The Honorary Luncheon Chair is Renee Kumetz. Honorary chairs include Barbara Miller-Fox Abramoff, Janet and Jake Farber, Marion Goldenfeld, Earl Greinetz, Regina Scheer, and Joan and Arnold Seidel. Event chairs are Terri Bloomgarden, Joy Brook, Donna Burstyn, Roberta Delevie, Earl Greinetz, Claire Kunin, Diane Miller, Sheila Rose, Nancy Salka, Regina Scheer, Melinda Seltzer, Sandra Stackler, and Gloria Stoddard. Tree of Life Luncheon tickets are $165 per person, including parking, and are the perfect opportunity to support the Jewish Home and recognize our deserving honorees. The proceeds will bring in much-needed funds to care for the 1,000 on-campus residents besides sustaining 5,000 seniors the Home serves each year through its extraordinary continuum of care. We welcome your support and hope to see you at the luncheon. For more information, please contact the Associates-IMC office at 818-774-3375 or [email protected].

Personal, professional care in a beautiful, serene setting. That’s what you and your loved ones can expect from the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s in-residence care. Residents at the Jewish Home enjoy shared or single rooms in one- and two-story buildings on our secure, park-like campuses in Reseda. Seniors receiving residential care are capable of semi-independent living and mobility, and are mentally alert. Our grounds feature sculptures, fountains, and intimate garden areas where residents meditate, read, or gather with friends and family. Our dining rooms serve wonderful Kosher meals. We provide complete laundry and housekeeping services, so residents can enjoy musical programs, exercise classes (including T’ai Chi and yoga), art classes, and many more activities. Lectures and movie screenings, clubs and social opportunities, easy access to the Levy-Kime Geriatric Community Clinic, plus regular transportation to off-campus shopping, entertainment, and outings enhance the enriching lifestyle at the Home. For more about residential care, please contact Admissions Director Sato Artinian at 818.774.3303 or by email at [email protected]. The Jewish Home is now accepting applications for seniors seeking residential care. To learn about the admissions process or to submit an application, click here.

On the morning of Friday, April 8th, Assemblymember Matt Debabneh made his way to the Eisenberg Village’s Zuckerman Boardroom to speak to the Jewish Home’s seniors and staff about Assembly Bill 1319, also known as the Medically Needy Program Extension. Eisenberg Village administrator Doug Tucker welcomed the crowd and gave a brief explanation of the bill. “Currently, the Medically Needy Only (MNO) program provides senior recipients with just $20 per month as a personal spending allowance. This $20 must cover over the counter drugs, clothing, shampoo and a variety of personal items such as hearing aid batteries and denture repairs. For the 12,000 individuals across the state that qualify for this welfare, $20 is simply not enough.” Doug continued, “Last year, the Assemblymember Matt Debabneh partnered with the Home to help preserve the dignity of our MNO population and increase the amount of money these needy seniors receive. Matt did an incredible job pushing AB 1319 through the House of Representatives and on to the Senate. Unfortunately, the Bill was suspended once it reached the Senate’s budget committee last year. However, our champion, Matt Debabneh is here to discuss his plans to re-introduce the bill this year.” Assemblymember Matt Debabneh then took the stage and pledged his commitment to the seniors of California. “Seniors are the backbone of our community. They are the reason we are able to live in such an incredible community. The jobs you’ve worked, the taxes you’ve payed, the families you’ve raised.. And now it’s time for us to do the same for you. The $20 MNO recipients are given each month is not enough. All of our seniors should be able to live in dignity. I’m going to keep fighting for you.” After all was said and done, seniors and staff members enjoyed delicious refreshments and had the opportunity to speak with the Assemblymember. Stay tuned to the Los Angeles Jewish Home blog to follow AB 1319’s journey through the House and Senate.

The Jewish Home’s Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN) continues to provide an exceptional learning opportunity for those who are interested in helping others as a nurse assistant, home health aide, or vocational nurse. Since its inaugural Class of 2008, over 100 students have completed the 13-month, full-time Vocational Nurse (VN) program and begun fulfilling careers. As ASN prepares for the graduation of the Class of 2016 in July, and to welcome the Class of 2017 in September, Jewish Home e-Connections will present some of our graduates’ success stories. We hope they will inspire readers who may be considering a career in the field of nursing to take that step to change their lives, and the lives of others. ASN alumni Susan Genova, Class of 2012, always had a passion for learning and was drawn to science and biology. Her lifelong goal was to study nursing; but her path was sidetracked a bit after she graduated from Emory University with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science. Susan would go on to work on Wall Street as a Bank Stock Analyst’s Assistant doing research and as a Webmaster. “Most importantly,” she says, “I raised two children and now have two grandchildren. Becoming a nurse was always on my mind, but I couldn’t figure out my way back to school.” Susan’s mother died unexpectedly in 2009. “For two years after her death, I could hear her voice telling me to go back to school.” The opportunity to attend ASN came along, and Susan took it. “I was nervous about going back to school at 52. My husband was very supportive and encouraged me to take the step forward. Marie Cordeiro, ASN’s Director, helped immensely. “Through her constant confidence in me I was able to draw on strength I did not know I had.” Susan studied diligently and committed to making school her top priority, which resulted in her graduating among the top in her class. After passing the NCLEX-PN® exam in 2012, Susan worked as a LVN at the Home’s Joyce Eisenberg-Keefer Medical Center. “I was trying to figure out what was next for me. I started teaching Nursing Assistant classes at The Red Cross. Through this I became certified as a DSD – Director of Staff Development – and I knew that was the next right choice for me.” Shortly after completing her certification, Susan applied for the DSD position at the Home’s Eisenberg Village. She has been working in that capacity since August 2015. “At the Annenberg School of Nursing, Susan took her studies seriously,” says ASN director Marie Cordeiro. “She was considerate of her classmates and truly cared about their success. During clinical rotations, Susan was eager to learn and showed great compassion with patients. Her successful career is a reflection of her commitment to nursing and helping others to thrive.” Upon reflecting at her time at ASN, Susan shares what made the experience so beneficial in her nursing career. “The small class size encourages team work and camaraderie. ASN offers a variety of clinical sites not available to most VN programs. This exposure teaches you to be quick on your feet and quick in your mind. And when a position at the Jewish Home is available and an ASN graduate has the appropriate skills, you are able to gain experience in your field after graduation, which is critical at the beginning of your nursing career.” Congratulations to Susan Genova on discovering her path to a successful career in nursing. Your dedication to learning, team work, and providing excellence in care is greatly appreciated by the Jewish Home residents and staff, and the Annenberg School of Nursing is proud of you. For information about the Jewish Home’s Annenberg School of Nursing, please contact Cindy Thomas, admissions coordinator, at [email protected] or (818) 757-4431, or visit ASN’s website at www.asn.edu.