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In a world of rising prices and spiking inflation, it has become increasingly hard to find exceptional value. Yet, that is precisely what is currently offered for prospective residents at Los Angeles Jewish Health's Fountainview at Eisenberg Village independent living community. For a limited time, the facility's entrance and monthly fees are the lowest in the greater metropolitan Los Angeles area. Soon to be honored with the Los Angeles Daily News' popular Readers' Choice award for "Best Retirement Community," Fountainview at Eisenberg Village has made a conscious choice to hold down costs for older adults considering a move. "We have a remarkable community that provides incredible all-inclusive care, and we want to advance our mission of making that care available to a broader group of people," says Larissa Stepanians, Los Angeles Jewish Health's chief operating officer. "Our goal is to help older adults across Los Angeles take advantage of the full spectrum of our programs and services." The scope of those programs and services is vast. "Fountainview at Eisenberg Village is essentially like a cruise ship on land," notes Adam Peña, the community's executive director. "From our fitness center and spa to our movie theater and beauty salon, we have it all. And that's on top of the world-class healthcare that is tailored to suit each resident's needs." Fountainview at Eisenberg Village's on-campus clinic and skilled nursing facility give residents critical peace of mind, knowing they can access those services seamlessly—as necessary, and without having to leave the comfort of their home environment. "You can see your general practitioner, consult a medical specialist, or get physical therapy, all right here on site," Adam says. "As you age and may experience a decline in function, we're here to give you comprehensive support." That support includes clinical oversight by a highly skilled registered nurse who is on call around the clock. Many individuals and couples who move to Fountainview at Eisenberg Village come for the robust and stimulating socialization. "We have so many activities here. Imagine wonderful classes like yoga and tai chi, plus countless opportunities to meet people and make new friends who are your same age and at your same level of cognition," Larissa says. "Because it's all-inclusive, residents also get things like delicious kosher meals, which can be delivered directly to their apartments, as well as transportation when they want to go off campus. And we're pet-friendly!" For many residents, living at Fountainview at Eisenberg Village during COVID-19 has helped get them through the pandemic. "Whereas isolation and loneliness have impacted so many older adults living alone over the past two and a half years, our residents have actually thrived during the pandemic," Larissa says. "Whether it was getting them early access to the vaccine or giving them the technology and tools to communicate virtually with loved ones, we enabled residents to stay healthy and connected." Resident Joy Picus, a long-time Los Angeles Jewish Health fan who served for 16 years as a member of the Los Angeles City Council, found Fountainview at Eisenberg Village to be a refuge during a time of global upheaval. "We're much safer here because we don't have to go anywhere that could expose us, since all the amenities we want are provided for us on campus!" she says. With entrance fees from as low as $399,000, the time has never been better to embrace all that Fountainview at Eisenberg Village has to offer. To learn more, contact [email protected] or (818) 654-5531.

This summer, Los Angeles Jewish Health's own chief medical officer, Noah Marco, MD, was appointed to the board of directors of the California Association of Long-Term Care Medicine (CALTCM)—a highly visible organization on the statewide healthcare landscape. During his two-year term, Dr. Marco will join other CALTCM board members to help ensure the quality of skilled nursing facility care in California. Founded in 1975 as the California Association of Medical Directors, CALTCM is the professional organization for California physicians, nurses, pharmacists, administrators, and others working in long-term care. The group is at the forefront of statewide efforts to advocate for quality patient healthcare, provide long-term care education, and influence policy. "I am thrilled to be serving on the CALTCM board and feel gratified to have this opportunity to give back to the community," Dr. Marco says. "It's also a privilege to be able to raise the profile of Los Angeles Jewish Health even further through my service by shining a light on LAJH's innovative efforts to make a difference in the lives of older adults and their families."

Michael Preminger is always quick to find the joke. It's a quality the veteran stand-up comedian, who has been performing on some of the nation's most prestigious stages for decades, brings with him as a dedicated volunteer at Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH). "The residents at Los Angeles Jewish Health are hilarious and such a joy to be around," Michael says. "When I first started volunteering, I asked a lady named Edna, who was 104, whether she would ever consider dating younger men. Without missing a beat, she looked at me and said, 'Are there any other kind?'" That camaraderie and humor have been bringing Michael back to LAJHealth as a volunteer for more than 10 years. Career success was professionally satisfying (his many television appearances have included The Tonight Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Dinah Shore Show, and more. He also co-wrote the critical and commercial hit Nothing in Common starring Tom Hanks and Jackie Gleason), but it is his weekly visits to LAJHealth that give him rich personal rewards. "I've learned so much from the residents and have gained a lot of wisdom. I remember one woman named Rita who would say in Yiddish, 'Vos geven iz geven'—essentially, 'What was, was.' I think it's a very profound way of looking at the world, essentially acknowledging that we can't recapture the past, we can only look ahead," Michael says. One of the things he loves most about volunteering at LAJHealth is hearing residents' stories. "One person told me she went dancing with the Dodgers when they were still in Brooklyn!" he exclaims. "These folks have done such incredible things, and through their stories, I feel I've been all over with them, from Brooklyn to Buenos Aires." Michael himself has New York roots: Born in the Bronx, he headed to Los Angeles in 1975 to pursue his passion for showbusiness. He raised a son and a daughter while climbing the rungs of comedy stardom. Now a grandfather, his touring days have slowed down, and he is able to enjoy other pursuits like giving back to Los Angeles Jewish Health. "I mainly do trivia with the residents, quizzing them on old movies, TV shows, and music," he says. "Some of them really know their stuff, and the questions lead to super interesting conversations about their lives." As a veteran of the entertainment industry, Michael would like to see more of his colleagues doing their part to uplift older adults at LAJHealth. "Especially in this town, where you have thousands of actors and comedians just sitting around all day waiting for their agents to call, I'm astounded by how few people make it a priority to volunteer," he muses. "They have the time; they should come join us!" Michael arrives at LAJHealth every Tuesday and Thursday like clockwork, and he says it's consistently the highlight of his week. "Volunteering here is one of the best things I've ever done in my life; it's so fulfilling, and I get such a high from it," he says. "The hours between Tuesday and Thursday always feel too long—I just can't wait to come back!" Los Angeles Jewish Health is currently recruiting volunteers of all ages (18 and up) – from individual adults to school groups and synagogue youth groups. Contact Stacy Orbach, director of volunteer services, for more information: (818) 774-3219 or [email protected].

Among Los Angeles Jewish Health's many exceptional programs and services, Skirball Hospice stands out. Our skilled, compassionate end-of-life care provides patients and their families with critical support during one of life's most challenging times. We are proud to be a nurturing, collaborative partner in helping to meet their needs. It can be confusing to understand the difference between hospice care and palliative care. Below, Los Angeles Jewish Health's chief medical officer, Noah Marco, MD, sheds light on what distinguishes each and offers an introduction to what makes Los Angeles Jewish Health the right choice for these services. Question: What is hospice, and when should someone consider it? Answer: Hospice services should be considered by an individual whose doctor believes his or her life expectancy may be less than six months. The decision to enroll in hospice is usually made when a life-limiting condition is believed to be advancing, when medical intervention has reached its maximum benefit, and when a patient or their representative decides to focus on maintaining comfort and symptom management at home rather than in a hospital setting. Hospice is a federal benefit that provides additional services not usually covered by other insurance plans. Q: What is the difference between hospice and palliative care? A: Palliative care helps optimize quality of life by anticipating (or preventing) any form of pain and suffering rather than treating an underlying disease. Qualifying individuals do not have to meet the strict criteria requirements of hospice to receive this care. The focus of palliative treatment is both on meeting the patients' physical needs with regard to symptom management and the psychological, spiritual, and social challenges diseases create. Many individuals start in palliative care until they meet the care criteria for hospice. Palliative care can be provided in a hospital, cancer center, nursing home, outpatient clinic, hospices, or in the patient's home. Q: Where does Skirball Hospice care take place? A: Hospice services are offered wherever the person is residing. Currently, 30% of Skirball Hospice patients are residents of Los Angeles Jewish Health, and 70% are community residents in the San Fernando Valley, West Los Angeles, and surrounding cities. The very first visit can even occur in the hospital. One of the advantages of Skirball Hospice is that our clinicians go to people's homes rather than requiring patients to find transportation to a clinic or doctor's office. Q: What differentiates Skirball Hospice among other, similar hospice services? A: Founded in 2002, Skirball Hospice is the only Jewish-sponsored nonprofit hospice in the greater Los Angeles area. It has a well-deserved reputation for high quality, caring service. Though our program has its roots in Jewish values, we proudly serve people of all faiths and backgrounds. We work with a variety of payors including Medicare, Medi-Cal, and most private insurances, and because we are a not-for-profit agency, no one is ever denied service because of inability to pay. Q: What type of support does Skirball Hospice provide family members, both during hospice and after the passing of a loved one? A: Whereas routine medical care can often focus on the individual patient, providing little or no support to family and friends who may also be impacted by the burdens of disease, the dedicated staff members at Skirball Hospice offer families compassionate assistance from the very first contact. Our response team is available to meet in the home or at a hospital or care facility. Our bereavement staff is trained and experienced in the areas of counseling, chaplaincy, spirituality, end-of-life, grief, and loss. Bereavement support at Skirball Hospice includes ongoing planned contact with the family through visits, telephone calls, letters, an annual memorial service, and referrals to community resources such as support groups. All participants in the bereavement program receive a comprehensive series of mailings on a monthly basis to help reflect on their loss and assist with the grief and recovery process. Our support continues for 13 months, covering an entire cycle of holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries and helping family members maintain or regain their level of well-being. For more information, call Skirball Hospice at (877) 774-3040.

Los Angeles Jewish Health residents always approach the High Holy Days with a sense of deep appreciation for having reached the start of another New Year. This year, our seniors have found even more reason to be grateful: the loosening of COVID restrictions to allow residents to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones. "It's hard to put into words how exciting it is that, this year during the High Holy Days, we've finally been able to invite a small number of family members back onto our campuses," says Rabbi Karen Bender, Los Angeles Jewish Health's chief mission officer. "Over the past several years, in order to keep residents as safe as possible, we were mandated to hold off on inviting visitors to campus, so these High Holy Days have really signaled a dramatic, welcome change." Rabbi Bender says services have been packed and that events leading up to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur were equally well attended. "We held an apple and honey tasting across multiple campuses, which was really wonderful," she says. "Taste and smell are two of the most powerful ways to conjure up memories that can engage our residents and inspire them to share their thoughts, feelings and life experiences." According to Rabbi Bender, the apples and honey gatherings were significant for another reason, as well. "I like to point out to our residents that we don't hand people apples already dipped in honey; we give them the apples, and they dip them on their own," she says. "It's a symbol that every individual has the ability to influence the sweetness in his or her own life. We're more empowered than we think, and I believe that's a critical message for our incredible population of seniors." The run-up to the holidays also included a special mitzvah project: Residents gathered together to assemble fully-stocked backpacks for students in need. Sponsored by generous Los Angeles Jewish Health donor Bill Prady, co-creator of the Emmy Award-winning television sitcom "The Big Bang Theory," the project allowed residents to partner with School on Wheels, a nonprofit organization that fields approximately 4,000 requests each year for backpacks from students experiencing homelessness. Los Angeles Jewish Health participants worked a fun assembly line-style to fill the backpacks with school supplies such as paper, pencils and folders, as well as special items such as puzzles, books and science kits. "Jewish tradition teaches that we are inscribed in the Book of Life at Rosh Hashanah, and that the book is sealed at Yom Kippur," Rabbi Bender says. "One of our goals with the backpack project was to fulfill the commandment of the High Holy Days machzor (prayer book), which encourages us to focus these Days of Awe on tefilah (prayer), tzedakah (charity) and t'shuvah (repentance). This project enabled seniors to perform an act of tzedakah, and they were so happy to be a part of it." Their enthusiasm, Rabbi Bender notes, was beautiful to see. "A significant percentage of our residents are recipients of other people's good deeds, whether it's our donors, our volunteers or members of the larger community. It's challenging for them to find opportunities to give back and make a difference the way they used to, when they were more independent," she says. "Through this project, they were able to realize they can still do things to help other people. It was truly thrilling to watch and was easily one of the most moving things I've done in my time here." As they were filling backpacks, dipping apples in honey and singing at in-person holiday services, our residents enjoyed the benefits of built-in community that living at Los Angeles Jewish Health makes possible. "How many people in their 90s get to be with their peers at holiday time?" Rabbi Bender asks. "Not many, which is why our events this year have been so meaningful. It's such a blessing and a privilege to belong to this community."

Andrew Berman, Chair, and Dale Surowitz, President & CEO As we enter the month of November, known for giving and giving thanks, we would like to take this opportunity to reach out and share our heartfelt thanks and gratitude for all of the support provided to the seniors of Los Angeles Jewish Health. Once again, your donations, coupled with the outstanding work of our Los Angeles Jewish Health teams, meant our High Holidays were moving and meaningful for all who participated. Our outstanding rabbinical leaders were joined by dozens of additional staff from across departments including Dietary, Housekeeping, Activities, Information Systems, Maintenance and many others, who came together to produce special events and programming that resonated with all who participated. We are also grateful that, this year, we were able to open our campuses to a modest number of family members to join with their loved ones in person for services, even as we continued to follow all ongoing health regulations still in place due to COVID-19. May next year bring even bigger services, gatherings and celebrations! For everyone who has supported the work of Los Angeles Jewish Health this year, as we care for nearly 4,000 older adults, nearly 80% of whom are at or near national poverty levels, you have our collective thanks and deep appreciation. With the coming of Giving Tuesday on November 29, and as you make your year-end gifts; please consider contributing to Los Angeles Jewish Health. As our senior population continues to grow exponentially now and into the future, we are proud and privileged to be available to serve them. Without your support, we could not provide these outstanding services and programs or the award-winning care our seniors so richly deserve. Warmest regards and best wishes for the holiday season. Andrew Berman Dale Surowitz Chair, Board of Directors Chief Executive Officer & President

Identifying impactful ways to optimize the well-being of older adults is a central focus of our work at Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJHealth). We are constantly seeking innovative approaches to raising the bar on clinical care, and our telehealth program is a case in point, leveraging leading-edge technology to ensure our seniors can thrive. Launched with funding from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which selected LAJHealth as the lead grantee in California to pilot a telehealth program, our organization's initiative deploys state-of-the-art mobile carts—each equipped with a tablet computer, digital stethoscope and otoscope, a camera, speaker/microphone system and WIFI— throughout Los Angeles Jewish Health campuses, enabling physicians to care for patients, from a distance, in an individualized and caring way. Whether for routine visits or to assess changes in medical condition, telehealth appointments offer patients, families and physicians a wide range of critical advantages. "In any discussion of the telehealth program, it's first important to stress that this is not just doctors seeing residents over Zoom or FaceTime," notes Noah Marco, MD, chief medical officer with Los Angeles Jewish Health. "These are highly sophisticated, patient-centered encounters through which we are actually able to hear and evaluate heart and lung sounds, look inside patients' ears and mouths, and see their tiniest skin lesions." "Our experience has been that, once patients and their loved ones become comfortable with the technology involved, the benefits of telehealth are immediately apparent to them," he says. Patient convenience is one of the major benefits. "For many of our residents, travel to and from physicians' offices can be challenging at best, causing them to disrupt their routines to do what's convenient for their doctor," Dr. Marco says. "Telehealth alleviates this burden, allowing them to check in with their doctors and share any concerns from the comfort of their own rooms." Anton Domingo, a registered nurse and LAJ Health's telehealth program manager and quality analyst, says the telehealth consults are particularly helpful when a resident is experiencing a change in condition. "In more urgent situations, when we need to determine whether a resident may need to be transferred to the hospital, a telehealth appointment gets the doctors' eyes on the patient almost immediately, allowing the provider to see the patient and correlate the data provided with the patient's status in real time," Anton says. "This translates to better, more informed decision-making about the necessity of hospital transfers, which ultimately means less strain on—and less cost for—our residents." In fact, according to data gathered by LAJHealth as part of this pilot program, telehealth visits lessened the need for nearly 20 percent of transfers to acute care facilities. The pandemic has further highlighted the wisdom of including telehealth options in patient care. "For instance, say a patient needs to be in isolated care due to a transmittable disease, we can dedicate a telehealth cart to that area, making sure the resident has easy and timely access to the provider he or she needs for their care," Anton says. The telehealth program also lets residents' families play a more active role as a member of their comprehensive care team. "When the patient, the provider and a family member come together, we get more and better information, and the quality of the care inevitably improves," Dr. Marco says. "Family members really benefit from hearing from their loved ones' physicians directly because it puts everyone on the same page and ensures we answer everybody's questions in a comprehensive way." Erit Siegal and her mother Katherina Schaffer That was the case for Erit Siegal, whose mother, 97-year-old Los Angeles Jewish Health resident Katherina Schaffer, signed up to participate in the telehealth program. "My mom, who is originally from Czechoslovakia and survived three different concentration camps, is miraculously healthy and 100 percent cognitively fine. She's one tough cookie," Erit says. "She moved to LAJHealth about a year ago. When she needed some routine care, she saw Dr. Marco via telehealth, and I was on the call, as well." "It was a good experience," she continues. "Dr. Marco asked questions, my mom answered, and I was there, watching and listening the whole time. It was super convenient, especially during COVID, because we got the attention we needed while minimizing interruption to my mom's day and limiting the exposure she (and other residents) would have had if I had needed to come to campus for the appointment." LAJHealth currently has 25 telehealth carts; 12 of them are deployed across four different facilities, resulting in more than 40 virtual visits so far this year. It's a promising start, and plans are for the program to expand. That expansion – and the program itself—are the result of generous support not just from the FCC, but also from numerous individuals and foundations. "We've seen telehealth add real value for so many of our residents, and we look forward to making the program even more accessible going forward," Dr. Marco says. "At Los Angeles Jewish Health, we work to give each of our seniors every health advantage possible."

To borrow from Adam Sandler, "Chanukah is the Festival of Lights. Instead of one day of presents, we have eight crazy nights". From those words of wisdom, we get the questions to address. What is this Festival of Lights? Why eight nights? In addition, while sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) and latkes (potato pancakes) are awesomely delicious, why are they associated with Chanukah? In the larger universe of Jewish holidays, Chanukah is known to be a minor observance. It certainly is not a holiday or observance on the level of Passover or Sukkot, let alone Rosh Hashanah. Even as we know Chanukah is a minor festival, Chanukah is beloved and its existence is widely known, if not understood. Here in America, Chanukah gets extra exposure because of the proximity to the Christmas holiday. Christmas is always December 25 but Chanukah follows the Jewish-Lunar calendar and can occur as early as Thanksgiving or fall in the later part of December. In that range of dates, Chanukah falls during what is commonly called the Holiday Season and becomes incorporated into it. That takes us to a uniquely American ideal about the make-up of our nation. We inscribe on the coins of our currency E Pluribus Unum- or in the English "Out of many one". In America, we celebrate being united; additionally we treasure what makes each part of the American mosaic unique. As the majority of Americans observe one holiday, Americans of the Jewish faith observe Chanukah. At its core, Chanukah is the celebration of maintaining that uniqueness. In the days following the breakup of the empire of Alexander the Great, the dominant culture in the Mediterranean world was the Greek culture. It would have been easy and made their lives simpler for the Jews of those times to be swallowed by that Greek culture. Yet, they refused, they rebelled against assimilation and they elected to fight to maintain the faith and identity they inherited from their ancestors. At the conclusion of this struggle to remain unique in a larger culture, it was time to dedicate the great Temple in Jerusalem. Part of the dedication or Chanukah was lighting the menorah. On hand was only enough oil to last 1 day. It would take several days for more oil to be procured. Rabbinic legend is that the oil that should have lasted for 1 day actually lasted eight. For that reason, we light candles in ascending numbers each night, to remember this miracle of the oil lasting. In observing Chanukah, we celebrate our unique identity in a larger world. Jews chose to retain the faith of those who came before us and treasure that faith and uniqueness in a diverse world. Finally and very importantly, why the latkes and sufganiyot? They are both linked to the miracle of the oil, as they both are fried foods. When I was a student in Israel, I marveled at the wide variety of sufganiyot-doughnuts on sale in every store and bakery. Naturally, I had to sample a cross section. My favorite? The chocolate frosted-halvah filled doughnut was the winner. Latkes are potato pancakes of course. There are many different recipes for them. You can use potatoes, sweet potatoes or even zucchini. Among the many toppings can be applesauce, sugar or what I recommend, sour cream. All are wonderful, all tasty without a doubt. Nevertheless, what is valued is to pause, gather together to bless and light the candles, sing the traditional songs and celebrate the wonder and miracle of Jewish identity in our day and time.

Katherina "Katy" Schaffer knows what it means to face extraordinary odds. But she has also experienced, first-hand, the triumph of perseverance. Over the course of her 97 years, Katy has faced unimaginable challenges, including time spent in three Nazi concentration camps. Through them all, she has proven time and again she has the strength of spirit to carry on—and, above all else, that she is a true survivor. A resident of Los Angeles Jewish Health's Grancell Village for the past year, Katy's story starts in 1925, in pre-war Czechoslovakia. One of six siblings, at the age of 19 she traveled to a neighboring town to become an apprentice seamstress. As Europe fell under the cloud of Nazi threat, her parents sent word that she should return home. On her way back, at a train station in the company of her older sister, Katy was abducted by the Germans. So began an odyssey that would subject her to the unimaginable horrors of the Holocaust and leave her at death's door. "When my mom was liberated, in 1945, she remembers airplanes dropping little bags of cheese and bread. Some people she knew in the camps, who were on the brink of starvation, ate so much that they died—their systems couldn't handle all that sustenance at once," says Katy's daughter, Erit Siegal. "Fortunately, she restrained herself, and she eventually made it to a hospital, where she recuperated for a long time." After she was liberated, Katy traveled to her native Czechoslovakia, only to find that, aside from two sisters and a brother, her entire family had perished in the Holocaust. She and her siblings eventually emigrated to Israel, where she met her husband Otto and gave birth to Erit. By then, one sister had moved again—this time, to Los Angeles—and Katy and Otto decided to join her. Katy and her family—which soon expanded to include a son, George—thrived in Southern California. Otto worked in the garment industry; Katy was a homemaker who cooked, sewed clothing, and provided a warm and loving environment for her children in the house they purchased in the San Fernando Valley in 1963. Despite the hardships she had endured, she found fulfillment and success. "I always tell people to learn from their parents and neighbors, to follow Jewish values, to help the poor, and to be a mensch," she says. Husband Otto passed away in 2011; Katy stayed in their home for another decade or so. Among the hobbies she took up during this period was volunteering for seven years at Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH), in the Arts and Crafts Room on the Eisenberg Village campus. "I've always felt that, wherever I can help, I help," she says. "Giving back to LAJH was a way for me to contribute." Katy came to Los Angeles Jewish Health as a resident via our short-term rehabilitation program after falling and fracturing her spine. While in rehab, the vascular disease she had in her leg progressed, ultimately resulting in the amputation of her leg. She moved into Los Angeles Jewish Home full-time just over 12 months ago. "Mom has always been incredibly active, and losing her leg was so traumatic," Erit recalls. "But it's kind of miraculous how she's adapted and adjusted. I think her experience in the war contributed to her being able to deal with her current situation—these survivors have something special in them that has enabled them to carry on." Today, Katy keeps her mind and body active and agile through knitting, doing word searches, and reading. Already during her brief tenure at LAJH, she has developed a reputation for her trademark resilience and positive energy. "Katy is an extraordinary person, and it's an honor to have her residing here at Los Angeles Jewish Health," says Rabbi Karen Bender, LAJH's chief mission officer. "She never allowed the atrocities she witnessed and experienced during the Shoah to interfere with her ability to embrace life, and it's no wonder all of the staff adore her. I personally love spending time with Katy. Her smile inspires me!" For her part, Katy is grateful for the blessings of family and the benefits of living at Los Angeles Jewish Health. "My children and four grandchildren keep me going," she says. "And I appreciate LAJH: I like the kosher food, I've made friends with my roommate, and Dr. Marco and my nurses are right here to help take care of me. I love it here—other places are just not the same!"

Life expectancy in the United States is on the rise. As Americans live longer, older adults are increasingly searching for ways to age in place—and to remain in their own homes for as many years as they can. Enter the Brandman Centers for Senior Care (BCSC), a Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). Launched by Los Angeles Jewish Health and generously funded by Joyce and Saul (of blessed memory) Brandman, BCSC immediately distinguished itself as the San Fernando Valley's first PACE program. Today they serve 320 senior participants, providing them a one-stop shop for meeting their comprehensive health needs. The Brandman Center's primary objective is to help seniors remain as independent as possible, living safely in their homes and communities. It works to achieve this goal through the provision of well-coordinated, highly-personalized, quality care, with a broad range of services that promotes seniors' health and fills their days with meaning and joy. "Our offering truly is all-inclusive, covering everything from medical care, specialty services, and rehabilitative care, to nutritional counseling, nursing and preventive services, medications, medical supplies, and more," says Susie Fishenfeld, BCSC executive director. "One of the best parts is that participants never get a bill; as long as they use our providers, we handle everything." With an interdisciplinary staff that includes a primary care physician; medical specialists; a nurse; social worker; occupational, speech, and physical therapists; personal care attendants; and a dietician, BCSC is open five days each week, year-round (excluding holidays) from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Seniors become eligible when they are age 55 or older, live in the BCSC service area, and have been deemed by the team at BCSC and the California Department of Health Care Services to require nursing home-level of care. Unlike with regular health insurance, such as Medicare or MediCal, there is no specific enrollment period for BCSC's PACE program; seniors can sign up at any time. There are other key differences, as well. "We provide more than just what people typically think of as 'healthcare,' like doctor appointments and prescriptions," Susie notes. "So often, seniors are just sitting home, watching TV all day; we actually get them out and bring them to our center, where there are all kinds of wonderful activities for them. To see how they thrive when they get here is really quite amazing." Evelyn Frenkel, BCSC's director of marketing, agrees that, when it comes to BCSC, seeing really is believing. "We just had a large holiday gathering, with music and dancing," she says. "As people arrived, you could tell they were just lighting up inside. It was wonderful." Part of what makes BCSC so dynamic is its diversity. "We have so many languages and cultures represented, and all religions," Susie says. "Forty percent of our participants are Hispanic. And the diversity goes beyond background: Some participants work; some drive. Everyone is at a different stage in life, yet they all come together to create this beautiful community." The census at BCSC, which continues to grow, is now the highest since the program started in 2013—and talking to participants, it's easy to see why. "I love all of the activities, I love the dancing and the music. I just love it all," says Rose Robinett, who has been coming to BCSC since 2016. One of BCSC's most ardent fans was William Kreiling, a devoted participant who has since passed away. His expert summary of the prevailing sentiment about BCSC: "If you look all over LA, you are not going to find a better organization than this one."