SENIOR LIVING

SENIOR LIVING Families Struggle to Connect With Isolated Elders

By Jan Jaben-Eilon

Retired Atlanta attorney Cindy Smith misses her best friend.

Smith hasn’t seen her 94-year-old father, Morton, in more than a week. She lives near Emory. Her father lives in The Piedmont in Buckhead, a senior living community.

Morton is doing fine. He’s healthy and Smith says there are no reports of any coronavirus cases in her father’s building. But every Thursday Smith and her father used to attend the symphony. “We were symphony partners,” she said. “He was my Scrabble partner, too. We miss that.” She’s not allowed to even visit him. “I thought we could take walks together, but he’s being discouraged from seeing other people.”

Many Atlanta Jewish families with elderly members living in senior living facilities are experiencing similar heart-wrenching separations.

Many of Dr. Bruce Rudisch’s patients are medically unwell. In one case he described a patient’s son who is unable to visit his elderly mother. “She’s anxious and her son feels very guilty that he can’t help her,” said the trained geriatric psychiatrist. “It would be a comfort to be with her and hold her hand, but he can’t now. He told me that ‘my mother helped me all my life and now I can’t help her.’”

According to Rudisch, social isolation and loneliness among the elderly are real problems, even without the coronavirus pandemic. “People who suffer from social isolation are at greater risk of illnesses. I worry about the elderly particularly, although I worry less if they are coupled or have close family members to support them either by phone or video.”

In general, Rudisch is seeing a whole spectrum of responses to the coronavirus that has shut people into their homes and has essentially deprived them of their normal social interactions. “It is important to note that the responses don’t necessarily correlate with an individual’s objective risk of death should they contract the coronavirus. Some elderly who are at high risk are particularly less anxious about the illness than one might expect. In some cases, older patients are accepting of their own mortality.”

He pointed to patients in their 70s and 80s who have lost both parents, a spouse and their siblings and “the idea of death isn’t so anxiety provoking. One patient of mine realized that she survived those deaths and she understands that her family will be able to make it without her. While this realization is on some level sad to her, it has also reduced her anxiety.”

On the other hand, he sees some younger patients who are at less risk of dying from coronavirus and “they’re very anxious about it. In many cases, it is related to their personal life histories and pre-existing emotional conflicts. If one has a deep sense of emotional damage or a prior history of trauma, this may translate into a greater sense of physical vulnerability and fragility in the face of the very real threat of COVID 19,” said Rudisch.

Some of Rudisch’s patients are confined to their rooms, similar to Morton Smith -- not one of his patients -- where The Piedmont at Buckhead is delivering food three times a day as well as puzzles to the residents. Rather than in-person meetings with his patients, 90 percent of Rudisch’s consultations are via video conference. The remaining 10 percent are on the telephone. “The American Psychiatric Association, the mental health community and Medicare have come together around supporting telehealth,” he said.

Dr. Melissa Black, a geriatrician who provides direct primary care, also provides “video visits,” or consultations over the telephone, but sometimes she still needs to visit inperson to take bloodwork or provide a physical exam.

Direct primary care, Black explains, is independent of any insurance with patients paying a monthly fee. The average age of her patients is 75 to 80, although the range is 65 to 105. “This is a patient population that is prone to isolation anyway, but my phone has been ringing off the hook,” she said.

Nancy Kriseman, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in working with older people and their families, suggests that there could be an increase in suicides among the elderly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. “I could see passive suicides, in which the person gives up,” Kriseman said.

That’s why she thinks it’s imperative for families to reach out to their elderly family members in very specific ways. Author of “Meaningful Connections: Positive Ways To Be Together When A Loved One Has Dementia,” Kriseman understands that it’s challenging sometimes to have daily phone call with elderly family members.

“What do I say when I call every day? Let’s say a prayer together, or let’s talk about a favorite time we had together,” she said. “Remind them by showing pictures of family members on video or talk about recipes. Each call can focus on a different subject.”

If the elderly person has cognitive issues, he or she may worry about the family. “Tell them what we’re doing to take care of ourselves, so we can take care of you,” she suggests. She also advises family members to send cards or “grab-and-go” boxes in which family members can send objects that represent the elderly person’s favorite hobbies, like gardening. To one client who was a mechanic, she sent little tools. Another client liked birds, so she bought a book that plays bird songs. Kriseman calls these “reminiscing activities.”

Family members with elderly in congregate living centers – which can include independent living, nursing homes and assisted living – are generally the eyes and ears who alert staff if their loved ones are having issues. When these family members can’t actually visit their loved one, being their advocate becomes more challenging. Both Kriseman and Rudisch suggest that families establish relationships with specific staff members at those centers with whom they can check in regularly.

If a family member has a concern with the facility itself, as in normal times, they can call the Georgia Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-866-552-4464, then choose option 5. Because of the coronavirus, Ombudsman Melanie McNeil told the AJT that instead of their regular quarterly visits to long-term care facilities, her office’s representatives are calling them once every two weeks to check on them.

Another piece of advice for family members is to discourage the elderly from watching the news all day. “People can forget and not forget” what they’re hearing, Rudisch states, referring specifically to those with some level of dementia. “Maybe they lose articulate verbal memory, but not emotional memory of what they are exposed to on the news. Some might imagine that a parent doesn’t remember bad news, but they can be taking it in emotionally and unconsciously.”

One thing that is helpful for family members, Rudisch says, “is to help normalize the feelings someone is having. Acknowledge what they’re feeling. Acknowledgement and validation can help to reduce anxiety. For a family member who cannot be in physical contact with an isolated loved one such as an elderly parent, feeling guilty is a natural response and can even be thought of as a measure of their love. It is a sign of healthy attachment.”

He points out that crises like this pandemic, for some, can have a positive side. “It can be an opportunity for growth and affirmation for some. One way to cope with this is to reach out and help someone, perhaps in the community. Helping someone else is often the best anecdote to the natural feelings of helplessness that many are feeling in response to COVID 19.”

Apparently, Morton Smith intuitively understood this. Responsible for the employee holiday gift fund at The Piedmont, his daughter told the AJT that he just initiated a collection to help employees who are providing care to residents under the current stressful conditions. ì

Nancy Kriseman, LCSW, advises family members to send cards or boxes containing “reminiscing activities” to their elderly family members. This could be an opportunity for growth and affirmation, suggests Dr. Bruce Rudisch.

Morton Smith and his daughter, Cindy, were symphony and Scrabble partners before coronavirus.

SENIOR LIVING How Jewish Seniors Navigate Technology

By Flora Rosefsky

Forced by today’s novel COVID-19 pan- demic to stay at home, Jewish seniors are turning to digital technology more than ever before to stay connected.

Even before the health crisis, Ameri- cans ages 65 and older were internet users, according to a Pew Research Center study last year. And a little over half of that age group were also smartphone owners, the study found.

Some people in their 70s or older might agree with Tobyanne Sidman who said that “today the world assumes that every meth- od of communication that people want to use is on a computer or cell phone.” Her grandchildren’s preference for text messag- ing makes her yearn for the days when peo- ple exclusively spoke on landline telephones to keep in touch.

Sidman said she considers herself “to be in pre-kindergarten when it comes to computers.” She told the AJT that the only things she knows how to do is turn on her desktop computer to read and send emails and she recently learned how to use Zoom for a family seder. Instead of using website chat rooms or following written directions, a friend she pays helps her once or twice a month to handle any computer issues that come up. Because of COVID-19, her friend works with her by telephone. Sidman told the AJT she may need to learn to use Face- Time on her iPhone, which would combine seeing her family and hearing their voices at the same time.

Keeping in close contact with her fam- ily is also important for Donna Salus. She checks in with her young grandchildren by using FaceTime on her iPad about twice a day, talking to them, watching them play with toys, asking what they had for breakfast. On March 18 her Hebrew class at Congregation Beth Shalom went online through Zoom. This required a Google search for “app store,” and then to download the Zoom app, which she said gave clear instructions on how to sign in for Zoom sessions when invited. She said Zoom is “a great way to continue attending Hebrew classes, a book club with friends, Peach State Stitchers meetings and enjoying a family seder.”

When family, neighbors or friends can no longer stop over to help, or when computer popup messages read like Greek, it may be time to call a professional like Nathaniel Lack, owner of Computer House Calls, who has catered to the Atlanta Jewish community for over 30 years. With over 5,000 clients in the metro Atlanta area, Lack

Nathaniel Lack follows CDC guidelines for computer house calls.

notes that a majority of his clients are over 50 and Jewish. According to Lack, customer needs vary dramatically, with some contact- ing him almost weekly while others call every few years.

“The first thing people do is jump to conclusions when the computer acts up. They think it must be a virus. But nine out of 10 times, it is often something else.” He says for seniors, “some common technical issues may include misfiled documents, settings changes that alter computer behavior, and, yes, malware caused by accidentally clicking fake webpage warnings about viruses and other scams targeting seniors.”

Lack considers himself a “computer therapist” rather than a techie because he “reduces anxiety while solving problems.”

During the current pandemic, Lack observes that many calls come from people now working remotely from home where they remain quarantined. Others use their technology to stay connected to friends and family, which for seniors can be essential to easing anxiety and stress. One client in his 90s who lives in an assisted living home continues sending emails to grandchildren in South Africa.

For Lack’s house calls today, he wears a mask made from a kippah like others he’s crafted from his children’s b’nai mitzvah collection, to have a new one for each visit. He follows CDC guideline for hygiene, sani- tizes before and after leaving a home, and keeps a safe distance from the customers, for their safety and his. For many problems, Lack said he offers remote help using Team- Viewer remote desktop software when a home visit is not necessary.

Following today’s CDC stay at home guidelines, seniors can still remain in touch with loved ones even without IT devices. There are still telephones with numbers to push. Yet, seniors of all ages will probably be using FaceTime and other IT devices more in the future, if only to stay well connected to their families and friends.ì

SENIOR LIVING Home Care Offers Option for Senior Living During COVID-19

By Paula Baroff

For many families, how to care for older relatives has become a major focus of their COVID-19 pandemic discourse. With nursing and assisted living homes hit hard by the virus, people are wondering what the best choice is to keep their older relatives safe. “We’re seeing a lot of situations where families are trying to decide what to do with their loved one when home care may not be their first option,” said Daniel Levy, owner of Advantage Private Home Care. He added that knowing you’re able to control the environment your loved one is in is more important than ever.

Doctors are now recommending that people who may otherwise have gone to care facilities should stay home instead, Levy said. There was one scenario where a client had a hip replacement done, and instead of going to a rehab facility, her doctor recommended she stay home.

Some people have taken loved ones out of their senior living facility for a few weeks because of the pandemic: “That’s where home care has really stepped up, because we can be a temporary solution or a permanent one,” Levy said.

Understanding families’ concerns, Levy said the industry has had a huge focus on keeping employees and clients safe. “Of course we’re following all the CDC regulations,” he said. Those protocols include temperature checks and ensuring employees have the right personal protective equipment. Advantage also checks in with families to make sure their staff will be in a safe environment.

Daniel Levy, director of Advantage Private Home Care, says home care has the ability to be a temporary or permanent option during the pandemic.

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Nancy Kriseman, who runs a geriatric consulting service, said there are pros and cons to both at home care and senior living facilities. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many factors to consider when choosing housing, such as dementia, Kriseman said. If your relative has dementia, you may not be able to check in with them and will need to rely on the caregivers, she said. “It can be a little confusing and also difficult for families to manage.” She pointed out that if somebody needs 24/7 at-home care, they would have multiple caregivers coming to the home.

“The issue with the COVID situation, for people living with a family member at home, you have to hope the caregivers are taking good care of themselves,” she said. At good quality assisted living facilities, she said there is more oversight for COVID-19 protocols in place.

When choosing either assisted living facilities or at home care, Kriseman helps clients find high-quality companies. “What I usually recommend for families that are keeping somebody at home, because that’s what they usually choose to do, you get an agency that has care management incorporated into home care. Then you have a case manager who oversees a set amount of caregivers going into those peoples’ homes. You also want to have a home care agency that uses LPNs and RNs.” Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) have some nursing education and often a certificate, and registered nurses (RNs) have a minimum two- or three-year diploma and expanded roles.

Kriseman is not taking any new clients, but she’s gotten calls from clients that are already enrolled who are worried about family members during the pandemic. She spoke with a client yesterday who, because of virus concerns, is unable to see her mother as often. “I gave her a whole list of things she should make sure the caregiver is doing. One is taking notes every shift,” Kriseman said. “I gave her some ideas on how to work in partnership with the caregiver without actually being able to be with the caregiver.

“It’s sad that we’re finally paying attention to our elders,” she said.

Bebe Bryan is executive director of The One Group, which provides medical and nonmedical home care with Jewish HomeLife. She said the largest change she’s seen because of the pandemic is that their services that used to drive clients to appointments and markets have been put on hold until the pandemic is over, as that group is sheltering in place. “We do a lot of work with the Holocaust survivor program at Jewish Family & Career Services, and I’ve just seen a big stop on all those people that use us for running errands, driving to appointments.”

She has also seen a difference in families who used to be resistant to having fewer caregivers being more flexible as they don’t want so many people in and out of the home. “We’re operating with tighter teams, if you will,” Bryan said. “We started providing our people early on with masks and gloves and all of that. We put all of that into effect much sooner than it was a requirement.” The protocol they practice in the skilled nursing facility is the same as they practice in the home, she said.

Family members are seeing their loved ones less, so caregivers have the added responsibility of attending to their clients’ emotional needs. “Our caregivers are so sweet; a lot of them are doing Facetime with their clients,” she said.

Bryan has had people reaching out to her who don’t even live in Atlanta with questions about the virus. “There’s just a lot of unknowns out there. People reach out to whoever they know in healthcare,” she said. She refers people to the Jewish HomeLife website, which has more information about CDC guidelines and other resources. “I am so happy to be affiliated with Jewish HomeLife because they are all about the care of our community. They are completely supportive. Whatever it is we need, we’ve been ahead of the curve with everything.” ì Bebe Bryan, director of The One

Group, said Jewish HomeLife has been ahead of the curve on COVID-19 precautions. Nancy Kriseman recommended choosing high-quality home care that uses LPNs or RNs.

Grandparenting with COVID-19 stay-at-home mandates to be safe and to remain virus-free necessitates finding new ways to stay connected to our grandchildren. The Zoom seder, a first for our family, was replicated across metro Atlanta and our world. Sitting in front of computers or iPads, the best part was seeing and hearing all four children, their spouses, girlfriend, and all eight grandchildren participate. Why was that night so different, words from the haggadah’s Four Questions, resonated in our COVID-19 seder. A family being all together is not as common as it was when I grew up, where relatives lived close by. Today, our family lives in places such as Northern Westchester, New York City and nearby in metro Atlanta, but still not within walking distance.

Connecting with our grandchildren now occurs on an almost daily basis. Our son from NYC calls us almost every night to see how we’re doing. His children, ages 14 and 16, show us what projects they’ve created such as the pinball machine a granddaughter made for her brother’s March birthday using carboard boxes, pencils and rubber bands. We spend time watching our son and grandson playing competitive pingpong on their apartment’s dining room table. Although we cannot physically give hugs and kisses, we always end our iPhone FaceTime visits with saying how much we love each other, never taking those words for granted.

As a grandparent, I still can enjoy sharing stories from the past with the next generation. As one example, I use the phone to tell my grandchildren about the times my grandfather Bernhard, a barber on the Lower East Side of NYC, would visit my home on Long Island. Those Sundays, my Dad, brother, Uncle Bob and his two sons lined up downstairs in the basement for monthly haircuts. Today we laugh when the children show us their COVID-19 hair in a text message where, in Bedford Hills, after watching a YouTube on how to cut hair, our daughter cut her husband’s hair, but also gave trims to our two grandsons – ages 22 and 24.

Locally, grandparenting with three grandchildren living in metro Atlanta remains strong. Eldest granddaughter, age 23, does our grocery shopping, being careful to wear a mask, dropping off the food by our door. Six or more feet apart, we wave hello and blow kisses. One Sunday afternoon, we got a surprise visit from our 7-yearold granddaughter. We watched her ride circles around our apartment breezeway on her new birthday scooter, through colorful bubbles that her Mom, our daughter, blew in her path. My husband and I sat outside on staircase steps 6 feet or more away from our visitors. This was a moment of grandparent naches (good fortune) following COVID-19 protocol to keep our distance. The 15-minute grandparent breezeway visit soon ended.

If I read a particular article in the AJT or AJC, I will cut it out and mail it to a grandchild or child who might appreciate reading it. I could take a photo or scan it to send as an attachment, but how nice it may still be to open up a card or envelope with a hand-written note

Flora Rosefsky

Before COVID-19, granddaughter Heidi enjoyed painting lesson with grandma.

Zoom screenshot shows family staying in touch earlier this month.

from Grandma.

In this new normal, Bernie and I wash our hands with soap and water for the recommended 20 seconds, while I sing the “Happy Birthday” song to myself two times.

There is no question that we miss personal physical connections or family traditional holiday meals together, but we need to remember this kind of social distance grandparenting hopefully will be temporary. Bonds grandparents make with grandchildren can still be strong.

What will grandchildren remember most of their grandparents during COVID-19? I think they will feel the same unconditional love that grandparents freely give year-round. We, as grandparents, can still be good listeners, taking time to know what’s going on in our grandchildren’s lives, at any age. Staying in touch with grandchildren, whether we are using FaceTime, texting messages, or without that technology, perhaps using a landline telephone, we still can capture the joy of being a grandparent while being a positive presence in their lives. ì

By Freda Meyer

While the COVID-19 crisis has hit many businesses hard, it’s no secret that the senior living industry has been particularly challenged. However, by focusing on our top priority – providing the best possible care that keeps our residents healthy, active and safe – we believe The Arbor Company remains in a good position during this pandemic and beyond.

Seniors are Hardest Hit

Solana East Cobb and Arbor Terrace of East Cobb, based in Marietta, offer assisted living and memory care for seniors. (Memory care is assisted living for those living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.) As we’ve all heard on the news, seniors represent the most vulnerable population for COVID-19. While patients of any age can become critically ill, older adults are at higher risk. Those with underlying conditions like heart disease, lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, or suppressed immune systems are even more likely to become ill, more likely to require

The exterior of Solana East Cibb.

hospitalization, and more likely to die from the virus.

Our priority has always been the health and safety of our residents and staff, so we take matters like this pandemic very seriously.

We have put many proactive measures in place to keep our residents as safe as possible during the outbreak. Visitors are not permitted until further notice, with the exception of extreme or emergency situations, and we’re screening all health care providers who enter our communities. We’ve also implemented additional cleaning procedures and adjusted our dining room operations to help reduce the threat of infection. Our staff members are wearing personal protection equipment (PPE), keeping their distance as much as possible, and of course, washing their hands frequently.

Is Senior Living Right Choice?

Even though we’ve postponed tours due to our current restrictions on visitors, we are adapting. We offer virtual tours to prospective residents and their families. Our websites provide plenty of useful information that will give you a good feel for our communities before visiting. And our senior care counselors are available by phone or videoconferencing to discuss your specific concerns and to answer your questions.

Remember that, in choosing senior living, you’re likely to make the best decision if you begin looking at options well before the need is urgent.

We are also continuing to offer fun and informative events, open to the community, now in a virtual format. We partner with experts in related fields of interest to seniors, such as eldercare attorneys and retirement and financial planning experts, to bring useful information via webinars and other virtual formats. Visit our Facebook pages to learn about upcoming events. ì

Freda Meyer is executive director of The Solana East Cobb. It is operated, along with Arbor Terrace of East Cobb, by The Arbor Company, an Atlanta-based company with more than 30 years of experience.

By Dave Schechter

“I am scared that I’m going to die from depression, all by myself and nobody will know about it, and this is how my story is going to end. I’ve survived the Holocaust and I’ve seen the world at its worst. This is not how it’s supposed to end.”

Those plaintive words, spoken by a woman in her early 90s who hid from the Nazis as a teen in eastern Europe, were shared by a case manager from Jewish Family & Career Services, who took care not to divulge any further identifying information about her client.

For Holocaust survivors, including some who later lived under Communist rule, COVID-19 has brought a mixed bag of old traumas sparked anew, depression and anxiety, isolation and fear, but also reminders of the traits that sustained them through difficult periods in their lives.

“Some are faring quite well. It’s a very resilient group. To have survived the Holocaust, you had to show tremendous resilience,” said Amy Neuman, JF&CS’s Holocaust services program manager. “Some clients have a lot of trouble. It’s getting worse as the weeks go on, as people are forced to stay home. There are some that are re-traumatized, bringing back memories of forced confinement, whether they were in ghettos or hiding somewhere or in camps.

“People we’ve never seen expressing depression and anxiety are now on our radar,” Neuman said. “Case managers are checking much more than they did before the pandemic.”

Bebe Forehand, sometimes referred to as the “Anne Frank of Belgium” because of the three years that she and her family spent hiding in a 12-by-14-foot attic, finds perspective in the past. “You can’t compare my time in the attic to now. It’s like comparing a Motel 6 to the Ritz. In the attic, it was cold with only a pot-bellied stove to keep the front of us warm. We didn’t have a phone. We couldn’t talk to our friends. There was hardly any food. Now, though I have to stay inside, I have a lovely apartment, plenty to eat, and a television. I don’t have to worry about a truck coming to get us at our house and no one is shooting at us. It’s an awful time now, but you can’t compare then and now,” said Forehand, a speaker in the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum’s “Bearing Witness” series.

JF&CS describes the services it provides survivors as “personcentered and traumainformed,” recognizing that every survivor’s experience was different. “We treat each of them individually. We look at what they need,” said Anat Granath, a licensed master social worker with 15 years of experience at JF&CS aiding Holocaust survivors.

Since JF&CS halted in-person work in mid-March, Granath has stayed in touch with her clients by phone, email, and for those able, videoconferencing. “Initially, there was a lot of resilience, ‘We’ve been through wars and we can do this. We have food. We have phones.’ Justifying to themselves that this situation is so much better. ‘We have survived so much worse than this.’ The last week or two I’m hearing more frustration, high levels of anxiety, depression,” she said. COVID-19 has brought some survivors “dreams of the past, . . . feelings that they haven’t even thought about in over five decades,” and, in some cases, nightmares.

Case managers Granath and Emily Papera check on their clients’ access to food, medication and personal supplies, as well as their capability to access pro“We listen. We listen a lot. That’s what we can do. We talk to them. We also let them know that, unlike the Holocaust, the whole world is suffering from this,” said JF&CS case manager Anat Granath. “It’s an awful time now, but you can’t compare then and now,” said Holocaust survivor BebeForehand.

gramming that JF&CS makes available online.

“We listen,” Granath said. “We listen a lot. That’s what we can do. We talk to them. We also let them know that, unlike the Holocaust, the whole world is suffering from this. There’s not really discrimination of age, of gender, of religion. Yes, the elderly are in the highrisk group. But the virus is not against the elderly. We talk about how around the world, people are coming together to protect the elderly. I try to give them some comfort in that,” she said.

JF&CS has the names of about 210 survivors in its database, but Neuman thinks there maybe closer to 300 in the Atlanta area and elsewhere in Georgia. Even as their overall number continues to decline, JF&CS continues to enroll Holocaust survivors in its programs, including newcomers who have moved to Georgia to be closer to their adult children and others who may not have needed those services until now.

Of 136 survivors currently receiving essential services and case management from JF&CS, 75 percent are from the former Soviet Union. They generally are in their late 70s and early 80s, on average several years younger than those from Eastern Europe. When added to survivors JF&CS helps through a national program providing home care services and those who access social programming or reparations assistance, the agency has served more than 200 Holocaust survivors in its current fiscal year, Neuman said.

Funding for JF&CS services comes from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Holocaust Survivors Emergency Assistance Fund, and the Holocaust Survivor Support Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

COVID-19 forced cancellation of the April 19 annual Yom Hashoah observance, sponsored by Eternal Life-Hemshech at the Memorial to The Six Million at Greenwood Ceretery. Eternal Life-Hemshech and The Breman Museum, a co-sponsor, have posted online recorded remarks by Ilse Eichner Reiner, a native of Czechoslovakia who survived the Theresienstadt and Auschwitz concentration camps, and was to have been the keynote speaker.

A client from the former Soviet Union, who survived the Holocaust, told Granath how the April 1986 meltdown of the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl, in the former Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, led to issues of food insecurity and distrust of government statements.

“They’re very resourceful, the survivors from the former Soviet Union,” exchanging information on how to make masks, how to make disinfectants, and what works if soap is not available, Granath said. Life under Communism made them more able “to be creative at an older age than some of the clients who left Europe as teens and then lived in the United States, with all that we have here.”

Food insecurity has not been a problem for most of the survivors. “Fortunately, many of them have family in town and some of them live in buildings with congregant meals,” and if that service has been suspended, meals are brought to their rooms. “We haven’t found many that need our food service,” Neuman said. “We have many clients that get home care, who get house cleaning. We want to make sure that services have not been discontinued by the vendor. We have some that have stopped services by their own choosing, who don’t want people in their homes.”

Neuman paraphrased the worries expressed by survivors who live alone or are restricted to their apartments in senior residences that have barred even family visits. “We don’t know if we’ll ever see our families again. Will we be able to leave our apartments again? I don’t know if I will ever see you again,” meaning the case managers.

Asked what the community can do to aid the survivors during the COVID-19 crisis, Granath said, “If you know an elder, if it’s your neighbor, . . . pick up the phone and not only once, but call them again. All we can do is let them know that they are not alone. We are all going through this together.” ì “It’s a very resilient group. To have survived the Holocaust you had to show tremendous resilience,” said Amy Neuman,

JF&CS program manager of services for Holocaust survivors.