NEWSLETTER CONTENTS
Chronicles FALL 2017
Letter from the President ............................................... 1 Caring for our Seniors’ Minds, Bodies, Souls .................. 1 Memory Care Suite at Lester .......................................... 1 Letter from the CEO ....................................................... 2 B’nai B’rith Residents Love Going to This Dog! .............. 2 JCHC Makes Music with NJ Symphony Orchestra .......... 3 JCHC Annual Dinner ....................................................... 3 Lester Memoir Writers are Famous in Israel.................... 4 Creating a Global Caring Community Group .................. 4 Luxury Living is Coming to Village Apartments .............. 4 Weston Celebrates National Assisted Living Week......... 5 Circle of Life Legacy Program ......................................... 5 Good Times at Jewish Federation Plaza ......................... 5 Tributes ........................................................................... 6 JCHC Endowment Funds ................................................ 6 Appreciating our Activity Coordinators ......................... 6
JEWISH COMMUNITY HOUSING CORPORATION OF METROPOLITAN NEW JERSEY 760 Northfield Ave., West Orange, NJ 07052 | 973-731-2020 | www.jchcorp.org
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT I am honored to be stepping into my new role as president of the JCHC Board of Trustees. The Board is a group of individuals who are deeply committed to serving our organization and our seniors. We are not just a group of people sitting around a conference table at monthly meetings discussing finances or renovation projects. We are all here to make the lives of our senior residents better, every day. Here’s a story for you about an occurrence that really brought this mission to the forefront for me in a very personal way. It was on the day of my very first board meeting as president. I’d arrived a little early and was sitting in my car next to Jewish Federation Plaza, our community that neighbors the Jewish Community Center in West Orange where we have our offices. As I looked out, thinking about our meeting, I noticed one of our residents making her way up the hill using a walker. She looked so determined as she pushed ahead, slowly and surely. As she approached my car I rolled down my window to talk to her. I learned that she is 96 years old. She does this walk every single day to stay in physical shape, and swears that that is linked to her mental sharpness. She invited me into her apartment, where she’s lived for the last seven years, and we had a lovely chat; she showed me pictures of her extended family, proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She told me she loves living at Jewish Federation Plaza and I could see why. As we walked down the hall together, she stopped to exchange pleasantries with everyone we met, all very nice social interactions between residents which showed how strong of a community residents have created there. As I prepared to leave for my meeting, this woman picked up a rather large ball that she began bouncing and catching, explaining that she does this to keep her reflexes sharp. I was quite taken with this senior who works hard every day to stay healthy and strong. Her hill walking and ball bouncing were excellent reminders to me that as a board, everything we do is about being there for real people with names and faces and interesting lives, who are part of our JCHC community. Having enjoyed our impromptu visit so much, it reminded me of the importance for our board members to find ways to get out into our buildings to meet and get to know our residents—the real people who we are here to serve. This will be an important initiative for me to work on with my fellow trustees and officers. Visiting our communities and talking to the residents, getting to know the people we serve, will help us fulfill our mission and our commitment to making their lives the best they can be.
Brian Saltzman President, Board of Trustees
Caring for our Seniors’ Minds, Bodies and Souls
As communities of caring, the JCHC residences offer educational and pastoral programs that nurture and nourish our residents’ intellectual and spiritual lives in addition to providing quality senior housing with services. From our Lifelong Learning and JCHC University programs to our live entertainment, brain games and creative arts, our seniors enjoy a variety of activities that keep them active and engaged. As an organization with roots in the Jewish community, our High Holy Day and Shabbat services are ways in which we nurture our residents’ spiritual lives. Our communities offer a full complement of services for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, hold Shabbat services on Fridays, and/ or offer the services of a rabbi on site every week.
Memory Care Suite at Lester Our beautiful Memory Care Suite at Lester, located on the 3rd floor of the Weston Assisted Living Residence, is accepting applications for older adults ages 62+ with dementia-related diagnoses. Seniors needing the specialized level of memory care we offer will thrive in a comforting, intimate setting that promotes peace of mind, body and soul. Our caregivers are specially trained in the Comfort Matters® approach to memory care, which provides “person-centered care,” centered on each resident’s particular needs and comfort at all times. Our individualized care planning focuses on life-enriching experiences that foster independence and happiness. Comfort Matters® is a leader in the field of memory care with a nationally recognized best practices accreditation process. The resident-focused Memory Care Suite includes beautifully appointed light-filled living spaces, lounges, a dining room, activity room, and a landscaped patio with water features and greenery. Important environmental supports provide a high-quality, residentfocused setting and a centrally located care manager station and elopement prevention monitoring system keep our residents safe and secure.
Tami Rager, certified yoga therapist (left), Barbara Rimorin, certified aromatherapist and Dr. Linda Travis of Comfort Matters at the seminar for professionals held in August.
In August, the Suite hosted an important pair of seminars called, “The Many Faces of Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Other Memory Care Diseases.” One was presented by Dr. Linda Travis, lead educator for Comfort Matters, for long-term care professionals and service providers to older adults (with over 70 in attendance); our COO, Laurie Loughney, presented to family members of our residents and the wider community. The seminar covered a range of topics, including the progression and stages of dementia, medical and palliative care models, and the importance of comfort to people with dementia. Guests toured the Memory Care Suite after the seminars. Residents of our Memory Care Suite enjoy a range of engaging therapeutic activities, each according to their needs and desires such as gentle touch, yoga, music therapy and aromatherapy, crafts, games and social experiences.
The entryway of the Memory Care Suite.
For more information or to arrange a tour, contact David Rozen at (973) 929-2725 or davidr@jchcorp.org. He’d love to show you around.