We recognize the challenges we all face during these times, and your involvement is as critical for our elders as ever. We call on you to join in the community that cares: become a member of the Robison Jewish Health Center.

Your contribution is vital. As of today, our members have contributed close to $200,000 toward our annual goal of $250,000. You can help us reach our goal by becoming a member now. Your contribution will:

• Help elders and people with disabilities to live with comfort, independence, and dignity wherever they call home
• Provide the most fragile among us the quality of care they deserve regardless of their ability to pay
• Place you within a community that keeps the promise to love, honor, and respect our elders

Your generous membership contribution will support Robison residents and allow them to enjoy services that meet their needs and choices. I hope we can count on your support.

Please become a member of the Robison Jewish Health Center now. Thank you!

Pauline

Pauline is the person to meet
Her personality is so sweet
When she takes a nap
All the town people clap
And our sunshine club is complete

Ruth T.

Ruth likes pork chops
Here in our group we think she’s tops
She goes out in the snow
Wanting to see the blower blow
She’s waiting for springtime to eat fresh crops

Rosemary

Loving to join in a game of bridge
And serve whatever is left in the fridge
Nothing that spoils
‘Cuz it’s wrapped in foil
If it’s bad she’ll throw it over a bridge

Donna

Whatever we give her she’ll like it
Even just a little bit
Donna’s easy to please
She’ll even eat cheese
Love when the house is lit

Paola

Italy is where Paola was born
She doesn’t like to toot her own horn
She likes her tea sweet
And she goes down the street
When she’s alone she is often forlorn.

Victor

Tickling the ivories is what Victor does best
When he performs he plays with zest
He’s good with a pun
And he sure makes life fun
Teaching us in what we should invest

“Birthday boys and girls” included:

Advance Directive is a general term for documents providing a person’s instructions about future medical care and appointing a person to implement those instructions in case of their inability to do so. 

In the most extensive form of advance directives, which was formerly known as a living will, individuals go into some detail about their wishes for medical treatment at the end of life should they be unable to communicate. The advance directive guides family and physicians in choosing treatment protocols.

Compared with Physician’s Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST), Advance Directives are intended for long-term future planning, they’re more specific and complex, and they change less over time.

The issues to be addressed by individuals and families when deciding what the Advance Directive will state are dictated by family values and culture related to end-of-life issues. Some individuals and families are determined to sustain life at all costs and direct physicians to provide life-sustaining treatment which replaces or supports essential bodily functions. Other individuals and families are determined to limit the interventions and direct physicians to provide palliative care to relieve suffering, control pain and symptoms and maximize function even if these efforts hasten death.

It’s important for every individual, particularly elderly, to have an advance directive. The advance directive provides you with the ability to indicate who should make medical decisions for you if you cannot. It can be very emotional for family members to make such medical decisions in the moment of crisis. While it is impossible to foresee all of the possibilities for individuals at the end of life, it is easiest to make decisions well before events make them urgent. The emotional stressors at the time of illness and medical crises can make it difficult to consider values, culture, past experiences, and attitudes. The advance directive, therefore, provides a service to family members by making your wishes known. While it’s challenging to think about your own advance directive or to discuss it with family members, it’s much less stressful than having to deal with the decisions an advance directive covers in crisis.

You can create an advance directive on your own, but a physician may help you with medical details you may omit to consider. In any case, witnesses are required for the advance directive to be valid. If you need further information about the legal implications of creating or having an advance directive, you may wish to speak to a lawyer.

Support our effort to help people prepare for their involvement in the long-term care system–donate online now. Thank you for your generosity!

The original "Fiddler on the Roof" poster adapted for the upcoming Robison performance on 1/24/12

Next week, two theatrical performances on our campus will highlight that creativity thrives in every age. 

“Fiddler on the Roof” Returns…to Robison

On Tuesday, January 24, at 3 pm, the Rose Schnitzer Manor Theatrical Group will give a repeat performance at Robison Jewish Health Center of “Fiddler on the Roof”. Manor resident Evelyn Hirsch’s adaptation of the famous musical is a comedy about 85-year olds moving to Rose Schnitzer Manor. The first performance packed Manor’s Zidell Hall last December.

Evelyn said, “Our combined age is 1,000 years. It’s a good group of actors.”

According to Community Program Director Kathy Tipsord, “Many Robison residents lived at Rose Schnitzer Manor. We applaud Evelyn’s idea to make the joy of laughing at human nature a cross-campus event.”

“Acting Our Age” at Rose Schnitzer Manor

The following Sunday, January 29, 2-4 pm, Zidell Hall will see a reading by local professional actors of 7 one-act plays that Manor residents wrote as part of the Older but Wiser Writing Group. Sponsoring the event is the National Council of Jewish Women, which partially underwrote the Writing Group and which is combining the performance with its membership event.

The Older but Wiser Writing Group is a project, now renewed for 2012, led by Cedar Sinai Park volunteer Eddy Shuldman (read more about the group here and here), now renewed for 2012. She emphasized the program turned out to be “quite empowering” for the writers. Manor Administrator David Kohnstamm seconded the sentiment. “Our residents are as proud of this program as anything they have done before.”

According to Nikki Director, of National Council of Jewish Women’s Portland Section, the project was “a perfect match” to be funded from the Dorothy Asher Memorial Fund for Senior Cultural Programs.

“Some of our members went to the [August 2011] performance,” Director said. “We were overwhelmed. We decided to make sure that the entire Cedar Sinai Park community should have an opportunity to see ‘Acting Our Age’. The National Council of Jewish Women is very pleased and proud to have the opportunity to help showcase the seven playwrites and their memorable, creative works.”

Eddy Shuldman with playwright Martha Pomeranz, Rose Schnitzer Manor, 5/17/11

The one-act plays feature creative work by seven residents: Martha Pomeranz, Francine Stone, Barbara Dubin, Ruth Henning, Charlotte Wiener and Evelyn Hirsch. A piece by Michael Mogel, who passed away last fall, will also be featured. Matt Zrebski directs.

Kathy said, “Programs like ‘Older but Wiser’ and ‘Acting Our Age’ continue to dispel the myth that creativity is lost with youth. They also open our doors to the community at large. We welcome everyone at our campus.”

All Cedar Sinai Park residents and family members can attend the performance for free. For others the cost is $18. Desert will be served following the performance.

Some of the hand-knit hats the Purls of Wisdom Knitting Group is donating to good causes this week, January 2012

As we reported last June, the Purls of Wisdom Knitting Group at Rose Schnitzer Manor donates its creations to various causes. This week, the group will donate 43 hats to adult patients at Compass Oncology and 30 more to domestic violence survivors at Raphael House.

Group leader and Manor resident Annette Gerard had previously said that knitting for charity projects is “a nice way to keep busy and accomplish something at the same time.”

Seventy-Three Mitzvahs

While they’re proud of their accomplishments, the Purls of Wisdom members  declined to pose for a photo with their creations (see left).

One member emphasized, “Mitzvahs should be anonymous.”

Words of Thanks #1: Compass Oncology

Beverly Moser, RN, the chemotherapy nurse who received the hats  at Compass Oncology, wrote in an email:

I am only too happy to acknowledge this extremely generous gift, and hope my words let this group of women know that their actions, and the caring behind the handiwork, make a BIG difference.

I was humbled at the generosity of the Purls of Wisdom Knitting Group! The beautiful and high quality yarns chosen for their project could not have been inexpensive. The care and precision of the work, and the fun variety of styles, make each hat a highly desired piece. Our patients look at these hats as a “reward” of sorts, a gift for their hardship of having to go through the experience of cancer and the difficulties of chemo.

Many of these women and men have lost all or some of their hair, and getting to choose a soft, colorful hat to keep their heads warm seems to also “warm their hearts”. Our patients look like they have opened a birthday gift when they glance through the basket of hats for one that suits them. Often I hear them say “they’re all so cute, I wish I could take one of each”.

Patients frequently also inquire who has gifted these hats to the clinic, and we are glad to be able to give credit to the skilled knitters of the Purls of Wisdom. Each of them may know that a silent thank you goes out to them each time a patient receives their “gift” of comfort and friendship.

The nursing staff of Compass Oncology also sends our heartfelt thanks to the knitting artists. When our patients are happy, we’re happy, and these lovely hats definitely bring joy to the oncology patients under our care.

Words of Thanks #2: Raphael House

Amanda Grebner, Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator, at Raphael House of Portland, emailed:

All of us at Raphael House ofPortlandwould like to thank the Purls of Wisdom Knitting Group at Rose Schnitzer Manor for their ongoing support! There is something special about receiving hand-made items and these hats are no exception. It is clear that each one is made with care, attention to detail and love, and that fact isn’t lost on our staff or the people we serve.

Our organization provides emergency shelter and support to women and families experiencing domestic violence, so one can imagine the turmoil we see day in and day out. Since many families come to us with few possessions, we distribute countless clothing items throughout the year and must rely on the generosity of our community to provide these. Support from a group like Purls of Wisdom allows us to continue serving families in their time of need. And offering items that have been beautifully hand-crafted—like these hats—makes that action even more significant.

Thank you again for bringing smiles to so many faces here and for warming the heads and hearts of countless women and children in our programs! We truly appreciate your generosity and the contribution you’ve made to our organization.

Support our residents’ creative pursuits, donate online now. Thank you for your generosity!

What is a Stroke?

According to the National Stroke Association, a stroke occurs when

a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain.  When either of these things happen, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs.

When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost.  These abilities include speech, movement and memory.  How a stroke patient is affected depends on where the stroke occurs in the brain and how much the brain is damaged.

Stroke Warning Signs

The American Heart Association lists the following symptoms that may signal a stroke in progress:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

If you see someone exhibit these symptoms they may be experiencing a stroke.

The National Stroke Association provides a helpful acronym to help identify stroke signs:
Use FAST to remember the warning signs:

• Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
• Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
• Time: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Learn more about strokes in the National Stroke Association’s Fact Sheet.

Support our effort to help people prepare for their involvement in the long-term care system–donate online now. Thank you for your generosity!

Discussions will take place in March 2012.

We need you if you’ve recently:

• Provided care at home for an aging loved one
• Helped an aging loved one make plans to remain independent
• Made plans for yourself to age at home
• Received care, rehabilitation, or other support
• Needed services as an adult with special needs

Interested in participating? Please email discussion [at] cedarsinaipark.org.

For example, in the most recent issue, you can read about:

• Our vision for the New Nursing Home
• Kehillah Housing project update
• Housing with services

We also invited folks to our annual event, featuring Super Diamond, which will take place on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at The Nines Hotel. See the archived online version of the January 2012 edition here.

To subscribe, email Peter Korchnak, Online Communications Manager.