AJAS Announcements and Events

October 29, 2012: Deadline for 2013 Annual Conference Presentation Proposals
For further details and instructions on how to submit, please download the Call for Proposals.

November 15, 2012: AJAS Fall 2012 Northeast Regional Forum
8:30 am - 3:45 pm
Hosted by: The Jewish Home Family in Rockleigh, NJ
Registration Opens Next Week! CEU credits applied for.

Check out our new and improved website!
Visit www.ajas.org. 

New York, NY

The Manhattan Campus of Jewish Home Lifecare has received a three-year Joint Commission Medicare/Medicaid Certification-Based Long Term Care Accreditation. This award, considered a symbol of excellence, recognizes Jewish Home's dedication to the Commission's state of the art national standards for safe and high-quality care.

"In attaining The Joint Commission accreditation, Jewish Home Lifecare has demonstrated its commitment to the highest level of care for its patients," says Mark G. Pelletier, RN, MS Chief Operating Officer, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operation, The Joint Commission. "Accreditation is a voluntary process, and I commend Jewish Home for successfully undertaking this challenge to elevate its standard of care and provide confidence in the community it serves."

Judith Nicholson, Administrator of the Manhattan Division of Jewish Home Lifecare explains, "The Joint Commission accreditation helps our organization identify opportunities for improvement that elevates our work to the next level of creating a culture of excellence." She continues, "This award is a measure of our success and reflects the emphasis we put on achieving quality care by continually implementing improvements in the services we provide."

For more information, please visit www.JewishHome.org

Certified Dementia Practitioners Recognized at Hebrew Health Care

West Hartford, CT

In the tradition of honoring their mothers and fathers, Hebrew Health Care (HHC) recognizes that elders with memory impairments require specialized care. HHC invested time and money to expand their expertise in dementia care. Staff members in key positions throughout the organization have successfully completed the process for national credentials as Certified Dementia Practitioners by the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP).

NCCDP is the first organization which standardized dementia education. "The Council is an interdisciplinary board with a mission to promote standards of excellence in dementia and Alzheimer's care education for professionals and those who provide assistance to people with memory disorders," said Pamela Atwood, CDP since 2007, and certified instructor of the NCCDP's basic foundations course.

HHC has had a dedicated department of Dementia Care Services since 2002. "A decade ago, we made a commitment to serving those with memory disorders in our long-term care facility. Over the years, we've supported our community-based programs with in-services and consultation, and now our affiliates have their own experts as well," said Bonnie Gauthier, CEO and President of HHC.  This year, Atwood, who is HHC's Director of Dementia Care Services, went through the NCCDP train the trainer course. She now offers seminars which are required for others who wish to become CDPs. "As leaders in the field of care of persons with dementia, HHC needed each of our key business lines to have expertise." Atwood set about to train key staff in several HHC business affiliates.

At a recent meeting, 12 staff members were recognized for their new status as nationally-recognized Certified Dementia Practitioners.  

Menorah Manor's New Video

Los Angeles Jewish Home Expanding to Westside

Reseda, CA

Los Angeles Jewish Home recently announced plans to develop a senior care community in The Village at Playa Vista and the surrounding areas that will serve the residential, healthcare and in-home needs of upwards of 600 seniors on the Westside of Los Angeles. This marks the first time in its 100 year history that Jewish Home will have a physical presence on the Westside.

The Gonda Healthy Aging Westside Campus - made possible through the generosity of the Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Foundation -- will form the hub of an extensive network of Westside Jewish Home facilities and services. Facilities and services will include a 176-unit CCRC for independent seniors; 24 assisted living and memory care units; PACE site for 240 seniors; and a 60-bed skilled nursing facility. With an 18-month wait list of about 400 -- half of which live on the Westside -- the Gonda Campus furthers the Jewish Home's mission of serving as many seniors as possible.

Molly Forrest, Jewish Home CEO-President added: "With seniors being the fastest growing segment of the population, providing services on the Westside has been a Jewish Home dream for many years. As we enter our second century of service, it is a testament to the generosity of the donor community and dedication of our board that we are now on a path to turn this dream into reality." 

Montefiore to Build Hospice/Pavilion

Beachwood, OH

The Montefiore Foundation proudly announces a $1 million dollar grant from the Maltz Family Foundation, a supporting organization of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, for Montefiore's proposed hospice and palliative care pavilion - a 3000 square-foot addition - a very beautiful home for the exceptional services of the Vinney Hospice and Palliative Care program. This elegant new hospice pavilion will support Montefiore's vision to provide compassionate care in a soothing and nurturing environment for those facing life-limiting illnesses with 9 patient rooms and life-affirming communal spaces where families will enjoy visits with loved ones. 

Lauren Rock, Montefiore president & CEO explained, "Through strategic planning and our vision to fill a much-needed service to the entire community, it became more apparent as our program was growing, that the patients and families we serve could be much better supported in a new and expanded space on our Beachwood campus.  We are so grateful to the Maltz family for their continuing support and generosity to Montefiore."

Rock explained, "The entire pavilion is designed with the patient and their family members in mind. Diane Korman, director of our Vinney Hospice and Palliative Care program, and I worked in partnership with Herman, Gibans Foder Architects to design the most appealing type of pavilion based on our vision, research and site visits to other hospice facilities."  She continued, "There is an indoor garden and living room which overlooks an outdoor healing garden both with soothing water features. Patient rooms will be furnished in warm, calming colors. Art, music, massage and Reiki therapies will take place in the wellness space; a consultation room will double as an overnight option for family along with a private dining area and a meditation/quiet room available 24/7. There's also a meeting room for bereavement support groups, hospice volunteer training, staff education and family gatherings. "On behalf of the entire Montefiore board of directors, I am deeply appreciative to the Maltz Family Foundation for their generous grant to build a hospice pavilion at Montefiore.   

Kivel Purchases Assisted-Living Facility

Phoenix, AZ

Kivel Campus of Care has purchased an assisted-living home in Scottsdale, according to a recent article in the Jewish News of Greater Phoenix.  The Retreat at Desert Cove is a 10-bedroom home in a residential area. Kivel began operating the property in September.

"It was perfect for what we wanted," said Ira Shulman, Kivel president and CEO. Kivel, the Valley's only Jewish senior-living community, was "looking to build an assisted-living home and (this was) one of the places we visited," he said. "We really liked it and were impressed with it."

The purchase of the Retreat was made possible through significant funding provided by the Kivel Auxiliary, according to Shulman.  In 2008, the auxiliary sold "Kivel's Kloset," a thrift shop it owned and operated, and those funds have been used toward the purchase of the home. Remaining funds will come from a bank loan, he said.

"In the spirit of our Jewish heritage, the home will provide an atmosphere of operating in a manner consistent with our long traditions of caring for our seniors," according to Kivel's press release.