If your mom has just been diagnosed with a form of dementia, we want you to know that you’re not alone on this journey. Navigating this diagnosis for your loved one will take time as this is a new adjustment for the whole family, but with the right care program and support system in place – your loved one can still thrive with dementia. At Lester Senior Living, we’ve helped many people who have walked a mile in your shoes. Our specialized memory care suite is equipped with trained professionals, dementia-safe apartments, top of the line security measures and enriching cognitive activities to ensure your loved one is in the best hands possible. If you are looking into a professional memory care facility in NJ for mom, let us give you a quick guide on what you can expect from our team at Lester.
Personalized, around the clock care Our specially trained staff members are not only available morning to night to assist all of our residents, they also take the time out of their day to really get to know each person in memory care in order to establish the best care routine unique to them. One thing is for sure, the care we provide at Lester Senior Living is not one-size-fits-all. We truly understand how overwhelming it could be for seniors to move into a new place, while navigating a memory disorder and will do everything we can to make them feel comfortable with their new life. This involves establishing a daily routine that makes sense to them. While we hold group activities and mealtimes as a baseline, if a memory care resident would like to eat earlier or later – we do not discourage this at all. Food is available 24/7 and there are plenty of activities held at all times throughout the day to better accommodate your loved one’s preferences. As long as mom or dad is happy, healthy and thriving at Lester Senior Living – that’s all that matters to us, not if they ate breakfast at 8am on the dot. Daily programs to sharpen cognitive skills Like exercising our bodies, exercising our minds is just as important as we age – especially for those with dementia. Seniors who engage in memory-stimulating activities regularly have a greater chance of strengthening their cognitive abilities and keeping unfavorable dementia behaviors at bay. At our memory care suite, we make it a daily priority to provide residents with a variety of activities that exercise the brain. Some examples include group trivia, sudoku and crossword puzzles, arts and crafts classes, reading books in our community library and morning stretches. As we mentioned earlier, establishing a unique, daily routine is crucial for seniors with dementia – and having fun activities to look forward to each day will provide your loved one with more meaningful experiences under our care. Dementia-safe spaces and wander management One of the scarier symptoms of dementia is when your mom or dad forgets where they are and decides to wander off until they can find something familiar. Wandering off can be very dangerous if your loved one is not residing in a specialized memory care unit. Here at Lester, we have security personnel onsite and 24-hour alert fobs that memory care residents wear to enforce their safety at all times. On top of this, all apartments in our memory care suite are open floor plans, specifically designed to promote the safety of those inside living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. These dementia-safe apartments include enhanced safety measures like grab bars in the bathroom and emergency call buttons in each room. They also do not include features in normal senior apartments that could cause harm like stoves or clothing irons. Dementia care in New Jersey As we’ve discussed, the approach to memory care changes with each person in our care. When our caregivers first meet you and your loved one, you will find that they really take the time to get to know your loved one, their specific wants, needs and even what they don’t like. This initial evaluation is essential to determining mom’s intensity of care, as well as what activities would be best for her to take part in. By providing the necessary support along with meaningful experiences each and every day, your loved one with dementia can have a fulfilling life here at Lester Senior Living. For more information about our dementia care program in NJ, please call us today or visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ Original Source: https://jchcorp.org/a-guide-to-memory-care/
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We love our jewish traditions, especially if they involve comfort foods like kreplach! Besides being delicious, there is another major reason why we eat kreplach before holidays like Purim and Yom Kippur. The dumpling filling and its wrapper together represent a sort of meditation on our inner and outer selves as we approach a sacred holiday. In other words, we get to reflect on our thoughts while eating our beloved version of wonton dumplings. So, let’s get to it! Here is a classic kreplach recipe provided by our favorite chefs at Lester Senior Living.
Dough Ingredients:
Filling Ingredients:
Cooking and Prep Time: Approx. 1 hr and 20 minutes (Possibly sooner if the dough is prepped ahead of time). Serves: 8-10 Kreplach Cooking Instructions:
Not in the mood to cook? It’s no trouble at all! At Lester Senior Living, our culinary trained chefs love to cook for our senior residents – and their families when they come to visit. Our assisted living dining program covers three balanced meals a day that can be modified if needed to accommodate dietary restrictions, low-calorie needs and kosher preferences. If residents aren’t hungry during “normal” dining hours, they have the option for their meals to be delivered right to their apartment at a later time. Not to mention, we snack all day long! For more information about our senior living community in Morris County, please contact us today or visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ Original Source: https://jchcorp.org/classic-kreplach-for-purim/ As people, we have an innate desire to connect and feel secure. Whether we are sharing joy or sadness, knowing that someone else has truly heard us and can honestly say they have felt the same way, is a healing, comforting exchange. In other words, to be a part of other’s lives as they become a part of ours. As we grow older, this desire to socialize and connect becomes even more important – and at the same time, even more difficult to achieve. For parents and grandparents everywhere there is a struggle to find meaningful connections when they are living alone much of the time.
To help senior citizens find these connections in a safe and caring environment, the Jewish Community Housing Corporation (JCHC) was formed back in 1982. Our community is rooted in Jewish values and traditions, but actively cares for residents of all faiths and backgrounds. Our role is to give residents living at our buildings in Morris and Essex County New Jersey the services, support and connections that they need to truly thrive. Our non-profit mission exists completely separately from those of other worthy Jewish organizations like the Jewish Community Centers (JCC), Daughters of Israel, etc… The JCHC has a specific focus on providing senior housing and related senior services across northern New Jersey. We are an independent 501c3 and receive no outside funding from other Jewish organizations. Our Senior Living Communities in NJ Our non-profit 501c3 organization serves senior citizens of all backgrounds, but make no mistake: our approach is proudly rooted in Jewish values and culture. The core mission for all members of the JCHC is to provide seniors in Morris and Essex County with affordable homes in safe, nurturing communities that enrich every aspect of their lives. We accomplish this through the ownership and management of our four senior living communities that provide over 600 units of housing: Lester Senior Living, The Village Apartments, Jewish Federation Plaza and B’nai Brith Federation House.
The JCHC fully covers its operational expenses through normal rents and government subsidies available to non-profit organizations. However, enriching the quality of life of our senior residents is greatly aided by private and institutional charitable contributions. With support from these donors, we have created a spectrum of services that range from helping residents with day-to-day personal care to fun recreational activities that prove no one is ever too old to learn and play! JCHC services include, but are not limited to the following: Dining: We offer nutritious meals to residents at all our buildings that can be modified to suit dietary restrictions, low-calorie preferences and kosher preferences. This can range from a Sunday brunch at one building to all 21 meals a week in our assisted living setting at Lester Senior Living. In collaboration with the JCC of MetroWest, we also operate two (2) Kosher Nutrition Sites that offer meals, social activities, and nutritional counseling for low-income, disabled, or otherwise vulnerable seniors in Essex County. These sites are located at our Village Apartments and at the JCC in West Orange, serve about 100 participants daily, and are funded through the Essex County Division on Aging. We also prepare more than 50 meals per day to homebound senior citizens through the County-funded kosher Meals on Wheels Program. Assistance with Household Chores: Residents at Lester Senior Living and the Village Apartments have their apartments cleaned regularly. Additional cleaning services are also available upon request. Through a collaboration with the NJ Department of Community Affairs Division on Aging, the Congregate Housing Services Program is in effect at our two HUD-subsidized buildings, providing subsidies for frail elderly individuals who need assistance with housekeeping, personal care, shopping, and meals to maintain an independent lifestyle. Health Care and Social Services: Through a collaboration with Jewish Family Services, a social worker is available for residents at all JCHC buildings. Additionally, a medical suite with full-time nursing staff and medication management is available for residents of the Weston assisted living wing at Lester Senior Living. Monthly Activity Programs: As we briefly touched on before, a variety of recreational activities are offered at our buildings for senior residents on a monthly basis. More examples include University-level classes, arts and crafts, computer classes, morning stretches and video games. Each of our buildings also has its own tenant organization with officers and regular meetings which help drive additional recreational programs proposed by the residents themselves. Chaplaincy: Religious services, counseling and pastoral care are provided for seniors who wish to use them through the Joint Chaplaincy Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest. Transportation: Regular shopping trips as well as transport to nearby social events are provided through two (2) JCHC buses. In addition, private services and local municipalities also provide transportation options for JCHC residents. Core Values and Future Goals of the JCHC The JCHC was recently certified by the state of New Jersey as an “Assisted Living Program.” JCHC is one of only 10 organizations in the state to achieve this certification. This allows us to offer assisted living services to our low cost housing residents, filling a huge gap in senior care that exists throughout the state for those who cannot afford home care or assisted living. These services are provided to our residents at low or no cost and allow them to stay in their homes as long as possible. As a non-profit organization, this new service fits perfectly into our mission: To care for those who have cared for us. To help seniors live their lives to the fullest in the communities they call home. In order to make this philosophy possible, we have to keep improving beyond the basic need for housing. We are fully committed to taking an active role in improving the quality of life for seniors emotionally, physically and spiritually. This can be achieved through expanding and enhancing our offering with our Assisted Living Program. A contribution to our non-profit 501c3 organization goes directly to funding these vital services. JCHC donor contributions fund improved on-site medical care, updated dining experiences, a brand new state of the art in house movie theater, or periodic university classes and guest speakers. These events make a world of difference for seniors who might not otherwise be able to connect with others outside of our organization. Your support directly enables us to:
Original Source: https://jchcorp.org/who-is-the-jchc/ One of the most fun and joyous holidays is approaching fast: Purim! Here at Lester Senior Living, we really cannot wait for the festivities to begin. We are starting some new activities this year that weave in the age-old traditions of Purim, like baking delicious hamantaschen cookies. Before we dive into what our senior activity directors have in store this year, it’s important to retell the story of Purim and why it’s so meaningful to our people.
The Story of Purim Purim commemorates the events that took place in the Bible: Book of Esther. The heroes of this story are Esther (of course) and her cousin Mordecai who raised her. Esther was a young, beautiful Jewish woman who was taken to the King of Persia, Ahasuerus, who pretty much fell in love at first sight. His feelings were so strong that he made Esther queen pretty quickly. However, there was a twist (as there always is with great stories)! The king did not know an important part of Esther’s identity, her judaism. Her guardian, Mordecai, advised her not to share this information with the king, as some people in Persia felt a certain way about Jews. Which leads us to the bad guy: Haman. He’s the ignorant and self-absorbed advisor to the king, who decided he wanted to destroy all Jewish people just because Mordecai wouldn’t bow down to him. He told the king, “There are certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your realm… they do not observe the king’s laws; therefore, it is not befitting the king to tolerate them.” Esther 3:8. Since King Ahasuerus trusted him as his advisor, he didn’t really give Haman’s evil plan too much thought. When Mordecai found out about Haman’s malicious intentions, he persuaded Esther to essentially talk the king into saving their people. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself before going to speak to the king. Fortunately, this is a story with a happy ending for our people. The king welcomed Esther with open arms and not only put an end to Haman’s malicious plan, but also accepted Esther’s true identity as a Jewish woman. Because of Esther and Mordecai, the Jewish people were saved! How We’re Celebrating Purim 2023 at Lester Senior Living
If you’d like to know more about how we are celebrating Purim at Lester Senior Living, or have any other questions regarding our senior care services, please give us a call or visit our website at: https://jchcorp.org/ Original Source: https://jchcorp.org/purim-traditions-at-lester-senior-living/ |
AuthorWe offer seniors a range of options in terms of housing, services, amenities, location and cost, all within the Jewish tradition: independent living, assisted living, memory care, respite, affordable housing, enriching programs, and on-site services for our residents, many of whom have special needs. Archives
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