Page 7 - Jewish Home Family Annual Report 2019

and new short term inpatient building. Rehabilitation can have positive benefits at any age, helping individuals regain mobility and improve function in areas that include everything from walking to fine motor skills to swallowing. Opening our new rehab center will certainly benefit The Jewish Home Family in years to come but, more impor- tantly, it will benefit the lives and health of countless elders in our community.
The new rehabilitation services are a cornerstone of our Second Century project, equipping us to equip elders with the tools and skills they need to thrive. Equally vital is the other half of our Second Century effort, incorporating the Green House Project philosophy into both the Jewish Home at Rockleigh and the Memory Lane unit at Jewish Home Assisted Living.
While the core principles of Green House — real home, meaningful life and empowered staff — are easy to understand and embrace, fully implementing this philoso- phy requires effort on many levels. Reconfiguration of
the physical space is one small element. What is most important is reconfiguring the way we provide care, from long units to households and the way we staff, moving to a model based on multi-skilled workers. It is a long journey
from where we are to where we want to be. We have a Green House leadership team, work groups and a full scale, multi-dimensional program of education for all staff. Why take this on? Why travel down this road? Because
we are convinced that this is the model for the future, that we can create an environment that “normalizes” aging, enriching the lives of our elders and our staff, that respects and empowers elders regardless of their age or ability.
What can you expect to see at The Jewish Home Family
in the coming year and the years beyond? We have new programs and services on the horizon as well as expan- sion. We will continue to look forward, to anticipate and to challenge ourselves to understand and meet the needs of our community. And, first and foremost, we will not waver in our commitment to putting the needs of our elders first, to always seeking that which will enable, empower and affirm older adults.
As always, I am grateful for the support of our board members, our outstanding board chair Carol Silberstein, our talented and committed management team, our devoted staff and caring community. Most of all, I am grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the lives
of so many remarkable elders.
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