when you have Choice…

Once again Jewish Choice is open for admissions to the elderly of the Jewish community.

All our residents are well, benefiting from the extraordinary care from our extraordinary people, the heightened protection we provide, plus the exceptional support of our relatives & friends.

But how will you know that Jewish Choice is right for you?

Good care homes want you to feel at home from the get go. While it will inevitably take some time to adjust to your move, there are at least a triumvirate of people who can make a difference to your care and wellbeing.

There’s the team at your chosen care home, your close relatives and importantly, YOU.

Key to remember is that most carers are drawn to the profession because they are good people and want to look after others. So you can be reassured that managers and carers in the care home of your choice have your best interests at heart.

And choice is at the heart of what all good care homes offer. For example, at Jewish Choice we are focused on your personal preferences, to give you as much choice as possible. Regularly we’ll ask your opinion.

Our personnel learn about residents’ lives and become familiar with their likes, dislikes and needs. Of course, each care plan will explain how we’ll meet your needs and this will be regularly reviewed to reflect changes. Yet, it is also the qualitative nature of our work, how we demonstrate our care and compassion and how we communicate with our residents, which go a long way to ensure that those who make their home with us are engaged and inspired to live as full a life as possible.

So, our focus is on you.

We want you to feel at home quickly. We’ll help you get used to the building and introduce you to carers and members of the team. You might not remember names at first, but faces will become familiar.

Which means your focus can be placed on all the good things about life in a care home: The fact that there’s company when you want it and privacy when you don’t – for example, at Jewish Choice you’ll have regular activities to participate in if you wish. You’ll not have to worry about chores you find difficult and if you fall ill or have an accident, someone familiar will be around to help.

The experience and expertise of our staff mean they’ll soon know how best they can help you.

And if you set small goals for yourself, to keep as physically and mentally active as possible, our team will do their utmost in helping you achieve these.

Crucially, you should feel safe and well looked after.

There will likely be less space in your room than you are used to, so it’s best to take with you the personal items that are most important. These will make you feel more at home sooner.

And your relatives can play a big part in helping you settle quickly too.

They can take a photo of how ornaments or pictures were displayed in your family home and aim to replicate these before you arrive. So things will be set-out in a way that is familiar.

They might also put together a ‘memory board’ of photos of occasions and people important and familiar to you.

Finally, it is important that you have as much privacy, independence and choice as you wish. This is as much about the care home you choose, as well as the team in place. At Jewish Choice many of our team have been here many years and this will benefit you in settling-in to our familiar home-from-home setting and in bringing you many years of content to come.

So, whether you are looking for a new place to call home, or are a relative seeking residential care for a loved one, contact Jewish Choice today on 020 8950 4151 and we’ll arrange the earliest possible date for an assessment.

The post Familiarity breeds content when you have Choice appeared first on Jewish Choice.

At Passover it is tradition we open the door and pour a cup of wine to welcome the prophet Elijah into our home, who is said to appear in times of trouble to bring promise of relief, to lift downcast spirits and plant hope in hearts. And at the seder there is a spare seat, as our expression of humanity, so at the very least no-one should be alone.

If this Pesach has highlighted the fact that your elderly relative should not be alone and would benefit from bespoke care in a Jewish home-from-home residential setting, Jewish Choice is open for business and accepting new residents.

Naturally, we’ll undertake our usual full assessment of your loved one’s circumstances, their health and wellbeing and they will also need to have had a test for coronavirus prior to our inviting them to come and live here. And so with our heightened level of protection for our residents and ourselves, we’ll welcome them with open arms. 

The current turnaround for a coronavirus test result is approximately 3 days, so new residents will enter Choice House in our isolation area and just to be overly cautious will remain there for up to 7 days, yet will still benefit from the close care and attention for which Jewish Choice is renowned and which relatives trust us implicitly for. At that time, provided the test is negative, and no symptoms are evident, we will start to integrate them into the home. If the test proves positive, they will stay in this area longer as we will treat your relatives with antibiotics, etc.

For more details phone us on 020 8908 4151.

At Jewish Choice we always maintain a level of calm with extraordinary care from our extraordinary people. All our current residents appear well and are without symptoms. You could say that our cup runneth over!

To arrange an assessment of your relative’s needs contact us today [email protected] 

#jewishelderlycare  #jewishresidentialcare   #jewishlondon

The post An open door for Elijah and anyone else here at Jewish Choice appeared first on Jewish Choice.

Perhaps one of the best complements one can receive is that you might be considered to be a person who is as good on the inside as they are on the outside.

In other words, good thoughts are matched by good deeds.

Anyone who has visited Jewish Choice will know that we typify this personality. We are full of good intent inside, and outwardly consistently demonstrate unconditional care to our residents to ensure they feel as physically and emotionally secure at Choice House, as they did when they were in their family home.

And at Pesach thoughts do turn to family, even though this year we cannot have our usual 2nd night family seder here at Jewish Choice.

Nevertheless, we’re reminded that early in the seder we break the inside/middle matzah – using the smaller half to stimulate conversation about the move from from oppression to freedom – which is perhaps more meaningful this year as our families contend with social distancing from family members here at Jewish Choice, that we recognise is so hard for all relatives.

The larger half of the matzah is saved as the afikomen, without which we cannot finish the meal, but it is more than a children’s seek and find game. It is this piece of matzah that is said to signify that even better times are to come.

So, in this time of crisis, turning your thoughts into deeds will make a considerable difference to Jewish Choice. Where your donations will ensure there are indeed better times to come, when we can look forward to being in the same room again.

You can make large, small or ongoing donations here…

https://www.jewishchoice.org/make-a-donation/

We wish you all good health and a chag Pesach sameach!

The post Inside is the new outside appeared first on Jewish Choice.

Never has our mantra of care, compassion and communication been more evident at Jewish Choice than from last Wednesday.

On that day we suspended all visits from relatives, as well as non-essential visitors to the home, as a means to avoid coronavirus taking a foothold here.

There’s an abundance of advice out there as to how to deal with the fallout from coronavirus and yet it’s in its early stages.

Jewish Choice is in the business of risk management daily. So it could be argued we are best placed to manage the current situation. Yet navigating coronavirus for an elderly care home is fraught with risk for residents, care team, domestic staff and management alike.

So we are steering a strategic yet pragmatic course. Proactively planning for the worst case scenario, garnering all facets of the extensive experience we have within our care and management teams, on every level and seeking hands-on support as and when it’s required from our vocal advocates in the community as we turn our fan base into active volunteers on site – You are very welcome to get in touch and join them by emailing [email protected]

Of course, the extraordinary care we provide for our residents is always at the top of our list and we maintain the very highest levels, whatever circumstances daily life throws at us. The compassion of our long-time employed care team is well known and other providers always seem a little bit non-plussed how we maintain such a high degree of loyalty from care personnel year after year.

It’s all rooted in the family atmosphere here, where we pull out all the stops to maintain that sense of being a part of residents’ families and not apart from them.

With anxiety levels rising around the world, we are not immune from these and neither are the relatives of our residents. 

Understanding the risks and empathising with relatives, who will naturally be prone to worry is crucial. We listen to the relatives, reassure them and consider carefully whether anything else can be added in to the mix that we are not doing already that safeguards their loved ones and keeps their anxiety on an even keel.

While we can’t totally stop relatives worrying, we can lighten the load that sometimes weighs heavily on their minds.

And we go further.

By demonstrating the compassion with which we take decisions and adopting total transparency in such decisions, we sustain a relationship with the relatives of our residents that extends their family to us, as we reach out to them by communicating well, regularly and ensuring that the communication is two-way.

It’s only in this way that anxiety can be tempered, complacency avoided and the risk of relatives being overwhelmed by guilt mitigated.

To hear more about the extraordinary care from our extraordinary people at Jewish Choice call 020 8908 4151 or email [email protected]

The post Proactive & pragmatic care planning at Jewish Choice in all circumstances appeared first on Jewish Choice.

When one gets to an age where you have time on your hands, there is an argument for saying that you have to keep mind, body and soul active and that’s what we aim to do here at Jewish Choice.

Quite regularly I join residents of our independent living apartments, who meet daily for coffee in their comfortable communal lounge. We put the world to rights; life, football, shopping and more and we regularly chat about their interests and what they’ve been up to.

Today we talked about how we might come together for things other than a coffee and a chat. 

In discussing what activities might whet their appetite and be more than of passing interest to get involved as a group, a few obstacles came to light which we are sure are not uncommon with people who are relatively well, but are in the autumn of their lives.

The discussion that followed was as totally engaging as it was enlightening. 

Particularly, notable were views from those who previously took part in activities or hobbies at a high level and doubting whether they could rekindle their interest. Surprisingly, they took a contrary view to what was expected.

There emerged three schools of thought:

1. where it would frustrate them that they would be playing with others who might not be as strong in that particular pursuit and their patience would be tested.

2. where they would be frustrated that they were not as good as they once were or their memories of how to play as well as they had in the past might fail them and they’d become upset.

or…

3. that they would feel rejuvenated and would welcome the reboot in energy and interest to get mind, body and soul active again.

We’d like to hear your ideas to fill our lounge with fun. Your views as to what school of thought you might fall into and how you feel about group activities for older folk in an independent living setting?

The best of these will be invited round for a cup of coffee and a chat with some very engaging residents!!

The post Fill our communal lounge with fun appeared first on Jewish Choice.

At Jewish Choice it’s all about care by consent. And nothing could be more indicative on our campus than the independent living apartments available at Choice Court. 

You may be finding the stairs in your current home a chore, or just nervous that there is no-one close at hand to help should you need some assistance, or perhaps you just find the lack of company when you want it depressing.

At Choice Court you’ll find a home from home. A Jewish environment that is calm and caring without being clinical.

Here we bridge the gap between your life now and lifestyle prior to the need for some support becoming evident.

You can be yourself here and relax in your own apartment, or meet up with other tenants to play games, or share a cup of tea in the comfortable communal lounge or in our garden.

So there’s company when you want it and privacy when you don’t.

And with a team of dedicated care professionals close at hand, from the on-site residential care home should you need them, you can retain your independence.

Jewish Choice has a huge heritage, going back some 300 years and throughout we have retained our independence and that is what we wish for you as long as possible.

Now’s your opportunity to experience the Jewish Choice difference. 

Get in touch today to arrange a viewing of your future home at Choice Court. Call 020 8908 4151 and ask for Rachel.

The post If you’ve had a close shave during the holiday season perhaps it’s time to choose independent living at Jewish Choice appeared first on Jewish Choice.

While your relative may not remember lighting the Shabbat candles last Friday, what they’ll most likely remember is the lighting of candles at Chanukah throughout their lives and a rousing chorus of at least the first verse of Maotzur!

Just as Chanukah is a family time in many a Jewish home, so it is here at Choice House. 

We’re privileged to be considered a part of our residents’ families and do not set ourselves apart from their family unit. Quite the opposite. At Chanukah we invite the families of residents to join them on the first night for our annual Chanukah party. 

Chanukah evokes so many feelings for our residents.

Taking part in activities such as lighting the menorah, spinning the dreidel, singing songs and eating Chanukah foods, such as donuts and latkes, bring the the smells, sounds and flavours of yesteryear to the fore and for someone with dementia it can evoke marvellous memories from previous years.

With the traditional activities bringing back many memories, the games played engaging the mind and the food tasted heightening all the senses, Chanukah is another inspiring time at Jewish Choice.

To become a part of our family at Jewish Choice you can donate here or if you or your relative is ready to become a resident, call today to arrange a viewing on 020 8908 4151

The post Lighting up lives of Jewish Choice residents at Chanukah and throughout the year appeared first on Jewish Choice.

by leaving a gift in your Will

We may be coming to the end of Jewish Legacy Month but that doesn’t mean the need we have has gone away to ensure all our friends and advocates have updated their Wills and made a commitment to leave a legacy to Jewish Choice, so we can continue to provide the extraordinary care for which we’ve become renowned.

At Jewish Choice, an important part of our charitable income comes from legacies, which allow us to keep-up the good work we’ve been doing for close to 300 years.

As Beth Holim in the Mile End Road, then to our present home in Wembley as Edinburgh House and more recently and more relevant as Jewish Choice, across our 51 residential rooms, 16 independent living apartments and friendship club we’ve honed our elderly care so our residents and their relatives know that they are in the best of hands.

We are an independent charity, so every gift we gain gives us the power to offer older people in the Jewish community that vital cushion for older age with the residential care they need.

Some people find it difficult to think about what will happen when they die. Others are unable to give significant sums to our Charity during their lifetime, but maybe in a position to remember Jewish Choice in their Will. Jewish Legacy Month has given us all a prompt to do so.

Similarly, giving in memory is a special and meaningful way to honour the memory of a loved one and via your Will you can help other people who need care in the future too.

If you have or have had a loved one staying with us, or are just in awe of the extraordinary care provided by our extraordinary people, giving a gift is a chance to “give back” by leaving a gift in your Will to Jewish Choice and you can continue to help a cause that’s close to your hearts.

To find out more of how best to leave a legacy to Jewish Choice contact us today.

The post Support Jewish Choice by leaving a gift in your Will appeared first on Jewish Choice.

Are you celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary in 2020?

If you are celebrating a birthday or anniversary in the coming year, you can make your celebrations extra special and all the more meaningful by inviting your friends and family to donate to Jewish Choice instead of a traditional present.

By dedicating your birthday, wedding anniversary, or another special occasion to Jewish Choice you can mark that milestone in your life with monetary gifts to our charity and enable us to continue the good work we’ve been doing for close to 300 years.

If you have or have had a loved one staying with us, or are just in awe of the extraordinary care provided by our extraordinary people, asking your guests to give a gift to Jewish Choice is a chance to ‘give back’. 

We are an independent charity, so every gift we gain gives us the means to offer older people in the Jewish community a better cushion for old age with the residential care they need, so you’ll not be the only person to smile on your special day.

Here’s some sample invitation working for your guidance…

‘I will be reaching a milestone birthday – my 60th – this year and it will mean a great deal to me to celebrate it in a way that will be meaningful as well as helpful to a charity that is very close to my heart.’

For more information on providing gifts to Jewish Choice contact us today on 020 8908 4151

The post Are you celebrating a milestone birthday or anniversary in 2020? appeared first on Jewish Choice.

Jewish Choice residents preparing fruit for our succah

At this time of the year when elderly relatives might feel a little frailer, a little lonelier or even a little apprehensive about their future, it might be a good time to begin a conversation about moving into residential elderly care.

Many elderly people will have lived in their own home for decades, so it’s always going to be a delicate discussion. Yet, you can overcome some of the fears with some of the tips we’ve penned here for an empathetic yet productive conversation. 

By way of example, when we’re either introducing or reminding people about Jewish Choice, we are at a distinct advantage. As soon as you enter the building, our warmth is positively palpable. It is genuine and sustained and our unwavering care is something quite unique and very evident. So, often an initial visit can quell many concerns.

Nonetheless, for both the individual and relatives, there will be legitimate worries. So in your research and visits to your shortlist of elderly care homes it will be key to…

• Seek a home-from-home:

• • It’s perhaps worth remembering that you are not looking for a hotel, but a home. Ideally a home-from-home where the transition from own home to residential home will not be so stark.

• Speak to enough other relatives:

• • Those who have or have had relatives in the home you are viewing, will provide some good insights as to what the home can offer your loved ones. 

• • Such insights won’t be statistically significant and there’ll always be some negatives in your findings, but by applying your own good judgement, coupled with some realistic expectations, you’ll know if there are some moans about a lack of ketchup on the dining table and most else is positive, you can likely put a tick against that care home.

Questions might include similar to…

• • • • Does the home communicate well with families and in an uninhibited fashion?

• • • • Do the relatives feel the home to be an extended part of their family or are they kept at arms length?

• • • • Does the home treat the residents with respect?
      • How responsive is it to your relative’s needs?
      • How proactive are the carers in interacting with residents?
      • How much forward planning is undertaken by the home?

• Make some observations:

• • Do current residents appear to be generally happy and at ease?
  • Do the carers care?
  • Do they act in a compassionate manner?
  • Are conversation being had? Are the residents being spoken with or talked at. 

• • • Dialogue is key to establishing whether the care home is an encouraging, empathetic and enjoyable environment. After all, old age should be enjoyed not endured. 

• Establish who is doing the caring?

• • Are the carers experienced?
  • What proportion of carers are employed versus agency staff? 
    • Consistency of care is key for both residents and relatives being reassured that their loved one’s are in the best of hands. (At Jewish Choice all carers are employed.)

• Put yourself in your elderly relative’s shoes:

• • Now you don’t necessarily have to go down the path some here at Jewish Choice have of  a virtual dementia experience and literally feel how your relative might behave in a domestic situation when performing normal everyday tasks – although it is a great insight and provides a better understanding of the significant changes that have happened in their lives. 

• • And of course not all elderly people have dementia, so by imagining your likely thought process at this time, if it were you considering a move to a care home, identifying your priorities, what your worries and needs might be and the reassurance you would like to have, you could very well judge if a particular care home ticks those boxes.

All in all, each elderly care home will have its pros and cons, but by dispelling myths for both you and your elderly relatives and doing your homework, you can mitigate those features you’d least like and highlight the positive benefits you would like, so the care home is least likely to fall short in your expectations of its promise in the years ahead.

If you know of friends or relatives who are soon to embark on the journey of considering a care home for their loved ones, do forward this blog, ask them to contact us and we’d be delighted to arrange a viewing.

The post How to manage a conversation about moving into a residential elderly care home appeared first on Jewish Choice.