Moving to a care home is a big change and it is important to many older people and their relatives that they are staying connected and enriched by Jewish life.
“Otto Schiff care home offers a stimulating, friendly and sociable Jewish environment with specialist dementia care. Our ethos is to ensure that residents lead meaningful lives connected with their spirituality and traditions, staying as active, engaged and independent as possible, while being supported by expert caring staff,” says Kemi Ariba, Jewish Care Registered Care Home Manager at Otto Schiff care home.
“Otto Schiff is full of warmth and care and a wonderful place to live where the caring staff provide specialist support for people living with dementia,” adds Rachel Jones, Jewish Care’s Director of Care Services. “There is so much on offer and having company and social activities on tap is a real benefit of care home life. It can be hugely reassuring for families to have the peace of mind to know that with Jewish Care there is assistance if you need it, and it is there 24/7 as respite or long-term care.
“There’s also the unique Jewish care that we provide, with Jewish life and traditions people feel comfortable in a culturally familiar environment. Being able to enjoy delicious Kosher food, go to Shabbat services with other residents, and know that Shabbat and festivals are celebrated, gives a special uniquely Jewish atmosphere that makes it home.
“It can be a good idea to plan ahead and arrange to have a look round our care homes when you can see that your relatives care needs are changing and when you need a break from caring to give you some extra support, to benefit the wellbeing of both carers and your relative.”
The wide-ranging stimulating activities to suit a variety of interests for residents, include everything from singing and reminiscence groups to weekly visits from nursery children with Debutots and flower-arranging. Residents can spend time in the beautiful outdoor seating area and sensory garden in the courtyard and enjoy activities at the Michael Sobell Jewish Community Centre on the same site, at the Maurice and Vivienne Wohl Campus.
Whether it’s art and crafts, discussions or seated exercises, board games, and cookery sessions, the meaningful activities have a person-centred empowering approach, tailored to the strength and abilities of each resident. Residents can enjoy a cinema experience in the Dagul Lounge and weekly live entertainment.
Intergenerational visits around Jewish festivals by school children, shul and community volunteers enhance daily life at Jewish Care homes. Celebrations around the festivals including hearing the Shofar, shaking the Lulav and Etrog with residents, lighting Chanukah and Shabbat candles, baking and enjoying honey cake on Rosh Hashanah and singing the Seder songs, all stimulate the senses, connecting people living with dementia with their Jewish traditions, with positive memories from their past and with the present.
Creative projects with participatory artists who run specialist programmes including Dance for Life and Music for Life, run intermittently, stimulating the senses and increasing engagement. Musicians from City of London Sinfonia also come in to the care home to run interactive sessions with residents in their Room to Room project connecting on a one to one level.
Dorothea Jacobs has been a resident for five years. She has two daughters, six grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. She enjoys the children’s visits, the music sessions, the art and entertainment, especially Hebrew singing with the singer and guitar. She also loves the weekly baking group. Susan, Dorothea’s daughter, said ‘My mother always enjoys baking and cooking activities at Otto Schiff. When she was younger, she was excellent at baking strudel and biscuits making. It is so important that this continues as an activity to stimulate her and to enable her to reminisce.’
To find out more about long term and respite care, contact Jewish Care Direct helpline at helpline@jcare.org, call 020 8922 2222 or visit jewishcare.org.
