At 102, Levanthal Has Seen It All
By Noah C. Zuss
Sally Levanthal is 102 years old.

She lived through the Great Depression, World War II and the tumultuous civil rights era. Besides the sheer accomplishment of turning 100, Ms. Levanthal lived through nearly the entire 20th century, among the most dynamic in recorded history.

Sally Levanthal with her home health worker.

Her lifetime of experiences has meant the world to her. She speaks fondly and often of her family. Most have passed on, but many also live on. Florida is where her daughter lives with her husband. Her daughter Madeline Siegel is nearly 70 years old.

Sally celebrated her 102nd year recently-surrounded by her friends at the Scheuer House of Flushing where she now lives.

Sally has resided at the senior living facility since 1989 and has made an impression on everyone there. She is noted as much for her independent streak as for being the eldest resident.

Roneet Wolf, program coordinator for the residence, said that until she turned 99 Sally did most things by herself.

“It wasn’t until she turned 100 that she asked for home care,” she said. “Until then she was still very independent.”

If only we all could be so fortunate to function so well into older age.

Speaking softly while seated in her wheelchair, Sally reflected on her loved ones, “I loved my family so much. Through the years you lose people, but I still remember all of them.”

Even though age has changed her, Sally hasn’t forgotten her beloved family. She says this is what has sustained her and kept her so healthy.

“I always got strength from my family. They always were there for me and I tried to remain in their lives as much as I could. Doing things for them, caring for them, that was my way of being a good person.”

Gloria Johnson, a longtime friend to Sally and part- time employee at Scheuer House, lights up when Sally is mentioned. She speaks fondly of her often.

“Me and Sally have been friends for many years. She is still so full of life. I am inspired by her and I love being around because she is a great person with so much experience.”

To remain healthy through our senior years, doctors recommend regular examinations, prescribed medications and resting often. But nothing can replace a healthy attitude. This is something Sally, and fellow centenarian Arthur Meyer, have in common.

Meyer, also a member of the exclusive club, was raised in Brooklyn, and recently celebrated his 100th birthday.

“I was born in Brooklyn and went to Canarsie High School,” he said. “I remember back then they were just finishing building the subway out to my neighborhood when I was young. It was a great time to be alive.”

Meyer worked as a fur salesman in downtown Brooklyn for many years. He said he misses going to Junior’s for pastrami sandwiches and, of course, cheesecake.

He credits his work ethic, determination to succeed and never giving up for living so long.

“I was in the Army in World War II, and all these guys I was with worried about dying a lot. It never bothered me. I figured that if I was careful and determined enough I would be fine.”

Turns out he was right.


Handling Memory Loss At Parker Jewish
By Juliet Werner
As Director of the Granat Alzheimer Center at the Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, Martha Wolf has heard many stories. But one about a married couple who pledged to have breakfast together every morning has stood the test of time.

“They kept to having breakfast every morning together,” Wolf said. “Then one morning, he went downstairs and his wife did not make the toast the way she normally makes it. The next morning it happened again. He knew something wasn’t quite right.”

Afternoon activity at Parker. For more information, call (718) 289-2105.

He eventually came to Parker Jewish Institute, in New Hyde Park, for assistance.

“That’s how subtle it can be,” Wolf said, adding that abnormal behavior may simply be the result of new medication.

Parker started the Granat Alzheimer Center 18 years ago to help lessen the burden on caregivers.

“Caring for someone with Alzheimer’s is 24/7,” Wolf said. “There is no break.”

Alzheimer’s is a progressive and degenerative disease that attacks the brain resulting in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. The disease, which affects nearly 4 million Americans, can eventually work its way into sections of the brain that control intellectual and physical functioning. The ultimate cause of death is typically pneumonia or some other infectious disease.

The Center offers personal, individualized care, including toileting, eating, bathing and grooming. The program also offers cognitive stimulation, socialization and physical activity.

Wolf said the staff seeks to reduce stress for caregivers and family members by offering transportation and keeping the hours of operation long. (The Center is open Mon. through Fri. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Parker is privately funded, but financial subsidies and scholarships are available to qualifying families. The care is also reimbursed through long-term care insurance.

The New York City Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association’s Web site, www.alznyc.org, provides a great deal of free information and offers a 24-hour helpline (800) 272-3900, available in 10 different languages. It also sponsors a monthly support group meeting in Queens called, “Understanding Dementia,” held at the Samuel Fields YM-YWHA.

According to Jed Levine, Director of Programs and Services at Alzheimer’s Association NYC, by 2050, there will be between 11 million and 16 million Americans with Alzheimer’s.

“We estimate that by 2050 1 in every 5 New Yorkers will have Alzheimer’s or will be caring for someone with Alzheimer’s,” Levine said, attributing these staggering numbers to the aging baby boom population, which will lead to “two generations of older people.”

Wolf said families should be sensitive when asking loved ones to report back about their time at the Parker Jewish Institute’s Granat Alzheimer Center.

“If they’re here they’re going to have a stimulating, enjoyable safe day,” Wolf said. “Whether they remember it when they leave is not really an issue and sometimes caregivers get a little upset about that. They were healthy, safe and active and you were able to have an enjoyable day. To keep asking frustrates the person and then frustrates the caregiver.”

One should, however, question doctors closely.

“If a doctor says, ‘Oh, you’re just getting older,’ that’s not acceptable,” Wolf said. “Then you go see someone else.”


Aging Veterans Well Taken Care Of
By Noah C. Zuss
In America, caring for aging former soldiers is a top priority.

Those that served in the Armed Forces often pay the ultimate price. For the 24 million veterans alive today, help can be found at the Veterans Administration.

The mission of the VA to care for aging veterans, as described by Doris Quijano, geriatric extended care coordinator for the Eastern region, “is to keep patients in the least restrictive environment for care so we can support them and make sure they are safe.”

One of these many programs is located right in Queens, in our own backyard.

In St. Albans, the VA oversees an adult day care healthcare program that supports patients that otherwise would be forced to live in a nursing home.

The VA is the second largest of 15 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits.

Nearly three-quarters of all veterans served during a war or an official period of conflict. About a quarter of the nation’s population, approximately 74.5 million people, are potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans.

The responsibility to care for veterans is immense and long lasting. Three children of Civil War veterans still draw VA benefits. About 232 children and widows of Spanish-American War veterans still receive VA compensation or pensions.

The challenges faced by this aging population are myriad. People are living longer in general, veterans included. As this group grows older, the VA has expanded services to provide care for these men and women.

To care for this aging population, the VA administers massive programs that deliver comprehensive services for veterans. Taking care of this country’s former soldiers and Armed Services personnel is a massive duty.

As this population ages, they will demand quality medical services and benefits in return for their service. From routine medical check-ups to providing home care services, VA says it is ready to deliver.

“At VA hospitals and care centers across the country we serve over 1,000 veterans a day,” said Doris Quijano, geriatric extended care coordinator for the region.

“The Veterans Administration is committed to supporting patients in their community. Most older patients, no matter what type of case, want to remain in their homes. We always try to listen to patients because they always want to be in the home, so we do our best to facilitate that.”

To accomplish their mission to provide excellent services to this aging population, the VA oversees a comprehensive system of care. From homemaker assistance programs to palliative and nursing home care services, the VA has made compassion for older veterans a major priority.

The VA’s fiscal year 2007 spending is projected to be over $80 billion, including $34.9 billion for health care, $41.5 billion for benefits, and $160.7 million for the national cemetery system. President Bush sought $87 billion in the fiscal year 2008 budget for VA, a 77 percent increase during his presidency.


Senior Center Hosts Wii Bowling Tournament
By BRAD GROZNIK
The sound of strikes and spares clattered throughout halls of the Hillcrest Senior Center Friday in Jamaica, except the alleys, gutters and pins were all virtual.

“This place is too small for a real bowling alley,” Lester Szymanski, program manager at the center said.

In reality the senior center bought a Nintendo Wii (pronounced “we”), a game console that has its players get out of their seat and mimic that they are actually in a bowling alley.

Patrick Delapaz competes in the Hillcrest Senior Center’s Wii Bowling Tournament Friday.

For one week the seniors practiced before a tournament was held Friday.

“I love it,” competitor Florinda Delapaz said. “I love the exercise—it gets me out of my chair.”

The center lost much of its programming last year due to budget strains. Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) secured $30,000 from his discretionary funds for a year-long Healthy Aging Initiative that brought back many of the popular activities but added a multimedia room with two computers, a flat-screen television and the Wii.

“At a time when many senior centers are faced with budget cuts and even the threat of closure, it’s important that we remind people how important these institutions are for the health and happiness of our elders,” Gennaro said at the tournament. “The funds I’m giving the Hillcrest Senior Center for its Healthy Aging Initiative will be used to promote good eating and exercise to keep bodies healthy and minds sharp. Today’s Wii Bowling tournament is just one example among many of the great things we’re doing here.”

The initiative encourages healthy eating and exercise. For 67-year-old Linda Hojilla, the Wii hardly needs an incentive to play.

“It’s just really exciting,” she said. “It feels good.”

No competitor said it was difficult to learn to play the futuristic game.

“The Healthy Aging Initiative is the future of senior services and a model for the entire country to follow,” Szymanski said. ”With it our center is better and our members are happier; Councilman Gennaro’s funding is helping create changes that we could only dream of just a few years ago.”

Dee Rao Walker volunteers her time at the senior center and runs a variety of non-video game programming with the help of other volunteers, from weight training; music therapy; dancing; tai chi to nutritional education.

“These programs are good for the soul,” she said. “Singing brings back their memory and dancing helps their heart.”

The winner of the senior bowling tournament Friday, Martin Schwartzbaum, received a gift certificate for dinner for four at Annam Brahma, 84-43 164th St., a nearby vegetarian restaurant.

For more information on the Hillcrest Senior Center, 168-01 Hillside Ave. in Jamaica, call (718) 297-7171.


Investing In Queens Since Day One
Mount Sinai Hospital cemented its long-standing commitment to the borough of Queens with the purchase of Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens in June 1999. This hospital has served the community of western Queens for almost 100 years, first as Daly’s Astoria Sanatorium, then Astoria General Hospital and Western Queens Community Hospital, and now as Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens.

Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens is the first and only community hospital to bear the prestigious Mount Sinai name. The Hospital’s overarching goal has been to combine the medical excellence of the Mount Sinai Hospital with the compassionate, caring environment you expect from a community hospital.

Today, Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, a 235-bed licensed acute care facility, provides adult medical and surgical services, with a team of nearly 400 voluntary physicians representing 36 specialties. Between the physicians and staff, 50 languages are spoken, just one of the many ways that Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens serves the needs of the culturally diverse population in our community.

Mount Sinai Hospital has served Queens for nearly 100 years.

In addition to the main hospital setting, the hospital serves the community through family health associates –providing both primary and specialty care; Mount Sinai Queens physician associates - providing primary and specialty care to adults; ambulatory surgery center - a hospital-based outpatient surgery center; and workplace wellness - providing the business community with facilitated access to a wide range of hospital services, occupational health and wellness programs.

In keeping with Mount Sinai’s tradition of ongoing research, achievement and reinvestment in the community, Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens continues to grow. In total, the hospital reinvested more than $30 million to improve facilities and upgrade technology including:

Emergency department optimization; in addition to a complete physical renovation of the Emergency Department, the first Electronic Medical Record system in a direct patient-care environment was implanted at Mount Sinai Hospital Queens. This means that Emergency Department systems are paperless and interface with the Hospital’s other clinical information systems. This improves patient care through efficient and more complete access to the patient data they need.

The Stroke Center Designation; Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens was designated a stroke center by the New York State Department of Health. The hospital had participated in a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of early recognition and treatment of stroke. Key elements of the program include educating emergency services personnel about the signs of stroke and how to conduct a pre-hospital assessment, as well as designating specific hospitals as stroke treatment centers. The stroke treatment centers follow specific protocols when evaluating and treating stroke patients. Screening community residents for stroke risk and educating them about stroke warning signs augment the program’s clinical components.

Imaging Expansion and Upgrade; Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens has opened a brand new imaging center conveniently located on the first floor. This attractive, state-of-the-art center houses Mount Sinai Queens’ MRI and second CT scan so that the community has easy access to the latest imaging advances. This is an enhancement to its existing imaging modalities - mammography, sonography/echocardiography, nuclear medicine and traditional x-ray. In addition, Mount Sinai Queens is also totally filmless with the implementation of PACS and RIS.

Focus on the Elderly; Mount Sinai Queens is part of NICHE, Nurses Improving Care for Health System Elders, a nationwide effort developed to meet the needs of acutely ill older patients and their families, and to promote best practices and geriatric nursing in acute-care settings. The specific program model Mount Sinai Queens is emulating is called ACE, for Acute Care of the Elderly. Key elements of the program are pressure ulcer prevention, fall prevention and focused assessment.

A Labor/Management Partnership; The goal of BEST, Building Excellence for Success Together, is to make Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens a great place to work, a great place to get care and a great place to practice medicine. This exciting initiative includes all staff and introduces tools like hourly rounding on patients, reward and recognition programs and enhanced communication - all to enhance employee and patient satisfaction.

This year, the hospital launched Get Healthy Queens, a program designed to empower people to take control of their health. Get Healthy Queens focuses on lifestyle changes and the necessity of good healthcare, giving people simple, easily accomplished steps to follow.

The program is supported by Mount Sinai Queens’ series of useful and informative lectures, screenings, and workshops. These events are communicated to the community through newspaper ads and a quarterly calendar mailed to over 70,000 households.

Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens is committed to creating an environment that is comforting to patients and is conducive to the delivery of high quality care. Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens is also committed to preserving what makes Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens so special: the quality of caring provided by the staff, the family atmosphere and easy accessibility and convenience.