Knowing the residents you’re cooking for is an important part of the job for MorseLife Executive Chef Matt Hammett, Director of Culinary, Chef Chris Collier, and the MorseLife culinary team. Many residents have dietary preferences and restrictions or simply just like certain foods. Hence, our culinary specialists make an extra effort to get to know them individually, putting a face to each delicious meal they cook and serve. The scent of good food can go a long way toward helping elderly residents feel more at home, especially when there’s the extra touch of knowing the chef who cooked it for you really cares.

This personal relationship sparked a conversation between resident Arthur Nagler, age 97, and Chef Matt, who was awed and inspired by Nagler’s harrowing tales and scrapbook photos of his U.S. Army service as a World War II surgical technician.

Drafted in 1943 to General George S. Patton’s Third Army, Nagler landed with his medical service team on Utah Beach in Normandy, France, just four months after the D-Day invasion. Soon, he was called to Germany, where he was wounded and suffered a concussion during the famed two-month Battle of Bulge, but despite his injuries, Nagler kept working to care for other soldiers.

Although France later bestowed him with the French Legion Honor Medal, Nagler never received a Purple Heart from the United States, perhaps because—unknown to many—the rules surrounding the award of the famed medal had been changed by the Army just two years before, suddenly making them very rare.

The Purple Heart remains one of American history’s most cherished and widely recognized medals. So, after hearing Nagler’s story, Chef Matt decided it was time to rectify history. Scouring through heirlooms for sale, he found a real Purple Heart and gave it to Nagler as a gift.

“Although it was not an official presentation or military issue, he can still wear it on the left side of his uniform,” Chef Matt explained.

Nagler returned home after the war to become one of the original managers of Florida’s Everglades Growers Cooperative with his wife, Nola, in the late 1950s. He was also a civic founder of The Glades area, which comprised early rural developments in Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay.

Even though it was unofficial, receiving the symbolic Purple Heart filled Nagler with pride, and he still talks about it every time he introduces Chef Matt to his friends and family.

Matt also feels a deep sense of pride at being able to pay his respects to his good friend from the “Greatest Generation” and shared that “Mr. and Mrs. Nagler are amazing people.”

Realizing your loved one may be facing the onset of dementia can be a lonely, helpless feeling. Take comfort in knowing you are not alone. Caring for a loved one suffering from a progressive memory disease such as Alzheimer’s takes tremendous time and patience.

Many who attempt to singlehandedly care for someone suffering from significant memory impairment eventually find themselves at the agonizing crossroads of contemplating whether to continue alone or navigate the often-overwhelming unknowns of seeking outside help.

There is another option. By moving your family member or loved one to a high-quality memory care residence, you can feel good about ensuring they receive proper care in a safe and loving environment with a continuum of care that can significantly improve their quality of life.

Here, at MorseLife’s five-star Memory Care Residences, we’re using new and exciting ways to provide residents with groundbreaking therapies to help slow the progression of memory-related illness, reduce difficult dementia symptoms, and help engage them in fulfilling ways. With around-the-clock access to expert care, residents can experience art, music, dance, and even virtual reality therapies that can bring them joy, healthy stimulation, physical movement, and a reduction in mood disorders.

Notably, MorseLife is the only senior care provider authorized by the State of Florida to offer cannabinoid-based therapies, which help to uplift spirits, promote better sleep, ease pain and reduce reliance on pharmaceuticals.

MorseLife’s multi-sensory approach includes the aroma and sight of home-cooked meals prepared in an open kitchen. Residents are also encouraged to engage with friends, family, and care staff in warm, homelike living areas and enjoy nature in the tranquil outdoor gardens with common areas arranged into welcoming “neighborhoods.”

All-inclusive care, locator systems for each resident, an in-house medical clinic, and access to various enrichment activities and family support make MorseLife an ideal community to help ease physical and emotional distress.

MorseLife’s expert interdisciplinary medical team, led by our on-site Harvard-trained geriatrician, is supported by certified nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses.

As cognitive impairment illness progresses, MorseLife Memory Care offers a single, all-inclusive fee that will not increase with the level of care.

Give MorseLife a call or schedule a visit to learn more about our reputation as a national leader in enlightened memory care.

Eighty-four years have passed since the violent anti-Jewish demonstrations of November 9^th and 10^th 1938, known as Kristallnacht, a word that translates from German into “The Night of Broken Glass.”  Those two days marked a ghastly escalation in the pre-World War II persecution of Jews from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and ultimately all European Jews.  After this tragic night of violence and destruction perpetrated by Nazis, the persecution of Jews intensified progressively until six million were murdered in what came to be known as the Holocaust.

With each passing anniversary of Kristallnacht, we are reminded that historical turning points like these can help us comprehend the past, so we can determine how to secure a better future, where atrocities like the Holocaust never happen again.

Three years ago, MorseLife learned about the plight of impoverished Holocaust Survivors living among us in Palm Beach County, which was a turning point in the way we saw our role in the community.  We discovered these remaining frail elders who had survived the most horrible atrocities were now struggling amidst the plenty that surrounds them. To help them, we created the NOW For Holocaust Survivors initiative, through which MorseLife now provides vital services at no charge to Survivors in need.  Our purpose is to keep them healthy, safe and secure.

To date generous donors have contributed more than $5 million to the NOW initiative, making a substantial difference in the lives of hundreds of vulnerable Holocaust Survivors by addressing their needs for case management, food insecurity and emergency financial assistance.

As they age, Survivors’ crucial needs are even greater than we anticipated and we are determined to help them, but most importantly, to let them know someone cares.

To find out more about NOW for Holocaust Survivors and what can be done to help, please visit morselifefoundation.org/holocaust-survivors.

MorseLife’s Rabbi Erica Rosenkranz Leads Residents in a Sukkot Celebration

MorseLife residents and employees recently gathered to celebrate Sukkot, the “Feast of Tabernacles,” which celebrates the harvest and commemorates God’s miraculous protection for the children of Israel’s departure from Egypt. It is one of the three Jewish pilgrimage festivals, along with Passover and Shavuot.

The Purim celebration was part of MorseLife’s JewishLife initiative, created to engage residents, families, members of the community, and employees through religious, ritual, and spiritual events.

To mark the occasion, MorseLife created a foliage-covered sukkah. Rabbi Erica Rosenkranz, director of JewishLife and director of community engagement for the NOW for Holocaust Survivors Initiative at MorseLife, led residents in the ceremonial waving of the lulav (palm branch), aravot (two willows), hadassim (three myrtles), and etrog (citron), symbolizing levels of Torah knowledge and together representing Jewish unity.

MorseLife’s JewishLife initiative includes year-round religious services for Shabbat, Havdalah, Rosh Chodesh, Kaddish, and special healing services. Holiday programs such as Purim costume parties and Hamantaschen baking, Shabbat Challah Bakes, and Passover Seders, along with Klezmer bands and Israeli dancing performances, bring Yiddishkeit to life at MorseLife. Lively current events discussions focus on worldwide events through a Jewish values lens. In addition, pastoral counseling for residents and their families is available, as are Jewish lifecycle traditions such as baby naming ceremonies.

Volunteers Share Sweet High Holiday Traditions with Seniors in Need

 

MorseLife volunteers, residents and staff once again gathered to package and deliver kosher holiday meals to more than 1500 vulnerable seniors living throughout Palm Beach County.

“It’s wonderful to be able to bring the community together again this year to enjoy the sweet traditions of the High Holidays with seniors who depend on MorseLife for support,” said President & CEO Keith Myers. “We are grateful to have such dedicated volunteers who have made it an annual tradition to serve meals to isolated seniors through the MorseLife Homebound Mitzvah program.”

Seniors received traditional meals of homemade Matzoh Ball Soup, wine, challah, an apple and honey, and homemade honey cake for dessert.

“We continue to maintain social distancing measures for the safety of our seniors, which includes contactless meal drop-offs,” added Myers. “Even though these challenges exist, it’s a joyous occasion to share traditional holiday rituals.”

MorseLife’s Homebound Mitzvah Program for Passover and the High Holidays gathers hundreds of community volunteers to assist with pre-delivery meal packaging and/or meal delivery to Palm Beach County seniors. Volunteers assist in many programs that benefit community seniors in need, such as the Homebound Mitzvah Program, which are made possible through generous donations to the MorseLife Foundation.

Committed to Caring for Holocaust Survivors 365 Days a Year

 

January 27^th was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a time to commemorate the victims of the Holocaust while honoring those who survived. At MorseLife, we pay tribute to those who suffered this unimaginable cruelty each day. Through our NOW Holocaust Survivor initiative, we provide a lifeline of services to impoverished Holocaust Survivors throughout Palm Beach County and beyond, 365 days a year.

Depending on each Survivor’s need, MorseLife provides comprehensive services including care management, housekeeping and errands, nutritious meals, personal care, transportation, medication management, skilled nursing care, medical assessment, safety system installation, respite care, music and art therapy, financial management, and more, at little or no cost.

As a leading-edge provider of senior care, we are also working hard to train our care teams to better support older adults with a history of trauma through ‘Person-centered, trauma-informed’ (PCTI) care.  PCTI provides holistic care to promote the dignity, strength and empowerment of trauma survivors by incorporating knowledge about trauma into our programs.

At MorseLife we are firmly committed to educating today’s youth about the dangers of hatred and bigotry and ensuring that history never repeats itself. We recently launched The Butterfly Project in Palm Beach County, allowing children and families in our community and at local synagogues to paint ceramic butterflies as symbols of resilience and hope, one for each child who perished in the Holocaust, and in honor of Survivors. To date, over 1,000 butterflies have been painted and will soon be part of a commemorative sculpture on the MorseLife campus.

To learn more about the Now for Holocaust Survivors initiative, visit MorseLifeFoundation.org or call (561)349-4556.

MorseLife Health System Welcomes the New Year Virtually

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, MorseLife Health System welcomed the new year with Facebook Live virtual celebrations.

“I cannot remember a time when the world needed healing more than it does now,” said Keith Myers, CEO & President of MorseLife Health System. “We have so much to be thankful for, even amidst the uncertainty we continue to face due to the pandemic,” added Myers. “MorseLife has continued to keep seniors safe in our care and connected to loved ones through technology and innovative programing, while also providing additional meals and care to the many homebound seniors who depend on our support.”

MorseLife Staff Deliver High Holiday Meals to the Community’s Most Vulnerable Seniors

This week MorseLife’s dedicated staff prepared, packaged and delivered kosher holiday meals to the most vulnerable of Morselife’s Meals-on-Wheels participants.

“This is a year unlike any other since we began delivering meals to seniors in need 25 years ago,” said Keith Myers, CEO & President of MorseLife Health System. “I am very proud of our staff who have stepped in to prepare, assemble and deliver these gifts when we are unable to welcome volunteers to our campus due to the pandemic.”

Seniors in need received traditional meals of Honey Garlic Chicken, Sweet & Sour Meatballs, homemade Matzoh Ball Soup, an apple and honey, a large Challah, a bottle of wine, and freshly made honey cake for dessert.

“We look forward to a return to normalcy, where residents, staff and community volunteers can gather together once again to deliver meals and spend time visiting with vulnerable seniors who look forward to companionship during the holiday season,” added Myers.

MorseLife’s Homebound Mitzvah Program for Passover and the High Holidays is made possible through generous donations to the MorseLife Foundation and assistance from the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

MORSELIFE LEVIN PALACE RESIDENTS AND STAFF GATHER FOR A FESTIVE LATKE COOK-OFF 

On December 11^th residents at the independent living residence Levin Palace and MorseLife staff participated in a Latke cookoff to celebrate the coming Hanukkah holiday. 

Residents who live on the senior campus joined teams from marketing, resident services, housekeeping, maintenance and administration in the culinary contest. The culinary winner was resident Frank Gold, whose award-winning recipe is featured below.

The Levin Palace at MorseLife, a luxury residence in the heart of West Palm Beach, provides exceptional living for an older generation. The five-star living residence urges everyone on campus to strive to not only live longer, but to live younger.

MorseLife Wining Latke Recipe

Frank Gold

5 medium Idaho baking potatoes

2 medium onions

5 eggs

1/2 lb. unbleached flour

Salt and pepper to taste

1 qt Canola oil

Peel and quarter potatoes, keeping in bowl with water over them.  Peel and quarter the onions.  Heat oil in large frying pan.  Take approximately 1/5 of the potatoes, 1/5 of the onions and 1 egg and place these items in the bowl of a large food processor (with steel blade in place) and pulsate until all ingredients are chopped (not made into paste or pureed) and are a rough slurry.  Pour contents of food processor into a large bowl, repeat 5 times until all ingredients are in the large bowl.  Add flour (as needed), to achieve a batter like consistency and add salt and pepper to taste (approximately 1/2 teaspoon of salt per potato and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper for the batch).

With a large spoon take batter and place it in hot oil, keeping each pancake separated, turning over when the bottom is golden brown. Remove from heat when second side is appropriately browned, and contents are cooked.  Drain oil on paper towels on a plate.  Serve immediately.

Tips:  The potato batter will turn black if left in the bowl too long before cooking, so speed is necessary in the cooking process.  Add flour as necessary since the potatoes will give off water and make the batter soupy.  Too much flour will make the pancakes heavy and not as tasty.  Add oil as the process continues making sure that the oil stays at approximately 360 degrees or too much oil will be absorbed by the pancake.  

To prepare in advance, half cook the pancakes and freeze them.  When ready to serve, defrost and fry in a deep fryer until golden brown.

MorseLife Residents, Staff and Volunteers Package and Deliver High Holiday Meals to Community Seniors in Need

Residents living at The Levin Palace at MorseLife, along with hundreds of community volunteers, took time out of their busy schedules in the days leading up to Rosh Hashanah to package and deliver holiday meals to lonely and isolated seniors living throughout Palm Beach County.

As one MorseLife resident expressed, “When you are fortunate enough to have a beautiful life, the only way to express your gratitude is to do something for someone less fortunate.”

Volunteers spent the day delivering a “holiday in a box,” which included meals, wine, soup, challah, apple & honey, and homemade honey cake. Many of the seniors who received meals were lonely widows and widowers or Holocaust survivors accustomed to enjoying the High Holidays around the table with friends and family, but due to life circumstances now find themselves alone.  Volunteers spent time visiting with these individuals and providing needed companionship to help make their holiday brighter.

Residents at MorseLife’s senior living community are encouraged to “live younger,” enjoying food, fun, family, friends, freedom while looking forward to the future. Research indicates that isolation poses health risks, while living life with a glass-half-full mentality adds years to one’s life.  Through the many volunteer programs at MorseLife, residents and volunteers can share their joyfulness, optimism and connectivity with the greater community.

MorseLife’s Homebound Mitzvah Program for Passover and the High Holidays gathers hundreds of community volunteers to assist with pre-delivery meal packaging and/or meal delivery to more than 2,000 seniors throughout Palm Beach County. Volunteer opportunities that benefit community seniors in need, such as the Homebound Mitzvah Program, are made possible through generous donations to the MorseLife Foundation.

For more information on volunteer opportunities visit the MorseLife Foundation website.