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.

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 Meals-On-Wheels Delivers its Millionth Meal to Seniors in Need

 

MorseLife celebrated the 25^th anniversary of its Meals-On-Wheels program with CEO and President Keith Myers delivering its millionth Kosher meal to a Holocaust Survivor who depends on food deliveries made possible by the MorseLife Foundation to get by.

Myers personally delivered the one-millionth meal to 97-year-old Holocaust Survivor and original Meals-on-Wheels recipient, Gisela Fischer.

“We have much to be thankful for this year, even amid the challenges of the ongoing pandemic,” said Myers. “MorseLife has protected the well-being of the seniors in our care and continues to be a lifeline to seniors living throughout the community.”

MorseLife’s Meals-on-Wheels program was launched in 1995 with a single volunteer who delivered 100 meals per week.  Today, the program has grown to 120 volunteers who provide more than 50,000 kosher meals annually.

“We continue delivering meals and friendly visits on a weekly basis to seniors who rarely leave home and depend on us as a type of lifeline,” said Pat Stein, an 85-year-old volunteer who has been making deliveries for more than 20 years with her 90-year-old husband, Lenny.

While MorseLife’s Meals-on-Wheels program provides meals for approximately 2,500 low income, homebound seniors in Palm Beach County each year, without regard to a client’s ability to pay, the impacts of COVID-19 have increased the need for meals by more than 20 percent. Seniors with the greatest needs now receive seven meals a week instead of the three they received prior to the pandemic.

Dollie Daniels, MorseLife Cook, has prepared meals for the program since its launch 25 years ago. “When I started cooking at MorseLife I prepared around 15 meals a day, and now I cook more than 300 meals each day,” said Ms. Daniels. “My great-grandmother told me when I was young that I would be a cook and I would take care of people.  She was right, I love cooking and I feel so good about what I do each day. It is wonderful to watch this program expand, reaching more and more seniors who need our help.”

Donations to MorseLife’s Meals-on-Wheels program can be made by visiting morselifefoundation.org , or by calling (561) 462-8450.

New Free Webinar Series is Offered to Holocaust Survivors and Family Members

A ten-part live webinar series offered at no cost to Holocaust Survivors, their families and interested members of the community is being presented by NEXT GENERATIONS, in partnership with NOW for Holocaust Survivors at MorseLife Health System and Jewish Federations of North America Center for Advancing Holocaust Survivor Care.

Led by Dr. Irit Felsen, a clinical psychologist, trauma expert and published author on mental health issues of child survivors of the Holocaust, each lecture will discuss important topics to Survivors and their families in an open and interactive forum.

For a list of all webinars, times and dates and to register visit www.nextgenerations.org/events.

To learn more about MorseLife Health System’s commitment to Holocaust Survivors and the “Now for Holocaust Survivors” initiative, please visit MorseLifeFoundation.org or call (561)349-4556.

GoFundMe Campaign for Impoverished Holocaust Survivors

 

When MorseLife Health System launched its “NOW for Holocaust Survivors” campaign highlighting that thousands of Holocaust Survivors in Palm Beach County are living in poverty, people from around the world including Germany, Israel, Denmark and across the nation responded with an urgent desire to help.  As part of a larger commitment by MorseLife to ensure that no Holocaust Survivor in Palm Beach County is left to live without the basic services they need, the organization has launched an online fundraising campaign through GoFundMe to assist two local impoverished Survivors over the next five years.

“GoFundMe is a straightforward and intergenerational donation platform for students, grandchildren and compassionate people of all income levels to contribute,” said Keith Myers, President and CEO of MorseLife Health System. “Even small donations make a meaningful difference when many people give.”

MorseLife named the couple who will benefit from the GoFundMe campaign Ella and Tabor to protect their privacy. Their story echoes the ordeal that other Survivors also endured during the darkest period in human history. They met in a Displaced Person’s camp after surviving unspeakable suffering during the Holocaust.  Married for 70 years, they now live on a meager combined monthly income and struggle to get by.

With the estimated annual cost of $10,000 per Survivor to fill the gaps in care they currently receive from other sources, MorseLife’s goal is to raise $100,000 dollars through online donations to help Ella and Tabor for at least five years.

“Our objective is to provide five years of interrupted care to these two individuals which will allow them peace of mind as they live out their daily lives,” noted Myers.

MorseLife will use funds donated to the GoFundMe campaign to provide Ella and Tabor with regular and nutritious meal delivery as well as additional personal, home care and financial assistance. Funds will support medication and medical equipment not covered by Medicare, as well as home modifications for accessibility.

To learn more or to make a donation that will improve the lives of Ella, Tabor and other Holocaust Survivors, visit the GoFundMe campaign page.

MORSELIFE LAUNCHES “NOW FOR HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS” CAMPAIGN

MorseLife has announced a new community campaign, NOW for Holocaust Survivors, that commits to locating impoverished Survivors living in Palm Beach County and providing a lifeline of essential services. 

The new initiative, which is a community effort between MorseLife and the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, was announced at a recent press conference where community leaders gathered to hear Gizella Fischer, a Survivor who is currently receiving services from both organizations, recount her miraculous story of survival.

It came as a shock to MorseLife staff and President and CEO Keith Myers to learn that there are 5,000 Survivors living at or below poverty level in Palm Beach County, suffering from food insecurity, isolation and poor access to care.

As a nationally recognized senior services organization in Palm Beach County with a history of serving the Jewish community, MorseLife immediately went to work planning the NOW for Holocaust Survivors campaign, which will provide the essential services Survivors need to live the rest of their days in comfort and dignity.

While MorseLife and Federation currently subsidize home care, food and other services for many Survivors through private donations, the campaign will enable both community organizations and their partners to broaden their reach and offer a full lifeline of services. 

The annual cost per survivor is $10,000 per year, depending upon level of need. Funds raised through the campaign will be used to provide free services including everything from medication management, skilled nursing and nutritious meals to transportation, housekeeping, clothing, respite care, safety system installation and home repairs.  In addition, the MorseLife 50-acre campus will offer long-term and short-term care as needed.

During the conference Myers emphasized that our community has an immediate and sacred responsibility to find and help these individuals.

Please consider donating to help individuals who survived unspeakable Nazi brutality and are once again struggling to get by in their old age. Visit MorseLifeFoundation.org or call (561)349-4556.

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