Life at Garden of Palms - April 2020

We have been making certain that our entire Garden of Palms staff is completely updated on all relevant CDC guidances

What a crazy month! Well... nothing like finding yourself standing knee-deep in the midst of a global pandemic to start the Spring season off! It has been a challenging, rapidly moving, ever-changing, and stress-charged past 30 days (for all of us). But this is the time to step up to the challenge.

We have been making certain that our entire Garden of Palms staff is completely updated on all relevant CDC guidances, and are trained to deploy all of their necessary recommendations. You can rest assured that caring for our residents, and doing our utmost to keep our community virus-free has become our single most important priority. Of course, that means for the time being, activities and dining look very different than usual. We eagerly await the time when we can all resume our usual daily lives!

 

It’s important to recognize that all of these precautions, and any future measures we may implement, are being taken only for our residents’ protection. Don’t forget to regularly wash your hands (thirty seconds - or as long as you can sing the “Happy Birthday” song!), practice social distancing (six feet or more), and alert us immediately if you are experiencing any of the known symptoms (dry cough, high fever, and shortness of breath).

 

We are still busy at work maintaining one of the best senior living and assisted living programs in Los Angeles.

 

What’s going at Garden of Palms?

We are continuing to work through the COVID-19 challenge, carrying out our services and activities safely within the scope of CDC guidelines.

 

We’re observing environmental awareness month

We will be observing “Environmental Awareness Month” to celebrate our commitment to environmental awareness. Friday, April 22, is Earth Day, where everyone across the world will celebrate earth and our responsibility toward it. While promoting environmental initiatives such as recycling and reusing items, we will highlight the accomplishments of various environmentalists all around the world. From people that create art with recycled materials, to Jewish organizations emphasizing environmental awareness, to famous inventions that have helped the world become more environmentally friendly, we will explore their contributions and even contribute some of our own this month!

 

Resident of the Month

To say that Joe A., our April GOP resident of the month, has led a full life is quite an understatement. 

 

Originally from Hungary, Joe was only 14 years old in 1944 when Hitler’s dark presence profoundly altered the direction of his young life. Moving from hidden underground bunker to bunker while Hungary’s Jewish population was being decimated, his father’s vigilance, intuition and ingenuity managed to help his family survive by repeatedly evading the Nazi’s and their local Hungarian collaborators. On one particularly harrowing occasion, his father returned to a site they had only recently left to retrieve his talis and tefillian. Despite his family’s pleas not to return and possibly be captured, his father left but ultimately returned with his cherished items to his anxious wife and children. His family then wandered to a nearby village where they somehow managed to negotiate with a local family to hide them by building another bunker-like hideout until the Russian Army arrived. 

 

Life under Russian domination, while an immeasurable improvement after the privations of WWII and the Holocaust, wasn’t particularly pleasant either. After returning to the family home, which the Germans had used to stable horses, his father realized that they had to escape to American controlled Austria. First arriving in Budapest with other Jewish refugees, the family boarded a train there. With the timely intervention of some tough Sabres, who managed to “convince” the Russian police to allow the train to proceed, they arrived in Austria. 

 

In 1947, the family made their way by ship to New York where his father’s brothers awaited them. Joe was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1953 and served in Korea for two years before returning home, marrying his dear wife Helen, becoming a father of two sons, and finally settling in Los Angeles. Originally trained as a jeweler, but unable to find work in that profession because he refused to work on Shabbat, Joe became a Kosher butcher here. These days, Joe remains in constant touch with his two talented and accomplished sons, Aaron and Norman. “I always say to parents, what’s wrong with you people? You should call your children yourself and not just wait for them to call.” he jokes. A highlight of Joe’s life was a trip to Israel over 25 years ago. Upon landing in Eretz, Israel, he remembers feeling “fantastic” and “floating” as the passengers spontaneously broke out into a spirited chorus of Hevenu Shalom Aleichem. As they passed through security in Tel Aviv, he recalls the Israeli security guides waving them through, saying, “Americans are all cantors and rabbis!” It’s been quite a life and adventure for Joe A. L’chaim!

 

An Important Time in the Assisted Living Industry, and in Los Angeles

COVID-19 has impacted every area of life in Los Angeles. As an assisted living community, we have responded to this pandemic in a serious way. To get up to date on everything we're doing to protect you, our staff and our community during this challenging period, please click here to see the measures we've implemented as part of our COVID-19 Response.

Garden of Palms

An assisted living community in Hollywood

We love the work we do, and each month we get excited to find ways to make it our best ever. Building the best retirement experience for our residents is our mission, and we’re proud of the lifestyle we provide.

 

If you’re exploring assisted living programs in the Hollywood area for a family member, we would love the chance to show what life at Garden of Palms is all about. You can tour our community, meet our staff, and get acquainted to see if we’re what you’re seeking. If you need a bit more information first, we encourage you to speak with our director who can answer all of your questions.

 

Please Contact Us

1025 North Fairfax Avenue.

West Hollywood, CA 90046

Phone: (323) 656-7900

Email: director@gardenofpalms.com