Thursday marked exactly three months of my having been in my current position as a Director of Pastoral Care at a senior living facility and one thing that has struck me is that dying and death are much different here than it is as portrayed on television and movies. ThisContinue Reading
Having mentioned previously about the surprise COVID-19 case we had at the senior living facility where I work, I have some follow-up to the story, which is that there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news was that the case was confined to just one particular resident, andContinue Reading
Having mentioned previously that I am commonly asked by chaplain colleagues “Have you done CPE?”, I would be interested to engage in CPE training…when they become available to do so, as long as my current job allows me to do so. One thing I came across that I have foundContinue Reading
Working with different generations in different stages in life is, as you can imagine, quite a different experience for a rabbi. Of course, there are similarities, including conversational skills and approachability, amongst others. Yet, having previously worked with those in the Millenial Generation while they were college students [and youngContinue Reading
I don’t know what Tisha b’Av is typically like at the senior living facility where I am presently working, but I suspect that this year’s Tisha b’Av was certainly markedly different than any that had preceded it. In my email to the department heads at the senior living facility atContinue Reading
Having written previously about technological issues in a broad sense when it comes to the Silent Generation, many of whom make up the generational demographic in senior living facilities, a specific instance of a technological barrier comes in the form of passwords. Yes, passwords – that staple of contemporary adultingContinue Reading
In my current position as a chaplain in a senior living facility, I have returned to a familiar text, about which I hadn’t considered a certain section (Avot 5.24): הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים לַמִּקְרָא בֶּן עֶשֶׂר לַמִּשְׁנָה בֶּן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה לַמִּצְוֹת בֶּן חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה לַתַּלְמוּד בֶּן שְׁמֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵהContinue Reading
Generally, Lacking Historical Context Coming Into a New Situation One of the interesting limitations of starting at a senior living facility is meeting residents where they are, without any historical context of their mental health, emotional health, or physical health. True, one could talk to people and gain a familiarityContinue Reading
Background Having written previously about the challenges of those in the Silent Generation using wifi-enabled technologies to connect with their loved ones, it was fascinating to have come across an article on using technology in senior living facilities. Introduction to Relevant Article Having previously mentioned that I recently purchased andContinue Reading
A Resident’s Inspiration While visiting with one of the residents at the senior living facility at which I work today, he asked me how my job has been, especially starting to work during the lockdown due to the current global pandemic. I said it’s been an interesting time and notContinue Reading