Living with Independence and Dignity—But Not Alone
For residents at The New Jewish Home’s Assisted Living Program in the Bronx, life is fulfilling. Their needs are met, and they can enjoy the activities and pursuits that interest them.
It was Ernest Turner’s diminished vision that brought him to The New Jewish Home’s University Avenue Medicaid Assisted Living Program (ALP) in the Bronx. The 69-year-old military veteran is legally blind due to retinitis pigmentosa. He was working as a computer instructor at a senior center in Queens, but “my vision got the best of me, and I had to stop,” he said.
Ernest’s search for a new place to live brought him to the ALP, where he now has a comfortable studio apartment with a kitchenette, equipped with WiFi and cable services. Weekly housekeeping and linen services keep the apartment fresh and clean. His large, private bathroom has a walk-in shower with a bench. He eats three healthy meals a day in the dining room and has access to healthcare professionals and supportive services right on site.
For its residents, the ALP is an oasis of calm and support with vital, engaging and multi-cultural offerings. In the modern, affordable housing, they can live the way they like, taking part in activities as much or as little as they want, with the support of a compassionate and expert staff who provide the medical and social services they need as they age.
Ernest discovered that his fellow residents were a “United Nations, from all over the world,” and that there was a robust calendar of activities to choose from. Ernest finds joy in participating in activities like monthly birthday celebrations, cookouts on the patio, live entertainment, and group outings to restaurants and shopping. He gives back by leading a chair exercise program in the Wellness Center for fellow residents twice a week, and also teaches electronic chess. “I chip in where I can,” he said modestly.
For other ALP residents, like Diana Mendez, bingo is the best-loved activity. Diana can be found at bingo every Friday. She also likes the seasonal swap meets, where residents donate new or barely used items that others can claim for their own apartments.
Diana, 84, was born in the Dominican Republic and lived most of her life in Miami, where she worked at a cell phone company and then became a seamstress. She is one of many Spanish speakers at the ALP who are grateful for the bilingual staff.
“I appreciate seeing the doctor in house, because I don’t like to go out much,” said Diana, who enjoys the quiet life she leads at the ALP. When she does venture out, she said, it’s with Rosa, her best friend and next-door neighbor. “We go shopping and get our hair and nails done” at a local salon, she said.
The main pursuit that interests Myron McPherson, 82, is following his own curiosity. After seven strokes, he isn’t able to participate in many of the activities offered at the ALP, but his mind is sharp. He keeps himself busy reading books on musicology and consuming news articles, philosophy, astronomy, and content about animals of all kinds in addition to visiting museums every Sunday using the local transportation. “My brain feeds me a lot, I’m never bored,” he said.
Myron is a trained musician who has played classical piano since he was 3 years old, traveling around the world to perform. He taught opera singing at prestigious schools like Julliard, Manes and Brooklyn College, and at other schools around the world as a guest artist.
Myron appreciates the multicultural staff at the ALP. He’s fond of the nursing team, led by head nurse Francine, who directs case management and individualized care plans for the resident, in addition to personal care services and medication assistance. Ernest gave props to program director Christina: “She does a fantastic job, coordinating the get-togethers, parties, transportation,” he said. Myron, Diana, and Ernest all mentioned how helpful and caring the staff members are, especially the program director, Cathy Burke, and Residency Assistant Amanda Colon and Administrative Coordinator Boris Pina. “They are like family to me,” Diana said.
“You never know when your time is up, but you have to make the best of your life,” Ernest said. At the ALP, he and his fellow residents are living their best lives on their own terms.
The New Jewish Home has a proud legacy of empowering older adults to live with purpose and enhanced well-being. We’ve been around since 1848 as one of the nation’s first nursing homes, and now serving older New Yorkers of all backgrounds through a portfolio of health care services, including post-acute care and rehabilitation, skilled nursing, adult day care, assisted living, and at-home care.
See how we continue to elevate health care for older adults through our Research Institute on Aging and our SkillSpring program (formerly known as Geriatrics Career Development program), which empower teens and young adults to begin careers in health care.