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Country Chic

2535 (Cyclaw/ Yale Road
P_5Aaw Mahe P_Acitiyaw 48320

,

248.681.5856 ay 2-48.681.6026

Relax! Your loved
one is in good hands.

If you're responsible for the care of an
adult loved one at home, you know all
to well time away is precious.

Heartland's respite/vacation program
gives you the opportunity to take a
break from these demands. While
at Heartland, your loved one will
be welcomed into our facility
which features a friendly,
attentive staff, tasty meals and
activities. you'll have the added
serenity knowing your loved
one is receiving around the
clock professional care in a
secure and comfortable
environment designed with
the health, safety, and well-
being of our residents.

Heartland Health
Care Center
West Bloomfield

Skilled Nursing and
Assisted Living

6950 Farmington Road

West Bloomfield, MI 48322

248.661.1700

Heartland Health
Care Center Georgian
Bloomfield

Skilled Nursin g,
Assisted Living
and Alzheimers Care

2945 North Adams Road

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

248.645.2900

Owned & Operated by HCR ManorCare

Whether you use respite
care on a regular basis,
or just for a special
occasion, call to learn
about our short stays and
affordable rates.

I • Bloom ot4Bloom • I

REGISTERED ELECTROLOGISTS

Come and let us remove your unwanted
hair problem and improve your appearance.

Near 12 Mile Rd. between Evergreen & Southfield

4/13
2001

36

Ask for Debby at

248.559.1969

(Appointment Only)

Along with the book, they
debuted a 10-minute video teaser
featuring WDIV-TV's health
reporter Lila Lazarus. It promotes an
upcoming five-part video series
aimed at educating the caregiver
about Jewish observance and culture.
"What happened in Detroit (with
the merging of Sinai and Grace hos-
pitals and the closure of Borman
Hall) is happening all across the
country," Parr said, noting that 500
copies of the video series were
ordered at the New Orleans confer-
ence. "We hope that what we have
learned here can help caregivers care
for and understand their Jewish
patients everywhere."
Parr previously worked for
Lutheran Social Services of
Michigan as a consultant, as well as
Farmington Hills-based Mercy
Health Services. When she arrived at
JHAS, she was touched by the
warmth of the homes' atmosphere
and intrigued about the spiritual and
cultural aspects of the residents'
lives. It wasn't the first time Parr had
cared for Jews in her career; it was
just the first time that she stopped
to take note of the ritual practices
and holidays and how they figured
into the life of a resident.
"I was struck by the fact that I
had missed this for all of the people
I had been connected to or cared for
in the past," Parr said. "I had really
missed touching them in a way that
meant something spiritually."

Helping Hand

She consulted with the staff, specifi-
cally Rabbi Shapiro and Wexelberg-
Clouser. Realizing that this knowl-
edge could help other caregivers in
hospitals and nursing homes, Parr
and Wexelberg-Clouser then devel-
oped a program that was offered to
the area healthcare providers.

The Art of Jewish Caregiving

became a hit, especially with some
of the hospitals and nursing homes
that were seeing more Jewish
patients.
"In 18 months, we have spoken
to 1,300 individuals," Parr said.
The book is the result of these in-
services. While recovering from
surgery, Parr pulled together all of
the handouts that accompanied the
team presentations that she and
Wexelberg-Clouser had done.
She spent brief periods at the
computer — taking breaks to deal
with fatigue and pain — and ham-
mered out the contents. Included in

the edition are sections on the
meaning and use of ritual objects,
explanations of major and minor
holidays, meanings of Yiddish words
and descriptions of lifecycle events,
everything from childbirth to death
and mourning.
"We realized the need for the
childbirth part because of some of
the questions we got from the hospi-
tal personnel. Some of the nurses,
for example, wanted to know why a
man would stay out in the hall when
his wife was in labor," said
Wexelberg-Clouser, who said her
husband, Tom, was mistaken for a
rabbi during a hospital visit because
he was praying with his tallit and
tefillin. "I realized that we are not
very good at explaining ourselves."

Strong Support

The response to the book has been
very good, Parr and Wexelberg-
Clouser said. Physicians, nurses and
aides from Beaumont Hospital in
Royal Oak, Providence Hospital in
Southfield and the Detroit Medical
Center facilities have attended the
sessions and purchased the book as a
reference tool.
"If we are doing nothing but rais-
ing awareness, that is all we are ask-
ing for," Parr said.
And they have. Responses from
participants in their seminars varied
from, "This should be mandatory
for all health care workers," to
"Excellent — very informative. Wish
we had had this program years ago.
Every session was extremely valu-
able." ❑

Marrow Testing
Set For U-M

Free blood testing in search of a
bone marrow match will be con-
ducted 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday,
April 22, at the University of
Michigan Student Union in Ann
Arbor.
The drive is being conducted on
behalf of Yaakov Braver, a child in
the Detroit Jewish community. The
procedure includes filling out an
information form and drawing sam-
ples of blood.
Persons wishing to help defray the
cost of the drive and the testing of
the blood can send tax deductible
checks to Yaakov Braver Bone
Marrow Fund, 25451 Southfield
Road, Southfield, MI 48075.

