Simkincareconnection
Newsletter, ISSUE 5, Fall 2019
SAUL & CLARIBEL SIMKIN CENTRE
PERSONAL CARE HOME
IN THIS ISSUE
1 Folklorama 50
2 And the “Wow” Goes To... 2 Message from the Chair - Selma Gilfix 3 Land Sale Paves Way for New Neighbour
Shalom and Benvenuti! Residents, family, staff
and volunteers celebrated 50 years of life, culture,
delicious and authentic cuisine plus world-class entertainment at the Israel and Italian pavilions at Folklorama, the largest and longest-running
multicultural festival of its kind in the world.
Barry Green shook hands with Mayor Brian
Bowman at the Israel Pavilion. Betty Katz
connected with her daughter who volunteered
at the pavilion and was thrilled her mother could
come. Peter Vaks got very excited to see his native
homeland dancers join the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble. Hamantaschen cookies were a real treat to "nosh" on!
3 Answers to Most Frequently Asked
Questions: Fundraising
4 "An Oasis in the World" — Guest Columnist,
David Topper
4 Functional Movement Research Project 5 Spotlight: Avrum Senensky 5 Simkin Family Reunion: A Special Tradition 5 Mensches: Leonard Asper, Gerald Schwartz 6 Kudos to Staff for Making the Care Connection 6 Taking Steps Together: The 2019 Simkin Stroll 7 "Thank you" ...plus Next Simkin Puzzle Race
7 Café Buzz
8 High Holy Day Services and Celebrations 8 2019 Shabbat Dinner
Pictured above L-R: Allan Walder, resident; Alissa Minaker, Therapeutic Recreation and Folklorama coordinator; Bernice Walder, resident; Gord Criggar, resident with members of Italian pavilion; Barry Green, resident with members of Israel pavilion; Constance DeGagne, Domenico Grande, residents with member of Italian pavilion
Betty Katz, resident, with companion Virginia De Jesus and daughter Alana Wald at
Israel pavilion
At the Italian pavilion, Maria Lanzellotti spoke
her first language with volunteers at the Ravioli DemonstrationTable.
Domenico Grande devoured a piece of "real Italian pepperoni pizza"
and recognized his cousin performing on stage. Selma Smordin enjoyed
meeting one of the adult Italian ambassadors, while Sheila Streifler
invited her family to join in the fun. And who could resist a little vino
and tiramisu! All roads led to Italy and Israel this year...we can hardly wait until our around the world road trips in 2020!
Peter Vaks, resident with members of Israel pavilion
L-R Sheila Streifler, resident, her friend Maria Arbuthnot, her daughter Leesa Streifler; Beatrice Kraven, resident; Selma
Smordin, resident and members of Italian pavilion
Maria Lanzellotti, resident with her niece, Odessa
Rosati and members of Italian pavilion
And the “WOW” Goes To...
Message from the Chair
Since the Order of Manitoba honours individuals who have demonstrated excellence and
achievement, while enriching the
social, cultural or economic well-
being of the province, it is not surprising that Steven Schipper was added to the illustrious list
of recipients this year. A creative
Shalom and Greetings!
Given my involvement with the Simkin Centre for
almost two decades, I truly have a connection to
our home, as well as to many staff, volunteers and
families. Our Centre is all about delivering quality
care and comfort to 200 treasured residents;
however, I also believe our Centre is about heart and community.
visionary, Steven Schipper was the
longest-serving artistic director of
Steven Schipper,
C.M., O.M.
I am no stranger to heart and community as my
parents, Max and Molly Pressman, who lived
here for several years, instilled these values in my siblings and me early on. Once I started visiting
Mom and Dad at the Simkin Centre and getting
acquainted with day-to-day operations, volunteer roles became inevitable.
Whether I am singing in our High Holy Day Choir, heading a committee or now serving as board chair, my focus is always the same – how can heart and community help to make life better for our residents?
the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Previously appointed
to the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian theatre, he was also celebrated as the 2019 JNF Negev
Gala honouree. The Ontario theatre world's gain is
Manitoba's loss, however Steven Schipper knows he is welcome back in Winnipeg anytime. Mazel Tov!
The late Max Pressman with daughter Selma Gilfix
When the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg
celebrated the contributions of our
community’s leading volunteers during Kavod
Evening on May 16th, I took great pride in presenting one of the Shem Tov Awards to a
special individual and volunteer extraordinaire
– Juan Schwersensky. He definitely has heart,
as do all the outstanding volunteers who help
make life better for our residents.
Dr. David Brodovsky, Alexandra Santos, award recipient,
Laurie Cerqueti, CEO Simkin Centre
Juan Schwersensky, volunteer, with Selma Gilfix, Chair of the Simkin Centre
From towel warmers and tub room
Congratulations to Alexandra Santos on receiving the
2019 Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre Family Education
Award. The $3,000 award was presented to Alexandra
at the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba Scholarship Award
ceremony held in June. Alexandra is the daughter of proud
mother Bernardete Santos, who works in Food Services at Simkin. Alexandra is studying sciences and majoring
in biology at the University of Winnipeg. Her dream is
to pursue a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and
establish a career as a certified veterinarian.
enhancements, to music in the foyer and additional Kosher food options, we are committed to raising the bar when it comes to putting resident needs and
preferences first. We are only able to offer these “extras” because of the generosity
of many people and organizations in the community – all of whom have heart and want to help make life better for our residents.
Our fundraising results make a tremendous
difference and there is no doubt that the
Jewish Federation of Winnipeg and the
Jewish Foundation of Manitoba are at the
top of our list of contributors and supporters
who we can count on year after year. We
thank and appreciate each and every one
of our donors whose hearts help make life better for our residents.
One almost has to ask “what took
so long” for Harvey Sector to be
appointed to the Order of Manitoba,
given his impressive record of
business and community leadership.
From spearheading Ricki’s Canada Limited for 20 years, serving as the University of Manitoba's chancellor
and acting as honourary chair of the
Simkin Centre "centenarians"
One of the highlights of my association with
with Selma Gilfix
the Simkin Centre is meeting and chatting with our residents who have many stories and much history to share…it is especially joyful when we celebrate the 100 club – our centenarians – each January. As we all know, our residents also have heart!
University’s $500-million Front and
Centre campaign, to receiving the Sol
Harvey Secter. O.M.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you to our staff that supports our
residents and families 24/7 with the greatest of hearts. We continue to pursue
leadership initiatives, research and best practices that keep us on track with our
centre of excellence journey. Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at [email protected] with your ideas and comments. Hope to see you here during the High Holy Day services and celebrations!
Kanee Distinguished Community Service Award from the
Jewish Federation of Winnipeg, the Outstanding Volunteer
Fundraiser Award from the Association of Fundraising
Professionals and, with his wife, Sandra, the JNF Negev Award for Community Service, Harvey Secter has earned this prestigious honour many times over. Mazel Tov!
Selma Gilfix, Chair
Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre
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Answers to Most
Frequently Asked Questions
About Fundraising
Can I leave a gift in my will to the Simkin Centre?
Yes. More people are discovering estate planning as
another way to give to the Simkin Centre. Giving can increase benefits to your estate and its beneficiaries and have a lasting impact on the Centre.
Land Sale Paves Way for New Neighbour:
Brightwater Senior Living
When the second phase of the Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre opened in
2008, most of our surplus 10 acres remained intact as the Board of Directors contemplated long-term options for the land. After a strategic planning think tank in 2014, the Centre decided to keep a small piece of the land for future expansion and sell the balance. e sale was completed in 2017 and in 2018
$8.3 million (the majority of the proceeds) was transferred into the current
Jewish Foundation of Manitoba (JFM) endowment fund, bringing its total
to nearly $9.6 million. “We were looking for stability and flexibility and the JFM responded positively”, said Don Aronovitch, Chair of the Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre Foundation Inc.
Can I designate where I would like my donation
to go?
Absolutely. We have
several options for
our donors to choose from: Sunday concert
series, spiritual health
and therapeutic recreation. A donor also has the option
e endowment fund, which will generate over $400,000 a year, helps pay
for a portion of many activities and programming: security features no longer
covered by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA), kosher food
(only partially covered by the WRHA), spiritual care, music therapy, additional
recreational programming, our fundraising officer, volunteer/companion
coordinator, supplements to the café and the SimkinCAREConnection.
of tailoring his/her donation according
to particular wishes.
L-R Carrie Shenkarow, Jessica Ransby, Rotem Keynan, Einat Paz Winners of the Simkin Puzzle Race
To support these items, the Foundation utilized a reserve that was diminishing.
In addition to the endowment fund cash distribution however, we are planning
fundraising for enhancement of care, services and programming, as well for
replacement of aging equipment and building systems. To the greatest extent
possible, we must ensure the Centre is in solid financial shape for generations to
come. e endowment fund and fundraising efforts are critical to maintaining and enhancing care, services and programming for our residents, who deserve the very best the Simkin Centre can offer.
Can I acknowledge the Simkin Centre in an obituary
and or designate donations to the Centre?
The Simkin Centre is pleased to be acknowledged in an obituary as a thank you. Donations can also be designated to the Centre. A tribute card will be sent out to the family when a donation is made.
2
What items can I donate to the Centre?
Work is well underway on the new seniors housing development next
door to the Simkin - Brightwater Senior
Living of Linden Ridge. is campus
will include health care (similar to
Brightwater Senior Living of Tuxedo),
memory care, independent supportive
living and senior apartments geared to individuals 55+.
Donations of art are welcome however tax receipts will not be issued unless there is a formal valuation. We do not accept donations of personal belongings,
clothing or personal equipment such as wheelchairs.
is project will be constructed in
three separate phases beginning with
the most westerly portion of the land.
e first phase – e Courtyards – is
coming in the summer of 2020. e
Courtyards will provide assisted living
services and memory care for seniors,
with a team of professional health care
Kim Nott, Executive Director, Brightwater Senior Living of Tuxedo, Laurie Cerqueti, CEO, Simkin Centre, Randall Corwin, CEO, Brightwater Senior Living Group, Michael
O'Regan, Construction Manager
Paint Night in Action — Sharing the Pride
Is the Shabbat Dinner only for people of the Jewish
faith?
staff who will be available on an as-needed basis.
The Shabbat Dinner is a time of togetherness, love,
and friendship so people of all faiths are welcome with
open arms. This fundraiser is held to raise money to increase spiritual care services to all residents and their families.
Brightwater co-founder and CEO Randall Corwin is keen on leveraging
the values, spirit and synergies between the Simkin Centre and Brightwater. From catering (offering kosher meals to Brightwater residents), joint outreach/
community building programs, to child care (an option for Simkin staff),
intergenerational social and recreation opportunities plus possible Brightwater resident moves to our personal care home, there are countless possibilities to work together in the months and years ahead. We will keep you posted on
developments. In the meantime, Randall Corwin and the Brightwater team
say “hello” to the Simkin Centre and we say “welcome to the neighbourhood”!
Please contact Aviva for more details about various
options available for legacy gifts and other donations: (204) 589-9027 or [email protected]
3
An Oasis in the World
Functional Movement Research Project
It’s been two years since I walked with my wife, Sylvia,
through the door of the Simkin Centre, carrying a
suitcase – as if going to spend the night at a hotel.
But this was different. After walking her to a room and
getting settled, I left Sylvia there by herself, while I
went home, alone. It broke my heart.
e Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a tool that was developed in
1997 to help clinicians and health care professions screen individuals for risk
of injury and/or a dysfunctional or performance-limiting movement pattern.
e FMS consists of 7 movement
patterns which require mobility
The previous three years I had cared for her, watching
my wife slide ever so slowly into an alternative reality.
Our daily situation ultimately reached the stage where
a visiting Social Worker bluntly told me I had only two
choices: admit her to a personal care home, or fall
apart. Some choice, eh?
and stability, as the graphic
illustrates. e patterns are scored
from 0-3 points, creating a sum
score ranging from 0-21 points.
e ultimate goal is to modify any
individual movement deficiencies
identified through FMS and
develop a program of corrective
exercises to prevent musculoskeletal injuries or restore movement pattern.
Enter Ruth Meltzer – a Winnipeg
physiotherapist who chose learning
more about innovative Functional
Movement Pattern in the workplace
over retirement. She assembled an
advisory committee that decided to
approach personal care homes (PCH)
about participating in a pilot program
– the Simkin Centre is the first PCH
to get involved. As the project lead,
Ruth secured grant funding from
the Workers’ Compensation Board,
recruited Simkin staff and set up the
sessions – a series of 14 one-on-ones, with a certified fitness instructor and
physiotherapist, customized to the needs and abilities of each participant. e
accelerated pilot got underway in the spring of 2019 with 7 staff involved;
given the interest and coaching by Ruth and Kevin Cotes, 30 staff, representing
nursing, housekeeping, maintenance, recreation and the business office are
currently in the program. As Ruth Meltzer aptly puts it: “It takes so little to make a big difference.”
If five years ago someone told me about a building-
complex housing 200 elderly residents, most of whom
were in some stage of dementia, I would have pictured
it as a place of hopelessness and despair. And I would
have been dreadfully wrong.
Sherryl Sy, Nurse, "stepping" with Kevin Coates, Personal Trainer/Strength Conditioning Coach,
Serratus Movement Centre
These two years of visiting Sylvia at the Simkin have
been an eye-opener. Not only am I exposed to a wide
range of behaviour that I never experienced before, but
more importantly I witness an extraordinary display of
human kindness, compassion, tolerance, and patience
among the staff and caregivers. The caregivers, in
particular, often work under trying conditions, because
some residents, unaware of their own behaviour, can
be cruel and abusive. The caregivers, astutely, have
ways of deflecting these acts, often using humour.
Indeed, it’s a pleasure to hear a group of them have a hearty laugh as a release and a relief.
Although it is too soon to fully assess the success of participation in the Functional
Movement Research Project, initial feedback is positive and the plan is to keep
monitoring progress and encourage more staff to join the study. As Alanna Kull,
Director of Care for the Simkin Centre notes: “Sometimes we need observable
performance of basic day-to-day motor skills and stabilizing movements in order
for weaknesses and imbalances to become noticeable - imagine what proper mobility and effort can do to help decrease the risk of injury for staff while at work and in our daily lives. I am proud of our staff for stepping up to the plate
and thank Ruth and everyone involved for getting this initiative off the ground!”
In contrast to this, in the outside world, there are
seemingly endless reports of genocide, mass killing,
and more – with statistics rattled off like scores in
sports. Not much to laugh about. With so much
hate and anger in the world, life itself often appears downright cheap. Cripes! It’s enough to make a fella fall into a state of hopelessness and despair.
For me, rather, the Simkin Centre is an oasis in the world; truly, a humane haven, where those who no
longer can care for themselves are treated with respect
and dignity. As such, it fulfills the Jewish concept of Tikkun olam, our duty to repair a broken world.
David Topper is a retired history professor from the
University of Winnipeg. He has published five books. The latest, his first work of fiction, is a novel, A Solitary Smile, about Albert Einstein.
L-R Dave Pineau, Owner, STRIVE at United Therapies, Ruth Meltzer, Project Lead, Tonya
Nelson, Safe Work Manitoba, advisory committee members and Alanna Kull,
Director of Care, Simkin Centre
4
AVRUM SENENSKY
The Simkin Centre’s board
member Avrum Senensky and
his wife Cheryl visit resident
Saul Bakalinsky regularly. ey
have been very impressed with
the way staff interacts with him – as Saul can be a handful - and
with the care he has received.
ey give special kudos to Nada
Ivankovic, unit coordinator, who
is “absolutely fantastic” with Saul,
as well as Donna, Manny and the
entire team.
We launch our mensch series by featuring two former
Winnipeggers who continue to make their mark – and
who still have a connection to the city, as well as a connection to the Simkin Centre.
LEONARD ASPER
Leonard Asper, is not
only the president and CEO of Anthem Sports & Entertainment Corp.,
a media company in
As executive vice president of Lakeview Management Inc.
and Lakeview Hotel Investment
Corp. Avrum has worked with
Toronto, he is a lawyer,
a philanthropist and
L-R Avrum Senensky, Saul Bakalinsky, resident, Len Bakalinsky, Saul's brother, Cheryl Senensky
the recently appointed
Chair of The Asper
Foundation in Winnipeg.
Lakeview and the Levit family for almost 30 years. Given his finance background,
including an MBA from the University of Manitoba, majoring in finance, Avrum
serves on the fiscal advisory committee of the Simkin Centre board.
He is also a member of
the Board of Governors
of the Saul & Claribel
Participating on volunteer boards is Avrum Senensky’s small way of giving back
and providing support for the community. He is thoroughly impressed by the
dedication of his fellow board members and their willingness to give up so much
of their personal time for the Centre. When not working or volunteering his time and talent, one can catch Avrum on the golf course, at a Jets game, at the
family cottage or playing floor hockey and football with the same group of
friends for decades almost every Monday night. Talk about a great role model for sons David and Joshua! ank you Avrum!
Simkin Centre. Leonard
served as chair of the
Centre’s fundraising committee and this
leadership plaque says
it all. Leonard continues
to support the Simkin
Centre in a variety of
ways - we can never say thank you enough to our “magnificent” friend and mensch!
Simkin Family Reunion: A Special Tradition
GERALD SCHWARTZ, O.C.
July 25-28, 2019 will go down
in cherished memories for the
Simkin family, as their reunion
attracted 125 family members
from Winnipeg and around
the globe – the grandchildren
and great-grandchildren of early Jewish Winnipeggers
Samuel and Fanny Simkin, as
well as other extended family.
e couple had six children
- sons Blackie, Saul, Jim and
Abe and daughters Jenny
Cohen and Clara Erlichman.
This family has played prominent philanthropic and leadership roles in the
city and the Simkin Centre
is one huge benefactor of its generosity and investment in
long-term health care. e Simkin Centre is proud to
bear the Simkin family name
– we continue to thank you
today and always!
Born and raised in Winnipeg, the man behind the bold deal
to buy WestJet Airlines
is the founder and chief
executive officer of
Toronto-based private
equity firm Onex Corp.
Gerry Schwartz has a brilliant reputation for business and for
Seated L-R: Jackie Simkin, Eby Wold, Martin Erlichman, Ruth Simkin, Judi Simkin Standing L-R: Barbara Hyman, Em Cohen, Saralyn Greenblatt, Jerry Cohen, Diane Simkin Demeter, Murray Simkin, Ruthy Gale, Gary Simkin, Bernie Simkin, Simon Simkin, Sharron Dudeck,
Sam Simkin, Jack Simkin
