Featured Resident of The Week

Posted on February 20, 2012 by vintageuser

Dr. Alvin Miller was born on April 30^th, 1926 in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up, Dr. Miller worked in a grocery store owned by his family, played violin and took dancing lessons. At the age of 15 he won an award for his violin playing during amateur hour on a radio station.

In 1944 he joined the army and within the first week he ruptured his appendix and was unable to go overseas with his battalion. Instead, he ended up clerking for Eisenhower at the Pentagon. After being discharged in 1946, Dr. Miller attended medical school in Illinois and graduated in 1953.

He came to California to complete his residency at the L.A. County Hospital in Pediatrics. For the next 35 years Dr. Miller worked for Kaiser in the Neonatology unit, caring for premature babies.

In 1990 the government asked him to travel to Rumania to teach doctors how to care for newborn babies and he did that for 2 years with the help of a nurse. He believes it was the greatest thing he’s ever done.

Upon returning at the age of 66, he ran the L.A. Marathon with his son! Today, Dr. Miller continues to practice pediatrics 3 days a week and will only retire “when [he] is old!”

Dr. Miller loves the staff at Vintage Senior Living and he still enjoys playing piano, violin, harmonica and giving great ideas to the activity department. Vintage Simi Hills is proud to have Dr. Miller as a resident!

Preserving WW2 Memories of Love and Devotion

Posted on February 14, 2012 by vintageuser

Vintage Senior Living is partnering with the nationwide campaign of “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive!” to preserve the legacy of the “Greatest Generation.” The aim is to recognize their selfless contributions and inspire a renewal of national unity by gathering thousands of shared stories and photos from couples in love during World War II.

Each of our Vintage communities are scanning photos of Couples in Love from WWII and love letters to send to Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive. Photos collected from residents and the community will contribute to capturing the essence of the generation’s devotion, courage and self-sacrifice. Photos of couples with one of both in uniform, wedding photos and love letters exchanged between home fronts and battle fronts will provide future generations a unique window into the hearts and souls of the era’s “ordinary heroes.” You are invited to submit photos and love letters at a Vintage location near you. To find a location nearest you please visit www.vintagesenior.com. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Featured Resident of the Week

Posted on February 3, 2012 by vintageuser

Esther Houston, a resident in Rosemead, CA was born in Shady Side, OH as the oldest of all her siblings. Being the daughter of a priest, she’s been surrounded by religion her whole life. Esther dedicated her schooling to the study of religion. She was extremely successful in school, so much so that she was elected to be a part of Mensa, which is a group of people in our society who have high IQ’s. She now competes in an Annual Spelling Bee for California Mission Inn. We are so glad Esther has chosen Vintage Senior Living to call home.

Visit Vintage Senior Living – California Mission Inn in Rosemead’s website.

Welcoming New Residents

Posted on January 27, 2012 by vintageuser

Each of our Vintage communities embrace a wonderful program for welcoming new residents called “The Ambassador Program.” The program is made up of volunteer residents that welcome each new resident into their community. When first moving in the new resident is paired with an ambassador to “show them the ropes” and provide them a knowledgeable partner or “buddy.” The ambassador welcomes the new resident into the community by inviting them to experience shared meal times, meet residents with similar interests, join activities and outings. The program is effective in helping new residents transition into their Vintage community with the help of someone who has made a similar transition. Helping our residents transition into their new home and lifestyle quickly is a top priority. The Ambassador Program is key in developing their social connections and, with a little time, their sense of belonging and being “Home.”

Testimonials

Posted on January 23, 2012 by vintageuser

There are many things that can make a house feel like a home. At Vintage the residents mention multiple aspects that help give them peace of mind. Our staff naturally creates a personal relationship with each resident and their family. Besides creating friendships with the staff, our residents thrive socially. On any given day you can find them out with the other residents at an outing or participating in one of our many planned activities. But you don’t need to take our word – hear it from the residents and families themselves. They will share why Vintage is a place they call home.

WWII Couples in Love – Join Spirit of ‘45

Posted on January 9, 2012 by vintageuser

Vintage Senior Living has recently partnered with the nation-wide “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive!” organization. Together we’ll be collecting photos of “Couples In Love during WWII” to be included in a photo mosaic of the iconic kiss image of the sailor and the nurse National archives.

Bring your pictures and love letters for scanning January 11^th through the 25^th. All welcome. Events are free. Visit www.vintagesenior.com to find your closest Vintage community. Their event calendar includes their scanning party event details.

Ask The Expert, Episode 2

Posted on January 3, 2012 by vintageuser

There are a great number of barriers when the topic of finding an assisted living community for a loved one comes up. The Executive Director of Vintage Brush Creek, Cindy Wood, emphasizes the importance of researching and choosing a community before a crisis and also gives advice on helpful aspects to consider when looking at communities.

Download an assisted living review checklist before your visit to a community.

Our Way To Senior Health and Smiles

Posted on December 22, 2011 by vintageuser

Wii bowling is taking over senior housing across the nation! At Vintage we have created bowling teams that practice on a weekly basis and even compete against other local senior housing communities. Recently, Vintage has graciously accepted the opportunity to host the 2012 California Championships for the Spring League that begins in February. The Championship event is slated for late April and will be held at Vintage Westwood Horizons. What a great way to help our residents connect and stay healthy in mind, body and spirit.

Ask The Expert, Episode 1

Posted on December 14, 2011 by vintageuser

Are you wondering what the difference is between a nursing home and assisted living? Or what kinds of activities assisted living communities offer? In this video Cindy Wood, the Executive Director of Vintage Brush Creek, clarifies the differences between nursing home, assisted living and independent living. Cindy also goes into detail about how Vintage Senior Living provides a comfortable environment and assesses each resident’s individual assisted living needs.

Spirit of Giving

Posted on December 9, 2011 by vintageuser

The residents of Vintage Cerritos are always giving. Frances, a resident at Vintage Cerritos is consistently donating blankets to the Living Help Center that will go to women in need. Frances and fellow residents have donated over 200 items just this year. They crochet items such as patchwork quilts, baby blankets and afghans. Besides having a passion for giving, Frances also has a passion for Vintage Senior Living. She loves the community so much that she volunteered to be an Ambassador so that she may greet visitors and help new residents acclimate. Vintage Senior Living allows passions of all kinds to flourish. Pictured above are a few of our wonderful residents and the charity items that they have made this holiday season.