COVID-19 Updates

For the latest news on how we’re responding to COVID-19, read more here:

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January 11, 2022

• Message from Adam Berman, President of JGS Lifecare

  Dear Residents and Families, Over the past month we have seen infection rates rapidly rise across the state. The speed of transmission and total number of cases bring back memories… View Article

January 3, 2022

• JGS Lifecare is hosting a Covid & Flu Vaccination Clinic on Wednesday, January 12, 2022

  Covid & Flu Vaccination Clinic on the JGS Lifecare Campus of Care Wednesday, January 12, 2022 in conjunction with BHN & Gandara   JGS Lifecare in conjunction with the Behavioral… View Article

December 31, 2021

• Family Letter – December 31, 2021

  Dear Families and Friends, COVID cases are once again rising throughout the state, and we have started to see a commensurate increase in infection rates among our staff.  This purpose… View Article

November 16, 2021

• JGS Lifecare Thanks Employees with Wellness Days

  Throughout the pandemic our staff has displayed tremendous dedication, perseverance, and fortitude. Clearly, they have worked extremely hard, day in and day out, throughout the pandemic. As a way of… View Article

November 3, 2021

• The Booster Vaccine Helps Keep the Virus Away!

  Our organization has been working hard to make sure our residents and staff have access to the COVID-19 booster vaccine, which offers increased protection against all strains of the coronavirus…. View Article

August 23, 2021

• JGS Lifecare to Host Baystate Vaccination Van Aug. 30th & Sept. 20th – 11AM-2PM

  **Update – Pfizer Boosters Available! JGS Lifecare a leading health care system serving seniors and their families in western Massachusetts, will be hosting the Baystate Vaccination Van at its campus… View Article

August 13, 2021

• Family Letter – Vaccine Mandates

  Dear Residents and Families, As we close out the summer, it has been gratifying to watch our residents and families resume summer activities and experience the simple joy of being… View Article

August 12, 2021

• Message from Adam Berman, President of JGS Lifecare

  Dear Residents, Families and Friends, After several months of very low COVID infection rates, we have started to see cases rise throughout the state. It is for this reason that… View Article

August 10, 2021

• National Immunization Awareness Month Highlights Importance of Vaccinations

  August is National Immunization Awareness Month, which presents a terrific opportunity to review reasons why individuals should be vaccinated against Covid-19. Every one of us remembers what life was like… View Article

July 15, 2021

• See What Our Families Have to Say About Us

  We are so glad many of the restrictions for family visits have been lifted and things are getting back to normal. Our residents and families deserve to be together! Of… View Article

July 9, 2021

• Meet Tiffani Rouse RN, BSN

  Director of Clinical Services for Leavitt Family Jewish Home With a passion for travel and good food, Tiffani Rouse enjoys exploring new places with her beautiful four year old daughter… View Article

June 28, 2021

• In-Resident Room & In-Apartment Family Visitation Guidelines (for Fully Vaccinated Residents and Visitors)

  The Massachusetts Department of Health (DPH), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) released guidance on how to safely begin in-resident room and in-apartment family… View Article

May 5, 2021

• Legacy Lifecare Staff Plays Key Role in Project ECHO

  All of our skilled nursing facilities recently completed a four-month training entitled Project ECHO (Extension of Community Health Outcomes). This innovative program focused upon public/private partnership, bringing providers together with… View Article

April 7, 2021

• Social Work Month at Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  March was designated as Social Work Month and the 2021 observance is more meaningful than ever. This year, the theme for the month-long celebration is Social Workers Are Essential. And… View Article

April 5, 2021

• What’s Happening at JGS

  What’s Happening at JGS Many staff members are celebrating anniversaries this month. It is wonderful to see the longevity of our employees at Jewish Nursing Home. This is what makes… View Article

April 1, 2021

• Warm Hugs and Embraces As Families Visit Loved Ones in the Privacy of Their Rooms

  There was great excitement in the air at The Leavitt Family Jewish Home as family members were welcomed into the building to visit their loved ones in the privacy of… View Article

March 16, 2021

• An Updated Message to Our Visitors – March 16, 2021

  This update is for our skilled nursing homes. We are waiting for guidelines from EOEA our regulatory body for our assisted living residences and will update our policies as soon… View Article

March 12, 2021

• March’s Message from Adam Berman, President of Legacy Lifecare

  Dear Residents and Families, The beginning of spring is always a time for optimism and this year, more than ever, I have every reason to feel hopeful. As of the… View Article

• An Updated Message to Our Visitors – March 12, 2021

  To All Visitors UPDATE: DPH has issued its guidance on family visits.  We look forward to updating this information and welcoming fully vaccinated (14 days after the second dose) family… View Article

March 3, 2021

• Leavitt Family Jewish Home Family Feedback

  One of top priorities throughout the pandemic has been to keep our residents engaged – and happy. Although the state guidelines required us to keep our residents apart, our team… View Article

February 25, 2021

• JGS Caregiver Support Group is Back!

  Back by popular demand, the JGS Caregiver Support Group will once again be held at JGS. Under the supervision of facilitator Mary-Anne Schelb, the group will offer resident families as… View Article

February 11, 2021

• February’s Message from Adam Berman, President of Legacy Lifecare

  Dear Residents and Families, I am thrilled to let you know that over 90% of our residents and about 2/3 of our regular staff members have received the COVID-19 vaccination… View Article

February 8, 2021

• Devorah Jacobson Honored as a Healthcare Hero of Western Massachusetts – A Program of Healthcare News and Business West

  On January 14th, our own Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, chaplain and director of spiritual life at JGS Lifecare, was among the recipients of the esteemed 2020 Healthcare Heroes Award, a program… View Article

February 5, 2021

• JGS Lifecare Holds Second COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic

  On Sunday January 31st and Monday February 1st JGS Lifecare held its second vaccine clinic, offering residents and staff the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.   At the Leavitt Family Jewish Home 110 residents and… View Article

February 2, 2021

• “Why I Got Vaccinated” Video

January 14, 2021

• Meet Robert Whitten, Executive Director of Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Rob Whitten fully concedes that he likes to fix things. In fact, when a repair is needed at his home in Suffield, Connecticut, he inevitably tries to fix the problem… View Article

January 12, 2021

• January’s Message from Adam Berman, Legacy Lifecare President

  Dear Residents and Staff, I felt a range of emotions as the COVID-19 vaccines got underway. Certainly, this was the first time I have witnessed people excited to get a… View Article

January 11, 2021

• JGS Holds 2-Day COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for Residents and Staff

  JGS Lifecare recently held a 2-day COVID-19 vaccination clinic for residents and staff across its family of services. “This was an emotional and historic two days for JGS,” commented Rob… View Article

January 4, 2021

• JGS Lifecare Kicks Off “Superheroes Saving Lives” Campaign

  Nonprofit Thanks Employees For Their Extraordinary Dedication During Pandemic LONGMEADOW, MA (January 4, 2021) — JGS Lifecare, one of New England’s leading nonprofit healthcare systems serving seniors and their families,… View Article

December 24, 2020

• Wolf Swamp Elementary School’s Brownie Troop 65110 Visits Ruth’s House

  On December 23rd, Longmeadow’s Wolf Swamp Elementary School’s Brownie Troop 65110 delivering hand-made holiday greeting cards to the residents at Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence. The troop also stood outdoors… View Article

November 30, 2020

• JGS Lifecare Volunteer, Janice Lawrence, Found a Special Way of Giving!

  LONGMEADOW, Mass. – People are smiling as they visit Sosin Center for Rehabilitation at JGS Lifecare in Longmeadow, MA. Carefully placed in the stone beds lining the walkway into the… View Article

• Family Update from Adam Berman, President

  Dear Residents and Families, With the summer gone and fall well under way, we wanted to provide you with an update on our organization and our continued response to the… View Article

October 14, 2020

• Sam Baah, Care Manager at Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence

  Sam was born in Ghana and came to the US in Dec. 1999. There was an immigration lottery at the time and he won the lottery and was able to… View Article

October 6, 2020

• Donnette Barnett, CNA at Wernick Adult Day Health Care

  Donnette was born and raised in Springfield, along with her sister Kim. She graduated from Commerce High School in 1983 and gave birth to her son Warren Jr. in 1984…. View Article

September 29, 2020

• Ava Wills, RN at Spectrum Home Health & Hospice

  Ava was born and raised in the 16 Acres Neighborhood of Springfield along with her 2 brothers Michael and John. She graduated from Classical High School, and then, following her… View Article

September 22, 2020

• Christine Lunsford, RN, BSN, Clinical Reimbursement Coordinator, Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Christine was born and raised in Springfield along with her older brother Michael. She graduated from Central High School in 1996 and then pursued an education to become a nurse…. View Article

September 10, 2020

• Deana Carnegie, Dietary Aid, Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Deana was born and raised in Jamaica to a large family. She was one of 9 children, with 3 brothers and 5 sisters. She graduated from Newell High School and… View Article

September 2, 2020

• Carmen Figueroa, Lead Care Manager at Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence

  Carmen was born and raised on Central Street in Springfield to a family that included 2 sisters and 2 brothers. Although her childhood dream was to be a mailperson and… View Article

August 26, 2020

• Uvalyn Davis, CNA Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Uvalyn was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica. She was part of a large family, as one of 8 brothers and sisters. She attended St. Andrew’s Technical High School, studying… View Article

August 18, 2020

• Tony (Antoinette) Moseley, CNA Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Tony was born and raised in Springfield, along with her 3 sisters and 1 brother. She graduated from East Longmeadow High School and started working at Spectrum Home Healthcare as… View Article

August 12, 2020

• Dianne Modesta, CNA Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Dianne was born on the island of Trinidad, located in the West Indies.  In 1983 she and her brother came to Springfield to join her parent, who had previously come… View Article

August 3, 2020

• Virtual Lunch and Learn Series at Ruth’s House Assisted Living Residence
, Program Announcements

  Friday, August 21st, 2020: Beyond the Blues – Aging & Depression Presenter Dr. Stuart Anfang, Medical Director of the Memory Disorder Program at Baystate Medical Center Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020: … View Article

• Susan Halpern, Vice President of Development and Communications

  Born in Springfield, Susan was raised in Longmeadow along with her 3 siblings: Jim, Wendy and Billy. She graduated from Longmeadow High School, the University of Vermont, and Western New… View Article

July 27, 2020

• Zuzanna Lakomska, CNA Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Zuzanna was born in Poland and moved to the United States in 1990. While in Poland she worked for seventeen years as a kindergarten teacher. She and her husband Julian,… View Article

July 21, 2020

• Beth Ann Kalinko, CNA Sosin Center for Rehabilitation

  Beth Ann Kalinko was born and raised in Springfield and that is where she still resides. She has one brother, Gregory.  She graduated from Classical High School and then went… View Article

July 15, 2020

• Jessica Brown, CNA Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Jessica Brown was born and raised in Springfield.  She graduated from Putnam Vocational High School and that’s where she  was first connected to JGS. In order to get certified as… View Article

July 10, 2020

• Sharon Ritchie, Director of Food Service

  Sharon was born and raised in Longmeadow, MA. She started working at JGS Lifecare just prior to her 16th birthday in 1991. She was hired part-time as a dietary aide… View Article

July 9, 2020

• Resident Engagement in a Quarantine Environment

  LONGMEADOW, MA (July 2020) –Social distancing requirements in nursing homes and assisted living residences present their own unique set of challenges during this pandemic. To address this, the staff at… View Article

July 3, 2020

• Leavitt Family Jewish Home – Outdoor Visits by Family and Friends Bring Great Joy

  LONGMEADOW, Mass. – “It is wonderful to see my children, they are the love of my life!” exclaimed Sandy Novitch, a resident at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home. Debbie and… View Article

• Ana Guzman, CNA Wernick Adult Day Health Care

  Born in Puerto Rico, Ana came to this country at the age of 12 with her mom and 2 brothers. They settled in Springfield, with an uncle nearby.  She attended… View Article

June 29, 2020

• Vivian Hatwood, Leavitt Family Jewish Home Kitchen Manager/Assistant Director

  Vivian was born in Worcester, MA and came to Springfield at the age of 4. She was educated in the Springfield public schools and graduated from Putnam Vocational High School,… View Article

• Choosing an Assisted Living Residence Virtually

  How do you find the right assisted living for a family member when in-person tours are not an option? At Ruth’s House in Longmeadow, the assisted living residence operated by… View Article

June 23, 2020

• Cheri Ludwiczak, Chef at Michael’s Cafe

  Cheri was born and raised in South Deerfield. Her grandparents had a farm there where they grew “everything: corn, tobacco, potatoes, as well as pigs and chickens.” She traces her… View Article

• JGS Staff Thank You Ad

June 19, 2020

• Violeta Delgado, Housekeeper at The Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Violeta is a member of the Housekeeping team at the Leavitt Family Jewish Home.  She joined the team 3 years ago, after working for over 20 years at Vibra in… View Article

June 15, 2020

• Jesus Carattini, Maintenance Department at The Leavitt Family Jewish Home

  Jesus Carattini is a very personable, friendly and valued member of the JGS Maintenance Department. Since arriving, 3 ½ years ago, he has taken on a tremendous amount of responsibility… View Article

June 5, 2020

• Maria Osorio, Housekeeper at The Leavitt Family Jewish

  Maria came to the US in 1994 from Puerto Rico.  ”I didn’t understand any English” she shared. She took classes in English at STCC and continues to focus on improving… View Article

June 2, 2020

• Resuming Outdoor Family Visitation

  The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) have recently released guidance on how to safely begin family visitation with our residents. We are… View Article

• JGS Lifecare Utilizes Best Practice Deep Cleaning Techniques

  What do the Boston Red Sox, and other professional teams have in common with JGS Lifecare? Their deep cleaning procedures! Professional sports teams, along with hospitals, medical centers, airlines, country… View Article

June 1, 2020

• Letters of Love – Beautiful Expressions of Compassion and Care

  LONGMEADOW, Mass. – Like all families, Leigh McGrale Vengco and her three daughters, Lily, Grace and Teia were home socially distancing and trying to adjust to the new reality forced… View Article

May 28, 2020

• May 28, 2020 – Family Letter

  Dear Residents and Families, Two months since we first began our fight with this terrible virus, we strongly believe we have weathered through the worst and can begin to look… View Article

May 8, 2020

• May 8, 2020 – Family Letter

  Dear Residents and Families, We write to you today with a new sense of optimism. Data for Massachusetts is starting to show improvement in our broader communities due to everyone’s… View Article

May 4, 2020

• Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, Director of Spiritual Life at JGS Lifecare, Supporting JGS Staff during Unprecedented Times

  LONGMEADOW, Mass. – Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Life at JGS Lifecare, has witnessed a great deal of suffering, stress and loss in the past six weeks,… View Article

April 30, 2020

• April 30, 2020 – Family Letter

  Dear Residents and Families, More than a month into the COVID-19 pandemic, our team has continued to work through adversity to meet the commitment of care we make to you… View Article

April 29, 2020

• Community Sponsors Meals of Gratitude for Staff at JGS Lifecare Supporting Healthcare Workers and Local Restaurants

  LONGMEADOW, Mass. – Over the last few weeks, in a generous show of support, several local organizations and restaurants have initiated fundraising efforts to sponsor Meals of Gratitude for the… View Article

April 27, 2020

• To the Heroes of CJL & JGS

April 20, 2020

• April 20, 2020 – Family Letter

  Dear Residents and Families, As Massachusetts experiences what experts believe to be the peak for new COVID-19 cases, senior care living organizations have become the focus of attention given the… View Article

April 16, 2020

• A Unique Anniversary Celebration Under Unusual Circumstances

  20 decorated cars drove by Ruth’s House on Wednesday, April 15th to help this couple celebrate their 75th anniversary without breaking social distancing requirements. It was a wonderful display of… View Article

April 10, 2020

• April 10, 2020 – Family Letter

  To Our Families, We write to you now possibly during the most difficult time in our lives. Never in the 108-year history of JGS Lifecare have we faced a situation… View Article

April 2, 2020

• April 2, 2020 – Response to Press

  From the office of Adam Berman, President of JGS Lifecare: JGS Lifecare is committed to doing everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to our residents and staff…. View Article

March 31, 2020

• Free Groceries Feed the Spirit of JGS Staff A Display of Gratitude and Support

  LONGMEADOW, Mass. – Thanks to a very generous donation from the Perlman family, owners of Ocean State Job Lots, the staff at JGS LIfecare were treated to free groceries, in… View Article

March 26, 2020

• COVID-19 Response FAQs

  At JGS Lifecare, the safety and well-being of our residents and staff is our number one priority. Please know that we are carefully monitoring all aspects related to COVID-19 and… View Article

March 20, 2020

• JGS Lifecare on the Offensive to Protect our Residents from COVID-19

  Dear Friends: The COVID-19 pandemic has faced us with unprecedented and unpredictable challenges, requiring constant monitoring, vigilance and new policy implementation.  Our staff is working diligently, in collaboration with our affiliated organizations… View Article

• Event Cancellations Due to COVID-19

  In compliance with the various prohibitions on large gatherings, and to discourage visitations to our campus, we have cancelled the following community events: Bubbies Passover Catering Passover Seders at JNH… View Article

• COVID-19 Social and Spiritual Resources

  Articles. Self-Care and Play, Podcasts, Meditation, Applications, Prayers and Spiritual Practices

March 19, 2020

• Elder Care in The Face of Covid-19 by Michelle Woodbrey of 2Sisters Senior Living Advisors

  It was two years ago this summer that my mom and dad moved into an independent living community. My dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s ten years earlier, and while he… View Article

March 18, 2020

• Wernick Adult Day Health Care Temporarily Closing on March 20

  In light of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak, we are temporarily closing Wernick Adult Day Health Care as of March 20, 2020. Please know we will work closely with families on… View Article

• Family Letter

  To Our Dear Residents and Families, Especially during this difficult time, the health and safety of our residents remain our top priority. We want to assure you that JGS Lifecare… View Article

March 13, 2020

• JGS No Visitor Protocol

  To our Residents, Families, and Community: In an effort to further protect our residents, who are most vulnerable to the effects of COVID‐19, our facility will be implementing a strict… View Article

March 9, 2020

• Statement about Coronavirus

  To our Residents and Family Members: In light of recent developments regarding the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID 19) in the United States, we would like to take this opportunity… View Article

Community Appreciation

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