Villa Scalabrini Retirement CenterThe year 2020 will go down in the history books as one to remember. Everyone will have different parts and mo-ments of this time that will be held in memory forever. At Villa Scalabrini we learned almost immediately that this year was not going to be like any other. COVID-19 changed our reality, rapidly altering our daily programs and lifestyle. We started to face uncertainties and truly began having more questions than answers. We saw businesses, schools, and public places being shut down and people started wondering what was going on and the panic began. According to the World Health Organization, as of November 10th, 2020, over 51 million people globally got the virus and over 1.2 million people died. In the US, over 10 million people got infected and more globally got the virus and over 1.2 million people died. In the US, over 10 million people got infected and more than 244 thousand people died. For all the ones that passed away, our prayers and our condolences and solidarity to all their families.

One of the first challenges we faced at Villa Scalabrini was how to bring awareness to the residents and staff about the dangers of this novel virus and how to implement the mandatory regulations and protocols from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health. This was not an easy task. With a plan on hand, we worked tirelessly in order to provide safety and good care for our senior residents and staff and so far, we can proudly say that we are doing well, safeguarding the integrity and health of all.

The scenario at Villa Scalabrini is different now because COVID-19 has changed all of us. Everyone is now wearThe scenario at Villa Scalabrini is different now because COVID-19 has changed all of us. Everyone is now wear-ing facemasks, keeping social distance, washing their hands and sanitizing more than ever, we learned the im-portance of proper hygiene. The meals and social activities are now done in separate and small groups, families’ visits need to be scheduled ahead of time and must be held in the outdoors’ areas of our facility. But during this time, we certainly became more aware and considerate of the health of those who surround us and we have learned new ways of doing things as we have come to realize how much we can truly achieve with the technology that nowadays we have at our hands.

What has impressed me the most during this pandemic are the heroic and selfless acts of kindness, service and sacrifice from our staff, our nurses, along with the administrators at Villa Scalabrini. I truly believe that it takes a lot of heart and altruism to leave your family behind and come willingly to risk your well-being and fight to safeguard the health and care of our seniors. We all became essential servants and I am very thankful for all our dedicated staff. I would also like to thank the residents and families and friends of Villa Scalabrini and La Piazza for their understanding and the support showed during this challenging time. We do not know when all this will be over. Every day we hear in the news that there are several vaccines being tested in different countries as the be over. Every day we hear in the news that there are several vaccines being tested in different countries as the way to control the pandemic. Meanwhile, let us continue being safe and united and together in prayer for the wellbeing of all.

RCFE Lic. #191201168 – SCU Lic. #920000120

NON PROFITORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE PAIDVAN NUYS, CAPERMIT NO. 155

FALL/WINTER 2020 NEWSLETTER VOLUME LXI

2020: A YEAR OF CHALLENGES

On December 31, 2019 I was enjoying my vacation in Brazil and celebrating with my family during the New Year’s Eve party. Just like me, you were probably celebrating and reflecting on 2019 and looking forward to what 2020 would bring.

You had in mind your plans and goals for yourself and for your family. Just like You had in mind your plans and goals for yourself and for your family. Just like every year, this year also started off great for all of us, we had no idea of what was coming. It did not matter where you lived or who you were, all our lives changed once the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Things got disrupted, goals were put aside, plans changed or were completely cancelled. There was a crisis at hand.

Merr Christma Ha New Yea

St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Pra, H an D’ Wr!

Socia distance activitie

Activities pre-pandemicStart your Holiday Giving Season with an end-of-year charitable gift to Villa Scalabrini Retirement Center and Special Care Unit

Villa Scalabrini Retirement Center is now processing new admissions. Application forms can be found at www.villascalabrini.com Do not miss our Virtual Tour! For more information, please contact laulaura@villascalabrini.com or call 818-660-0531.

Valentine’s Day king and queen of hearts

Our holiday just before the social protocols

During the month of September we bid farewell to Maria Bedoya who for many years brilliantly served Villa Scalabrini Special Care Unit as Director of Activities and Social Services.

Thank you Maria, you will be missed. Happy Retirement!

For the past several months the Special Care Unit activities have been reduced and conducted according to the special protocols received from the CDC and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health. Nevertheless, our resi-dents have been kept active and motivated as much as possible and virtual family visits are strongly encouraged.

Heroe W Her!

As the administrator for villa Scalabrini for many years, my main focus has been to ensure that our residents are receiving high quality care while maintaining their dignity. Our staff, including myself, knows what each resident’s needs are and together we strive to make a difference in their lives. Our staff goes the extra mile to make sure that the residents who rely on us are well cared for. However, our extra mile was put to the test in March of this year when the world was affected by the global pandemic called COVID-19. Our residents are the most vulnerable population to this highly infectious and deadly Coronavirus that has quickly spread across the globe.

Before COVID-19, being an employee of a nursing home could be overwhelming at times, because of what we are ex-posed to on a daily basis and witnessing death was hard enough. Now with COVID-19 it has been extra challenging. However, the feeling of connection we have with our residents as fellow human beings is stronger than ever and it is what renders it not just a mere job, but A CALLING OF SERVICE. Our job is also to provide moments of comfort, not only to our residents, but also to our residents’ families during such difficult times.

Before COVID-19 many of our residents didn’t know what virtual technology was and they had to learn how to use it. Thanks to Jonimae and other staff members, our residents are now able to connect remotely with their families and they are happy. It is also a wonderful moment when families can come and show their love and care through a window visit.

I will be honest with you, this has been a very difficult time, after all we are human and not machines. Many times we came very close to having an outbreak, but with the grace of God, our team has acted quickly in making the right decisions and at all times we are very transparent with our residents, families and staff.

Many thanks to our families who are constantly supporting us emotionally and financially.Many thanks to our families who are constantly supporting us emotionally and financially.

We would like to warmly welcome our new staff members:

Blessing to you all,Ardy AfsharAdministrator/CFO

ADRIANA

ALEJANDRA

ANA

BELINDA

BLANCA

BRANDON

CRISTALCRISTAL

CRISTINA

DANIELLA

ESTELA

MACIAS

GAYTAN

LOPEZ

CANALES

MENA

HERNANDEZ

MACIASMACIAS

PINEDA QUIROZ

TARAZENA

GONZALEZ

Server

Health Services

Housekeeper

CNA

CNA

Server

ServerServer

Housekeeper

Server

Front Desk Receptionist

GIANELLA

ISABEL

JASON

MARGARITA

MARIA

MONICA

MONIQUEMONIQUE

RAYMOND

RODRIGO

RYAN RUIZ

SERGIO

ORTIZ

IBARRA

ADAMS

ALBARRAN

TRIANA

RIVERA

RIVASRIVAS

DE GUZMAN

ZARAGOZA

CHAVEZ

ORTIZ

Business Office

Business Office

CNA

Server

Cook Assistant

Front Desk Receptionist

CNACNA

Dishwasher

Janitor

Janitor

Server

Daily TV Mass

Bingo Time

Virtual Family Visits

Virtual Family Visits

Lunch and dinner served Monday/Friday

Individual homes make our community exclusive and special.

LIFE AT LA PIAZZA DURING THE PANDEMICSenior Living plays an important role in the healthcare process of aging adults and despite the great challenges posed by the Covid-19 crisis many Independent Communities and Assisted Living Communities have been able to keep their residents safe, providing them with a secure home.

Our La Piazza Active Senior Community is no Our La Piazza Active Senior Community is no exception; by quickly fol-lowing the guidance of the Center for Disease Control and the Los An-geles Department of Public Health La Piazza remains a Covid-19 free

community thanks to the adoption of safety measures and specific protocols to ensure our residents’ safety and wellbeing.

In spite of some hardship, our residents have promptly adapted to the incorporation of necessary re-strictions into their daily lives: limitation of visitors, avoidance of outings, wearing masks and observ-ing social distancing and following safety guidelines that have now become part of this “new normal”, until the country works toward a long-term solution to the pandemic.

Our sta has received specific training, and protocols have been set in place to ensure the safety of residents and employees. With the adoption of proper precautions and the cooperation of our resi-dents and their families the risk of this virus can be mitigated. We also understand that socialization is essential to the physical and mental wellbeing, especially for the senior population; our residents are encouraged to stay active and motivated, to participate in the weekly exercise program, to take walks throughout our green and serene grounds and to engage in virtual communications with their loved ones. Communal dining has also ones. Communal dining has also resumed in the spacious Dolce Vita Hall with all the necessary mea-sures of social distancing.

We all hope and pray for better times ahead as we appreciate our residents’ cooperation and under-standing during these dicult times and we thank their families for their continued support. It means a lot to all of us, sta and management and it encourages everyone to continue our work with dedica-tion and a positive attitude.

Two of our dear long-time residents have recently moved on to a higher level of care in our Villa Scal-abrini Residence and two new residents have joined La Piazza, now at full occupancy again. Welcome to our Community!Happy Holidays to all!With sincere appreciation,

Laura MesrobianDirector of Admissions and Marketing