Eskaton in the News
‘It’s really a relief’: Staff, residents at Sacramento long-term care facility get COVID-19 vaccine
January 12, 2021
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Staff and residents at a long-term care facility in Sacramento began receiving the COVID-19 vaccines Monday night.
Residents at Eskaton Care Center Greenhaven on Florin Road said they’re excited to be a step closer in being able to see loved ones again.
“It’s really a relief to know that they’re doing something and we got to have the shot, which I was worried about, not being able to,” said Penny Kessler, a resident who received the vaccine.
The Reutlinger Community Welcomes New Executive Director, Clara Allen
Danville, CA
January 8, 2021
The Reutlinger Community, in conjunction
with Eskaton, is proud to announce the hiring of their new
executive director, Clara Allen. Allen comes to The Reutlinger
Community with over 25 years of experience in senior living and
services, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and expertise,
particularly in the Bay Area’s nonprofit sector. Replacing Jay
Zimmer, Allen was most recently the executive director of Friends
House, a nonprofit Quaker-inspired CCRC (Continuing Care
Retirement Community) in Santa Rosa, CA. Prior to that, she was
the assistant executive director of San Francisco Towers, a Life
Plan Community in San Francisco, CA.
The Reutlinger Community Receives the Morrison Healthcare Dining Award
December 2020
The Reutlinger Community received
the coveted Dining Account of the Year due to their TRC dining
team embracing creative dining approaches during the pandemic.
The team worked as an extension of the life enrichment team,
providing creative and engaging ways to build connections and
enjoy delicious food, while remaining safe and abiding by public
health requirements.
Vets honored
Lighting Pathways To Digital Literacy In Senior Housing
From ordering medication online to buying groceries or connecting with friends and family, the internet has become a critical survival tool today. Yet millions of low-income older adults in the U.S. lack the basic digital literacy skills they need due to
by Robin Douglas, Robin Douglas
Creative Services, LLC 11/19/2020
“The internet is a vital tool for older
adult residents,” said Sheri Peifer, Chief Strategy Officer at
Eskaton in Sacramento, Calif. Eskaton, along with Front Porch in
Southern California, will launch the pilot at one community site
each – with the plan to expand to a total of six – that will
serve as a model and roadmap for replication for other
communities. Peifer explained that many senior housing buildings
have hot spots or community spaces but don’t necessarily have the
infrastructure for residents to access the internet in their
apartments. “For Eskaton, it was a good opportunity to look at
scaling broadband access to all affordable housing residents,”
she said.
From Theaters to salons to libraries, senior living facilities offer luxury
Shared from the 10/25/2020 San Francisco
Chronicle eEdition – SENIOR LIVING By Carolyne Zinko
The Trousdale is in a six-story building that contains a theater, salon, spa for acupuncture and massage and fitness center.
Health care is an important factor in
selecting a senior living facility, but not the only one. From
in-house theaters and salons to spas with acupuncture, retirement
communities are offering unique experiences to stand out
Sacramento man aims to walk 90 miles before 90th birthday for COVID relief
October 14, 2020
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
An 89-year-old Sacramento man is on a mission to help people
struggling during the pandemic.
Jack Benson set a goal to walk 90 miles for the COVID relief fund before his 90th birthday next May.
The money will go to nursing home frontline workers and residents at Eskaton Care Center in Sacramento where Benson was a former resident.
Smart Home Technology Keeping Families Connected
Eskaton Senior Living Center is using technology to help its residents communicate with their families during the pandemic.
At Eskaton, we believe our residents thrive when they stay active and connected. Keeping families involved and providing our residents with simple, yet intuitive technology to make their lives more enjoyable and engaging is a top priority within the Eskaton organization.
Drive-by birthday salute: World War II veteran and USS Arizona survivor Louis Conter turns 99
Grass Valley’s World War II hero and USS Arizona survivor, retired Lt. Cmdr. Lou A. Conter, was celebrated Saturday with a drive-by salute for his birthday.
Conter turned 99 on Sunday, and won’t soon forget the procession of law enforcement, firefighter, and community members’ vehicles that took part in his surprise birthday tribute.
“I didn’t know anything about it, my God,” Conter said following the drive-by celebration. “I was just sitting there watching TV, getting ready for going to Jack and Linda’s for a barbecue this afternoon, just relaxing. I walked out here, and what the hell is going on?”
On the open road: Eskaton Village treated to car parade
Eskaton Village in Placerville hosted a car parade on Wednesday for residents as the El Dorado Early Ford V8 and Hangtown Model-A car clubs teamed up to motor through the facility for socially distanced outdoor entertainment.
“My father worked at Ford during World War II and built tanks,” said Eskaton Village resident Lee Hanley. “We had cars just like these when I was a kid. This was amazing today and it was nice to have something to look forward to with everything going on these days.”
“I didn’t know anything about it, my God,” Conter said following the drive-by celebration. “I was just sitting there watching TV, getting ready for going to Jack and Linda’s for a barbecue this afternoon, just relaxing. I walked out here, and what the hell is going on?”
Reutlinger Faces a Brighter Future with Affiliation
In response to Donald Chaiken’s opinion piece about the affiliation between Eskaton and the Reutlinger Community, I offer the following:
The affiliation between Eskaton and the Reutlinger Community
(TRC) received all governmental approvals and was determined to
be final on April 21, 2020.
Lighthouse for Older Adults
The program pilot at two affordable housing communities aims to improve older adult health and well-being.
“Lighthouse for Older Adults,” a CITRIS and University of California Initiative, Brings Technology-Enabled Health and Well-Being to Low-Income California Seniors During COVID Crisis
Researchers at CITRIS (Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society) at the University of California are launching today “Lighthouse for Older Adults” (Lighthouse), a public-private initiative to pilot access to telehealth and internet services to low-income seniors. With $3.6 million in funding and partners including affordable housing providers, technology distributors, and NGOs, Lighthouse aims to equip older adult residents of affordable housing communities with internet access, telehealth tools, and digital literacy skills they need to access information, health care services, and social connections.
COVID can’t keep Corvette Caravan from cruising
Eskaton Village and Gold Country Retirement Center residents in Placerville enjoyed their own, personal Corvette Drive-By Caravan Saturday when 23 members of Cameron Park Corvette Club revved up and rolled into the facilities’ lots.
The parade of sleek Corvettes organized in Cameron Park, made its way to Gold Country Retirement Center, then down Main Street in Placerville and on to Eskaton Village.
“I just love Corvettes,” said Eskaton Village resident Bob Addison. “It was fabulous to have the cars come by today. It helped lift my spirits a lot and get outside during this health crisis. We have been cooped up a long time.”
Adventist, Eskaton team with new entrant in Sacramento to launch PACE elder care program
July 8, 2020
Adventist Health and Eskaton are teaming
up with a Denver-based senior care provider to open
a new
adult day center that will be a one-stop shop connecting the
aged and infirm to dentristy, medical specialists and a
range of other services.
InnovAge, the Colorado care provider, has been expanding across the country, and Sacramento is the second city in California where the company is serving seniors. It also has a senior center in San Bernardino.
K4Connect Teams Up with Amazon to Connect Thousands of Older Adults in Isolation Through Free Voice Experiences
May 27, 2020
K4Connect, a mission-driven technology
company that creates solutions that serve and empower older
adults and individuals living with disabilities, announced a new
initiative with Amazon to support senior living residents during
COVID-19. K4Connect is
distributing over 8,000 Echo Dots to more than 40 independent and
assisted living communities in West Coast regions highly affected
by COVID-19, allowing residents to use voice technology to stay
more connected while in isolation. Devices were donated by Amazon
as part of a $5 million device donations program created in
response to COVID-19, and will integrate with K4Community,
K4Connect’s advanced enterprise solution designed for the
residents and staff of senior living communities. The experience
allows residents to immediately begin their voice experience with
minimal involvement from community staff. Communities simply plug
in the Echo devices and start enjoying all the benefits of Amazon
Alexa, as well as various new capabilities from K4Connect that
make community information, services, and communication just an
“Alexa” request away.
Livermore Alumnus Named General Counsel at Eskaton
May 7, 2020
Thomas M. Garberson, a 2002 graduate of
Livermore High School, has been named general counsel at Eskaton,
a Sacramento-based nonprofit providing senior living and care
facilities at Northern California locations from Burlingame to
Roseville.
Garberson was previously a partner in the Sacramento law firm of Low McKinley Baleria & Salenko, where he dealt primarily with medical malpractice and long-term care defense.
Danville’s Reutlinger Community finalizes affiliation with Eskaton
Senior community center promises to retain Jewish cultural values
May 6, 2020
Danville’s Jewish retirement center The
Reutlinger Community has announced that it has officially
finalized its affiliation with the Eskaton network, a
Sacramento-based senior living nonprofit organization.
Approved after two years of negotiation and government approvals, the affiliation will allow The Reutlinger Community to access the services and resources provided by Eskaton, while still maintaining its priority of preserving Jewish cultural values, practices and policies.
Senior Living Facility Opens Coronavirus Wing At Fair Oaks Facility
April 20, 2020
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Controversial “coronavirus wings” have been popping up at nursing homes across the state.
Not everyone thinks its a good idea, especially those with loved ones at assisted living facilities, sharing the same space.
Betsey Donovan, Chief Operating Officer at Eskaton Senior Living, says there’s a need now for a space for senior coronavirus patients that are discharged from hospitals but still need intensive care.
“When they’re ready to go, there needs to be a place for them to
go,” Donovan said.
Now, the Eskaton in Fair Oaks will open its doors.
“We’re learning from the experts we can do both, we can protect the vulnerable who have not tested positive while meeting the short-term needs of those who are in the step-down program,” she said.
For seniors on COVID-19 lockdown, Alexa proves to be a valuable friend
At California senior living centers run by the nonprofit Eskaton, technology use is up among seniors looking to fend off loneliness. Their changing habits shed new light on why some tools like voice assistants are more useful than others.
At the Eskaton assisted living communities across Northern California, residents and staff are doing their best to create a shared sense of hope and solidarity through the COVID-19 pandemic.
To keep residents safe, communal rooms are closed for activities, but hallway happy hours have become a common occurrence. Residents must eat their meals in their own apartments, but the staff has treated them with door-to-door candy deliveries. Visitors are no longer permitted on premises, but tools like messaging apps and videoconferencing are helping residents feel connected to their loved ones.
‘I’m not worried’: Many older Nevada County residents are optimistic, and are making the most of the shelter-in-place order
Although certainly not the only demographic at risk of serious illness and death from the novel coronavirus, the elderly face elevated risks from COVID-19.
But that hasn’t dimmed the spirits of many older adults in Nevada County — quite the opposite. New celebratory and socializing rituals have arisen in these communities.
At Grass Valley’s Eskaton Village, independently living residents on Sparrow Circle head outside at 10 a.m. every morning to greet their neighbors from their own doorsteps, some blowing bubbles, honking horns, playing music and even dancing with the person they live with.