A special presentation honoring Marthe and Major Cohn for their efforts to educate students about World War II was made at the “Stand Up For the 2015 Senior” Golden Living Fair. Pictured at the fair are Belmont Village community relations associate Tracey Paulk (left), Major Cohn, Marthe Cohn and Rabbi Norbert Weinberg, of Hollywood Temple Beth El. (photo courtesy of Julie Walke)

Belmont Village Senior Living and Hollywood Temple Beth El hosted their first Golden Living Fair — titled “Stand Up for the 2015 Senior” — on Feb. 16 at the temple, located at 1317 N. Crescent Heights Blvd. in West Hollywood.

The fair offered seniors educational and lifestyle experiences. Sponsors included Sherman Oaks Hospital, Encino Hospital Medical Center and Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles.

“Because the culture of youth is all around us, I wanted to bring attention to the oldest generation,” said Rabbi Weinberg, of Hollywood Temple Beth El. “From the seminars to the activities, we could tell from their smiles, all of the seniors who attended felt appreciated.”

The opening ceremony featured Dr. David Stern, who discussed Los Angeles’ first Geriatric Emergency Room — known as a “Senior ER” — which officially opens on Monday, March 2 at Encino Hospital Medical Center. The Senior ER will address specific issues that occur as patients age and their medical issues become more complicated. Each patient may have several major medical conditions and may be taking multiple medications, and functional and cognitive impairments may complicate treatment.

“The physical features of the Senior ER and of the geriatric specific inpatient rooms provide additional comfort and safety for seniors,” Stern said. “These include pastel colored walls, thicker mattresses, nonskid floors and extra handrails.”

Specially trained nurses will assess the medical and functional conditions of geriatric patients in the new Senior ER. It will also incorporate a broader team of experts, including physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, case managers, social workers and dieticians.

Belmont Village also hosted a discussion at the fair titled, “A Day in the Life of Circle of Friends”, which highlighted the company’s activity-centered program that meets the needs of seniors with early stages of memory loss.

A special presentation was held during the closing ceremony honoring Marthe and Major Cohn, as well as several nonagenarians. Marthe Cohn is an author and renowned former French spy who wrote, “Behind Enemy Lines: the True Story of a French Jewish Spy in Nazi Germany”. The Cohns visit local schools to educate students about World War II. State Assemblyman Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) issued a special proclamation recognizing Marthe Cohn.

More than 30 vendors offered information on senior-specific topics ranging from specially-adapted telephones and health-related businesses to Granny Nanny and chair yoga.

For information, visit www.belmontvillage.com, or www.htbel.org/goldenliving.