(Courtesy of Daughters of Miriam) Samuelson Furniture, a local manufacturer based in Paterson, partnered with The Miriam Apartments in Clifton to donate an Allure chair equipped with revolutionary new Sound by Samuelson technology. The Miriam Apartments, also known as the Esther and Sam Schwartz Building, is located on the campus of Daughters of Miriam Center/The Gallen Institute and features a renovated lounge with a fireplace, piano, large-screen TV and a new seating area, which is now complete with the addition of the Allure chair, where seniors can socialize and relax. With optimal back support, arm height and overall comfort, the Allure chair is a fully-upholstered lounge chair featuring patent-pending Sound by Samuelson technology. The integrated Bluetooth sound system transforms the chair into a private, immersive sound experience for the user that can be controlled entirely through a phone, tablet or TV. The Allure chair is perfect for relaxing while reading, watching TV or listening to music.
Samuelson Furniture’s innovative technology transforms the chair itself into the speaker, thereby immersing the user in the joys of sound with the option to privately enjoy their favorite entertainment. The system allows those who may be hard of hearing to increase the volume while minimizing the disturbance to others nearby. The technical innovations and benefits make the chair a great addition to public spaces, promoting socialization among apartment tenants while simultaneously catering to individual needs. By enhancing the experience of music therapy or other wellness-related applications, Sound by Samuelson is a great addition to promote health and wellness. The chair may also be used in memory care to play music or other soothing sounds for seniors. As numerous scientific and psychological studies have shown, music can combat depression, improve blood flow in ways similar to statins, lower levels of stress-related hormones such as cortisol, and ease pain. Music can improve the outcomes for patients after surgery. In addition, a study in Nature Neuroscience even demonstrated that levels of the feel-good chemical dopamine in the brain rose by up to nine percent when people listened to music they enjoyed.
Daughters of Miriam Executive Vice President Fred Feinstein thanked Samuelson Furniture’s Executive Vice President Michael Chalfin for the company’s generous donation and, quoting Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, emphasized that “Music is indeed a universal language so all our seniors can benefit from this gift.” Michael Chalfin added, “Our team loves exploring new ways to give back to our local community. The Miriam Apartments offers quality care to North Jersey’s independent living community and we are honored to support their cause through this product donation.”
The Miriam Apartments provides progressive and advanced solutions to housing for the elderly and consists of 150 one-bedroom apartments with 28 units specially adapted to make them accessible to persons with mobility impairments. Each apartment includes a fully-equipped kitchen designed for the senior tenant and is equipped with grab bars in the bathrooms and a call-bell system in the event of an emergency.
The grounds of the Esther and Sam Schwartz Building offer beautiful outdoor spaces for tenants to enjoy. A greenhouse provides the perfect place for horticultural activities while the gazebo creates a beautiful outdoor meeting spot for tenants.
A Shabbat elevator allows observant Jews to move freely throughout the building on the Sabbath avoiding the need to use the stairs. Round the clock security, weekly maid and linen service and on-site laundry facilities are among the other available amenities. In addition, the clinical services of the skilled nursing facility are also available to apartment tenants in the Esther and Sam Schwartz Building, including short-term rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapy and vision care.
In 1979, the Esther and Sam Schwartz Building was part of a pilot program through the office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to offer congregate services to allow seniors to maintain their own homes for as long as possible. It was one of only three facilities in the state of New Jersey to be chosen to participate. Congregate services combine shelter and services for the elderly, particularly for those who are no longer fully capable of maintaining a completely independent lifestyle. It provides a residential environment which incorporates shelter and services in order to promote normalization of lifestyle for the impaired or socially-deprived but not ill elderly, through provision of the opportunity for congregate meals, housekeeping services and assistance in one or more of the activities of daily living.
The Esther & Sam Schwartz Building participates in Section 8 of HUD, thereby entitling qualified individuals aged 62 and over and/or persons with mobility impairments for federal subsidies through the HUD Section 8 program.
