Hispanic Heritage spotlight: Israel Regus devotes career to caring for elderly

Editor's note: This is the eighth and final article in a month-long series that celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month.

Senior Executive Director Israel Regus and his team watch a small army of senior residents at the Solstice Senior Living community in Apple Valley.

“I have the privilege of being part of a team who helps provide quality of life to about 132 seniors living here at Solstice,” Regus, 41, said. “I consider myself blessed to have this important responsibility.”

Located next to Burger King on Bear Valley Road, the Solstice campus resembles a high-end, two-story hotel, with adjacent single-family homes.

Throughout the year, Regus and his team provide wellness programs, restaurant-style dining, and a full calendar of activities such as games, art and crafts, Hawaiian luaus, holiday celebrations, and plenty of birthday parties.

“Most of our seniors are independent and are involved in activities outside of our community,” Regus said. “But we also offer day-to-day experiences onsite that help our residents live a vibrant lifestyle through programs and plenty of social interaction.”

Whittier born in Downey and raised

Regus is a Southern Californian, born in Whittier and raised in Downey. His family moved to the High Desert in 1993, and six years later, he graduated from Apple Valley Christian School.

He moved down the hill and graduated from La Sierra University in Riverside, intending to continue his studies to become a doctor.

Recognizing that the academic rigors of being a physician were not part of his DNA, Regus studied to become a nurse at Summit College in Colton.

After working as a nurse in Redlands, Regus decided to try his hand at marketing. After a few years, he moved back to the High Desert, where he worked at an assisted living facility and later worked for Solstice.

Regus and his wife, Jessica, have an adult daughter working on her master’s degree and a 5-year-old daughter.

His parents, Israel and Esther Regus, live in the High Desert along with his older sister, Leticia, and younger brother, Joshua.

“In our Mexican culture, it’s all about family, love, and loyalty,” Regus said. “So it’s a blessing to live close to family.”

Welcome to Solstice and the pandemic

Regus’ first month at Solstice was a walk in the park, as he stepped into the leadership role in February 2020 and began to build relationships with residents, his staff, and the community.

“Everything was going smoothly. Then we got hit by this tidal wave of fear, uncertainty, and safety protocols that we needed to face,” Regus said. “Suddenly, I felt like I was the new guy that got hired to shut everything down.”

One day, Regus and his assistant set out to visit other senior living facilities, but with each visit, they could see that the world was coming to a stop, he said.

At the duo’s first stop, they were required to wear a mask, the second stop was an introduction to social distancing and by the third stop there was no visitor admittance.

Regus and his assistant quickly headed back to Solstice and, with the company's help and the state's direction, began implementing health and safety protocols.

Bringing joy during a dark time

“The majority of our seniors are active, able-bodied, and independent, so locking everything down was hard for them, their families, and our staff,” Regus said. “Thankfully, most of our families understood that we needed to make changes to keep everyone safe.”

As the days of masks, social distancing and isolation turned into months, Regus could almost sense a change in the residents’ aging process — “It seemed like it was speeding up,” he said.

Regus knew that, unlike the younger generations, his seniors had little to no clue how to connect with loved ones through ZOOM, Facetime or social media platforms.

“It was a dark time for all of us, and we knew that we had to make some immediate changes,” Regus said. “We strategized and devised a few safe and fun activities.”

One of the activities was socially distanced “hallway parades,” where Solstice staff —armed with snacks, comfort foods, dance music and goodies — knocked on residents’ doors and celebrated with each senior.

“We danced with them, handed out food, and spent time with each one of our residents,” Regus said. “It was almost like our presence brought healing, comfort, and joy.”

A listening ear and caring heart

The art of respecting and listening to seniors, and being thankful for their wisdom, was instilled in Regus by his parents.

“I’m grateful that my parents taught me that discipline,” he said. “It started with me as a kid following my dad, who was the neighborhood handyman.”

Regus would often assist his father but sit and listen to senior adults as they shared stories about their families and younger days. Eventually, he started building relations with them, and his caring heart continued growing.

“The senior community is important, and each one of them should be respected, honored, and cherished,” Regus said. “They also have a story to tell, and we should take the time to listen.”

On the calendar

Regus, his team and the residents are preparing to welcome children during a Trunk-or-Treat event on the Solstice property.

“We’re also looking to have our veterans ride in this year’s Veterans Day parade in Victorville,” Regus said. “After the parade, we’ll take them to Applebees for lunch.”

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: The Hispanic Heritage Month spotlight shines on Israel Regus