Hebrew SeniorLife

09/02/2025

🚨 One in two women over age 50 will experience a bone fracture — and for many, a hip fracture is the first sign of undiagnosed osteoporosis.

Hip fractures can be life-altering, especially for older adults. Recovery is challenging, and second fractures are common — but they don’t have to be.

In this blog post, Dr. Douglas Kiel, a geriatrician and leading bone health researcher at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, shares:

✅ What to do after a fracture to reduce the risk of falling again
✅ The importance of DXA scans and osteoporosis treatment
✅ Why post-acute rehab and strength training matter
✅ How Fracture Liaison Services can prevent future breaks

💪🏽 Learn how to advocate for the right follow-up care after a hip fracture — and why prevention is key.

📖 Read the blog to learn more 👉🏾

Osteoporosis often goes undiagnosed until a fracture occurs — but even then, essential follow-up care is frequently overlooked.

09/01/2025

Today, we honor the dedication, compassion, and hard work of the staff who make Hebrew SeniorLife a place where older adults thrive. 💙 From nurses and CNAs to dining, facilities, administrative, and research teams — every role is vital to our mission of reimagining the experience of aging.

This Labor Day, we celebrate you. 👏 Thank you for the care and commitment you bring each and every day.

08/29/2025

💬 “Stop worrying about your future… live today.”

That’s just one piece of wisdom from Center Communities of Brookline resident Gail Flackett, who is featured in a new video created by students from Boston University’s Audio Visual Storytelling class.

Gail’s feisty spirit and compassion for others have guided her through a lifetime of helping people as a social worker — and continue to shape her life today.
In a new video created by students in Boston University’s Audio Visual Storytelling class and published by https://bit.ly/4g1K0cn, Gail reflects on:

💙 Why everyone’s story matters
🌱 The importance of living in the present
🤝 Building community wherever you are

👏 Thank you to https://bit.ly/4g1K0cn and BU students for capturing Gail’s story and voice so beautifully.

🎥 Watch the full video here ➡️ https://bit.ly/4g4blL8

08/28/2025

Hebrew SeniorLife is honored to share that we have received the Association of Jewish Aging Services Innovation Igniter Award for our nationally recognized Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3) Program!

The R3 program links housing and health care to help older adults:

✅ Stay independent at home longer
✅ Improve health and wellness
✅ Reduce costs of care

With on-site support from a nurse care manager, wellness coordinator, and fitness specialist, R3 helps residents proactively manage their health and overcome barriers to staying well.

👏 This award follows previous national recognition: the Pioneer Institute 2017 Better Government Competition and the John A. Hartford Foundation 2021 Business Innovation Award.

Learn more 👉

Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit organization, honors diversity and welcomes older adults of any religion, culture, race, sexual orientation, gender expression, and class background.

08/27/2025

As part of their 49th annual leadership retreat, students from Xaverian Brothers High School visited Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles for the first time to participate in a morning of service and community connection. Patients and students started the visit by collaborating on a classic summer activity, tie-dyeing. They created colorful designs while learning more about each other. The students thoughtfully prepared and delivered gift bags to patients, bringing kindness, color, and connection to their visit.

08/26/2025

🧠✨ Did you know your brain can keep learning and growing well into your 80s, 90s, and beyond? At Hebrew SeniorLife communities, older adults like bestselling author Maggie Scarf, 93, show us the power of lifelong learning every day.

From French literature and music theory to gardening, art, and online classes — staying curious builds resilience, strengthens memory, and helps protect against dementia.

Discover science-backed strategies and easy activities you can try to boost brain health at any age in our latest blog 👉 https://bit.ly/3UJdbr1

08/25/2025

Become a Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) – at no cost to you! We’re looking for caring, hardworking people with an interest in health care for an opportunity to jumpstart a new career this fall.

📅 5 Week, Full-Time Nurse Aide Training Program
👩🏽‍⚕️ Immediate Job Placement at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center
🔔Next Session Starts on October 6, 2025
📚 Classes are In Person at Hebrew SeniorLife, 1200 Centre St, Roslindale, MA
✅ No Prior Health Care Experience Required
💵Starting Pay for CNAs is $18-23 / hour

Visit the Lunder CareForce Institute at Hebrew SeniorLife by clicking the link in the comments to get started today.

08/22/2025

📚✡️ As a new school year begins, we’re celebrating the special bond between The Rashi School and Hebrew SeniorLife’s NewBridge on the Charles. Located on the same campus, our communities share a commitment to turning neighbors into friends through meaningful multigenerational experiences.

Last year:

✨ 100% of Rashi students engaged with NewBridge residents
✨ More than 80 residents joined monthly programs
✨ Students from Pre-K through 8th grade built friendships across generations

From Pre-K “Rashi Readers” story time, to 2nd graders bringing their Wax Museum to life, to 7th graders in the Making Memories program sparking joy with music, food, and conversation — these moments show the power of learning and connection across ages.

We can’t wait to see what this year brings! 💙

Learn more about Hebrew SeniorLife’s multigenerational programs at the link in our comments!

08/21/2025

📢 New research highlights a critical gap in care for older adults with breast cancer.

A study published in the Journal of Geriatric Oncology found that while geriatric assessments can identify risks — like recent falls, prior hospitalizations, or the need for added support — many patients decline referrals to supportive services, even when the benefits are clear.

“Awareness and engagement remain major barriers,” said Tammy Hshieh, MD, MPH, assistant scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and a co-author of the study. “We have work to do in normalizing geriatric and supportive care as a standard part of cancer treatment — especially for older adults.”

The findings reinforce national recommendations that call for routine geriatric assessment in cancer care.

👉 Read the full press release

The findings reinforce national recommendations that call for routine geriatric assessment in cancer care.

08/20/2025

Center Communities of Brookline resident Ruth Glaser is a recent recipient of our Power a Dream program, which funds long-held or deeply meaningful dreams of the older adults in our care.

Ruth fulfilled her dream with a whale watch on a perfect summer day! She invited her friend and fellow resident, Leila Abelow, to join, and volunteer Margie Glou came along to share the adventure.

From spotting whales to making new friends with a Boston family on board, Ruth described the day as unforgettable. Leila later wrote: “The whale watch trip was a wonderful experience, on a perfect weather day! … And the luxury of door-to-door transportation is something I’d love to get used to!”

Through Power a Dream, family members and staff can nominate residents of Hebrew SeniorLife's supportive living communities — Center Communities of Brookline, Simon C. Fireman Community in Randolph, Jack Satter House in Revere, and Leyland Community in Dorchester — to receive the dream of a lifetime. It can be anything of personal significance: ballroom dancing lessons, a motorcycle ride, a New England Patriots game, or a trip to visit with beloved family. For the recipients, it's a spirit-lifting, hope-giving experience — a reminder that life continues to hold excitement and possibility. Power a Dream is funded entirely through the generosity of our donors. To make an older adult's dreams come true, donate at https://bit.ly/3hx3Kei.

08/19/2025

As our volunteers continue to look back what shaped them during the Teresa who volunteers at in Boston reflected beautifully about the lasting effects of her service:

"Many encounters that I had this year have changed my view of my origins. In Germany, I have repeatedly learned about the history of National Socialism—at school, in public spaces, and also in my personal reflections. But here, so far away from home, I realized once again in a different way how alive this history remains in the lives of other people—not as an abstract past, but as family history, as a driving force for political engagement, or as a quiet shadow in everyday life.

I was particularly touched by moments such as celebrating Passover together—both as part of my work at and privately with my host family. In such moments, I could feel how much trust and encounter are possible – despite the historical burden and differences in national origin. It was precisely in such situations that I experienced the central concern of ARSP as reconciliation work in action – not only looking back on the past, but also as a bridge to the future."

Thank you, Teresa for your service, for the supporting environment, and her host family for creating such precious moments

08/19/2025

💬 Family relationships aren’t always easy — and for adult children caring for older parents, a complicated history can make the journey even harder.

In our latest blog, Gayle Henry, MSW, LCSW, shares insights for adult children caring for a parent when the relationship hasn’t always been easy:

🔹 The emotions that surface when caregiving follows a strained relationship
🔹 The unique challenges dementia can bring
🔹 Why setting boundaries and finding support is not only valid — it’s essential

Whether you’re navigating past trauma, sibling dynamics, or caregiver burnout, you don’t have to go through it alone. Resources and support are available to help both you and your parent.

👉 Read the blog https://bit.ly/4lFLYAt