Hebrew SeniorLife

🌟 Meet the Heart of Hebrew SeniorLife! 🌟 At Hebrew SeniorLife, our staff make everything possible. In this video, meet 👥 Carol, a server who cherishes the bonds and memories she has created over five years with residents. 💪 Nick, a physical therapist who loves the sense of community and teamwork that has defined his three years at Hebrew SeniorLife. 💖 Joanne, a social worker specializing in memory support and long-term chronic care who finds joy in collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and spiritual care. Want to join our team? Visit: https://bit.ly/4dyR8uF

🌟 Discover the Importance of Foot Health! 🌟 Did you know that your feet are the foundation of your overall health? They do so much for you every day, yet we often overlook their care. In this blog post Marian T. Hannan, DSc, MPH, co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, dives into foot health can impact your entire body. 👣 Why Foot Health Matters:  - Your feet are your primary mode of transportation, supporting your daily activities. - Foot dysfunction can lead to physical, psychological, and social challenges. - Proper foot alignment affects everything from your ankles to your spine. 🦶 Understanding Arthritis in Feet:  - Learn about the causes and symptoms of arthritis in the feet. - Discover how genetics, injuries, and lifestyle can contribute to foot arthritis. 💪 Tips for Keeping Your Feet Healthy:  - Explore preventative measures to protect your feet and delay arthritis onset. - Find out how physical therapy and proper footwear can make a difference. 📚 Research and Solutions:  - Our team at the Marcus Institute is at the forefront of foot health research. - Discover current studies and practical advice for managing foot pain and disorders. Don't let foot pain hold you back from living your best life.

DID YOU KNOW? Housing is health care!   Hebrew SeniorLife is growing our footprint of service-enriched affordable communities for older adults. Data show that our model of care, which embeds wellness teams in the community, reduces hospitalizations and trips to the emergency room. We are also expanding to provide these services for older adults who do not live on our campus, including through partnerships with the Brookline Housing Authority, The Schochet Companies, and Senior Whole Health. In the past year, we opened 88 new apartments at the Simon C. Fireman Community and Leyland Community and reached 1,300 additional people by expanding our services at affordable housing sites. And, a new building is under construction at our Center Communities of Brookline, which will open later in 2024. Donors are critical to funding innovation that improves life for older adults in affordable housing. For more information about how your gift can support Hebrew SeniorLife’s work, visit: https://bit.ly/4dMoPJ4

Our Center Communities of Brookline campus is now the home of some movie stars! Filmmaker Alex Salsberg recently held an early screening of his short, animated film “Of the Heart,” which features four residents and the multigenerational friendships they have built with volunteers. The film is a product of the Jewish Arts Collaborative Community Creative Fellowship, which pairs artists with a nonprofit in the Greater Boston area to build connections through art. Alex was paired with CCB, and, as he says, “It was a match made in heaven.”   “Of the Heart” is a conversation-based short film that gives viewers an inside look at four unique friendships between residents and volunteer visitors, how they were forged, and what each party has gained from the relationship. The film movingly depicts how the friends help each other through the ups and downs of life, from processing grief to celebrating acceptance to medical school. Alex intentionally chose to create an open, conversational environment, which he then paired with animation rather than on-camera interviews to ensure everyone felt open to being their authentic selves. One of the film's stars, CCB resident Diane Klein, loved the format, saying she felt she could really speak from her heart. She truly believes that intergenerational friendships are very powerful and important. For anyone considering volunteering with seniors, Diane says, “Go with an open heart, and you will be received with love.” Alex is currently submitting the film to festivals. In this clip, Caroline, a 23-year-old volunteer, and Diane, a 70-year-old resident share stories about the relationship they’ve developed over the past three years. 

☀️ The right senior living community can feel like the best parts of summer camp! 🎉 Remember those magical summers at camp? 🏕️ The friendships, the adventures, the joy? Our latest blog post explores the ways that continuing care retirement communities like Orchard Cove and NewBridge on the Charles reignite that camp spirit!🌟 💌 Endless opportunities to socialize   🎨 Making (or just enjoying) art and music   🌳 Nature’s beauty at your doorstep   👟 Fun ways to keep moving   🌱 New ways to lead and grow   🩺 Health care if you need it Learn more!

🔬 Investigators at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife are launching a large clinical food trial to test whether a combination of probiotics and prebiotics will help manage bone health over 18 months in 220 women aged 60 years and above. 👩🔬 Principal investigator Shivani Sahni, PhD, and her research team also plan to study the underlying mechanisms related to diet, inflammation, and the gut microbiome that lead to age-related bone loss. 🗣 “There are currently no consistent guidelines on how middle-aged and older adults can maintain healthy bone mass as they age,” said Dr. Sahni. “Consequently, approximately 10 million Americans aged 50 years and above are living with osteoporosis, culminating in 1.5 million fractures costing $17 billion annually. Hence, there is an unmet need for safe and effective dietary interventions for the metabolic processes underlying bone loss.” 🥗 She added, “If successful, this trial could lead to the development of safe, inexpensive health-promoting strategies for the dietary management of the metabolic processes underlying osteopenia and osteoporosis.”

MUST READ: In this wide-ranging interview with The MIT Press Reader, Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, medical director of the Deanna & Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health and senior scientist with the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, offers his thoughts on transcranial magnetic stimulation, how the brain works, and why he believes advances in neurotechnologies will require a new list of human rights to protect our privacy and agency. https://bit.ly/3YwtKtl

Simon C. Fireman Community resident Elaine Mullen is a recent recipient of our Power a Dream program, which funds long-held or deeply meaningful dreams of the seniors in our care. Elaine's wish was to visit her parents' gravesite at the @Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. Elaine doesn’t drive and has medical issues that would make travel via bus difficult to navigate on her own. Hebrew SeniorLife Trustee Margie Glou accompanied Elaine on her Power a Dream trip to Bourne so she could honor her parents, both of whom were veterans. “I haven’t been able to visit my parents’ graves for quite a number of years. Both of my parents served in World War II — my mother in the Navy and my father in the Coast Guard. Both were happy to serve their country, and I am extremely proud of and grateful to them,” Elaine said. “I cannot put into words how wonderful it was to have my prayer answered to visit Bourne National Cemetery. It is a beautiful and honorable setting for 'The Greatest Generation' and those who followed. It was a day I will never forget." 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: 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 a senior's dreams come true, donate at https://bit.ly/3hx3Kei

Simon C. Fireman Community resident Dottie Kaye is a recent recipient of our Power a Dream program, which funds long-held or deeply meaningful dreams of the seniors in our care. Dottie, a lifelong fan of classic Westerns, had always wanted to ride a horse but never had the opportunity. Thanks to Power a Dream, Dottie was finally able to fulfill her wish at BINA Farm Center in Lexington! There, Dottie rode Halo, a 19-year old Halfinger mare. Her husband Ira, who accompanied Dottie to BINA Farm Center, happily watched Dottie as she enjoyed her ride. Dottie described the experience as “unforgettable” and said that many of her friends at Fireman couldn’t wait to see photos from the ride and hear about her adventure. “I believe that many of those who live here would now want to have their own experience,” Dottie said. “My sincerest thanks for a wonderful day for me and my husband!" 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: 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 a senior's dreams come true, donate at https://bit.ly/3hx3Kei

Thank you to the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate for passing the Affordable Homes Act this morning. This legislation addresses the acute need for affordable housing and is an opportunity to ignite housing production and modernization. As part of the legislation, a special commission will study and make recommendations on creating affordable and healthy senior housing. Hebrew SeniorLife is grateful to be named to the commission and eager to be part of the solution to addressing the need for more affordable housing for the Commonwealth’s older residents.