Hebrew SeniorLife

Hebrew SeniorLife Hebrew SeniorLife is a nonprofit organization devoted to transforming aging through new standards of care that positively impact the lives of older adults.

Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a nonprofit, non-sectarian organization deeply committed to taking on the challenges of transforming--or ReAging--the ways in which seniors live, grow and interact with the world. We're building active, engaging retirement communities. Helping older adults live healthier. Driving research that impacts lives and teaching tomorrow's geria

tricians. With everything we do, we're resetting the standards for the health and wellness of seniors. www.hebrewseniorlife.org

Wrapping up our Volunteer Week spotlight series is Kristina Honda, a volunteer at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – Boston....
04/24/2026

Wrapping up our Volunteer Week spotlight series is Kristina Honda, a volunteer at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – Boston. After visiting the campus as part of a student service day in her first year at Boston Latin School, Kristina reignited a passion for volunteering with older adults that began when she was a young child — one that first took root when she would tag along with her dad, who worked at a nursing home.

Kristina began visiting weekly games group sessions, learning Scrabble tips and tricks from a patient who was an expert. After her Scrabble partner passed, Kristina continued her weekly visits and began playing Uno with a group of patients.

Kristina knows patients' lives aren't always easy and takes great pride in giving them something to look forward to on Friday afternoons:

"I know there are a lot of struggles that go on behind the scenes, and it makes me happy that I can make a difference and give them some joy and relief," she says.

We thank all our incredible volunteers across our campuses for everything they do to support staff, patients, residents, and their families.

Interested in beginning your own volunteer story? Learn more about starting your volunteer experience ➡️ https://bit.ly/4txCLin

Our next volunteer spotlight shines on Rufus, a lovable Cavachon who has quickly become a favorite among memory care ass...
04/23/2026

Our next volunteer spotlight shines on Rufus, a lovable Cavachon who has quickly become a favorite among memory care assisted living residents at NewBridge on the Charles. For the past five months, Rufus has been making Friday afternoon visits.

With his gentle nature and friendly personality, Rufus has a special way of connecting with residents. What began as brief, one-on-one visits has grown into lively community gatherings. Now, Rufus spends time with small groups of five or six residents who enjoy his company — sharing smiles, conversation, and plenty of pets.

These group visits have created a warm, relaxed environment where residents not only bond with Rufus but also with one another. His presence brings comfort, joy, and a sense of connection to everyone he meets.

A special thank you to Rufus and his owner for brightening our community each week and bringing people together through the simple, powerful joy of a dog's companionship.

Learn more about how to start your own volunteer story ➡️ https://bit.ly/4txCLin

Our second National Volunteer Week spotlight is on Ravid Inbar.Ravid's volunteer journey began with visits to patients a...
04/22/2026

Our second National Volunteer Week spotlight is on Ravid Inbar.

Ravid's volunteer journey began with visits to patients at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – NewBridge. One, a retired English teacher, told Ravid that he missed the intellectual challenge of reading. This inspired Ravid to start a book club.

After overcoming some early bumps in the road — such as finding books with larger font sizes — the book club began to hit its stride with classics like "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Of Mice and Men," and "Fahrenheit 451." Many of these stories helped patients recall memories, transporting them back to where they were when they first read the books. The loyal group of four to six attendees became more than just fellow book club members — they became good friends, organizing Rummikub games and dinners together. Ravid finds these newly formed bonds an especially rewarding part of the experience:

"I once read that one of the single best predictors of longevity is social connections. Forming these connections within the community is so important for patients. It goes beyond the club," he says.

Ravid's grandparents live in Israel, making it difficult to see them often. He says visiting patients at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – NewBridge has become like having a second family.

Interested in beginning your own volunteer story? Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4txCLin

"There's an intimacy that comes from supporting people as they approach the end of their lives," says Cynthia Broner, a ...
04/21/2026

"There's an intimacy that comes from supporting people as they approach the end of their lives," says Cynthia Broner, a hospice volunteer at Hebrew SeniorLife. "It's a tenderness that is so profound."

Hospice volunteers like Cynthia offer companionship, comfort, and a meaningful presence to patients and families during one of life's most profound moments — reading together, sharing memories, giving family caregivers a much-needed break, and so much more.

Before working with patients, volunteers complete 20 hours of training over seven weeks, led by our interdisciplinary hospice care team — including physicians, nurses, social workers, and chaplains. While Hebrew SeniorLife has deep expertise in Jewish traditions, volunteers are prepared to honor the spiritual needs and practices of patients and families from all backgrounds and faith traditions.

In our latest blog post, volunteer services manager Lesley Orlinsky offers a closer look at our hospice volunteer program. Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Qd7P8v

Hebrew SeniorLife is proud to have received funding from the City of Boston for our proposed affordable senior housing c...
04/20/2026

Hebrew SeniorLife is proud to have received funding from the City of Boston for our proposed affordable senior housing community in Roslindale. The award is part of $52 million in new funding to support the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing across Boston.

The project will be located on our existing flagship campus, and will transform a parking lot across the street from the Arnold Arboretum into a six-story, 78-unit housing community. We’re excited to expand access to affordable senior housing in a neighborhood with limited income-restricted units. The community will also include our award-winning Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3) program, which integrates health and supportive care teams into affordable senior housing.

We are honored to partner with the City of Boston to create more affordable housing options for older adults in the Boston area and to further our mission to enhance the aging experience so all can live fully.

Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4mGbBTX

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, we are spotlighting some of the many incredible volunteers from across our co...
04/20/2026

In celebration of National Volunteer Week, we are spotlighting some of the many incredible volunteers from across our communities. Our first featured volunteer is Tess Bundy.

Tess's inspiration for volunteering with older adults stems from her career in teaching. Having spent years teaching African American history at Merrimack College and Emmanuel College, she wanted to explore teaching other age groups. She also strongly believes that all individuals, regardless of age or income, should have the opportunity to learn.

Tess started teaching African American history to residents at Brookline Housing Authority, a Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3) partner of Hebrew SeniorLife, before expanding her volunteer classes to Center Communities of Brookline. How does her teaching style differ with an older audience? According to Tess, the biggest difference is the quantity of questions from older residents. "They have such great energy and enthusiasm. It does mean I ask them to hold their questions until the end of my presentation!"

Tess has found her volunteer experience extremely rewarding and plans to continue:
"It has been so meaningful. I love connecting with people through teaching, and this experience has given me the most excited, engaged, and emotionally authentic audience of my whole teaching career," she says.

Interested in beginning your own volunteer story? Learn more about how to get started ➡️ https://bit.ly/4txCLin

Eighth-grade students from Boston College High School recently visited Hebrew Rehabilitation Center - Boston for a servi...
04/17/2026

Eighth-grade students from Boston College High School recently visited Hebrew Rehabilitation Center - Boston for a service day. Students competed alongside patients in games like Uno and Connect 4, as well as a variety of adapted sports. For many students, it was their first chance to spend quality time with older adults with dementia, and they relished the opportunity to discuss shared interests, work together on a puzzle, or engage in a friendly competition!

Congratulations to Mimi Lewis, program director of Hebrew SeniorLife's R3: Right Care, Right Place, Right Time program, ...
04/16/2026

Congratulations to Mimi Lewis, program director of Hebrew SeniorLife's R3: Right Care, Right Place, Right Time program, on being named the winner of the 2026 LeadingAge Leadership Award!

LeadingAge, a national community of nonprofit aging services providers, presents this national award to an individual whose leadership has made a significant difference in their organization or local community. R3 integrates wellness teams into housing communities for older adults, supporting residents to proactively manage their health and linking housing and care — with the goal of helping residents stay independent and at home longer. Mimi was instrumental in building the program from the ground up, helping expand it from serving 400 older adults across six communities to more than 2,400 across 16 communities today, supported by more than 50 team members.

As R3 Executive Director Stephanie Small noted, "People leave conversations with her wanting to work with us. There's just this nuance she has in the way she connects so beautifully with people."

Mimi will be recognized at the 2026 LeadingAge Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., next week. Learn more about Mimi ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Qbidxl

Delirium, a state of sudden confusion, is four to five times more common in people with dementia — and until now, accura...
04/15/2026

Delirium, a state of sudden confusion, is four to five times more common in people with dementia — and until now, accurately measuring its severity in these patients has been a major challenge for clinicians.

🔬 A new study from the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife and the University of Alabama at Birmingham has established a "gold standard" for measuring delirium severity, even in patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

Published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, the study found that an expert panel process achieved near-perfect consensus on severity ratings across 488 patients in medical wards, surgical units, and nursing homes — providing a reliable benchmark against which new delirium severity tools can be tested.

"The multi-site prospective Better Assessment of Illness (BASIL) II study will develop and validate a new delirium severity instrument for use in patients with and without Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias," said Sharon K. Inouye, MD, MPH, director of the Aging Brain Center at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health. Public investment in science makes discoveries like this possible — advancing care and helping older adults live healthier, more independent lives.

Learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4vzxwjK

Travel supports healthy aging — and it doesn't have to mean jetting off to an exotic destination. Whether it's a road tr...
04/14/2026

Travel supports healthy aging — and it doesn't have to mean jetting off to an exotic destination. Whether it's a road trip, a weekend getaway, or visiting family, getting out and exploring can boost your physical and mental health. Research confirms that travel can preserve cognition, lift spirits, and help maintain mobility and independence.

Before you pack your bags, a little planning goes a long way. On our blog, we share practical tips to help older adults travel with confidence, including how to stay healthy on the road, choose accessible accommodations, and navigate air travel safely. ✈️

Learn more 👉🏼 https://bit.ly/4sz2buK

Today, we mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, to remember the victims, honor the survivors, and pay tribute to ...
04/13/2026

Today, we mark Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, to remember the victims, honor the survivors, and pay tribute to those who risked their lives to resist N**i persecution. Hebrew SeniorLife is proud to serve many Holocaust survivors across our communities, where many will join with fellow residents, patients, and staff members today for observances of remembrance.

Among them is Orchard Cove resident Edith Bard, who recently shared her story with fellow residents during a meeting of Orchard Cove's Shalom Club.

"I had what you might call a happy childhood, up until March 1938 when Hi**er marched into Austria," Bard said. "I was 14 years old at the time, and two months later, I was no longer allowed to attend public schools with Christian children."

Bard described the months that followed as "bearable," but that all changed on Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, on November 9, 1938. The N**i party came to her home searching for her father. When they couldn't find him, they turned to Edith. "They looked at me and said, 'You, come with us.' My mother started to cry, saying, 'Take me, take me,' and I was very scared," Bard recalled. "I had no idea what they had in mind for me." They forced her to paint antisemitic words and swastikas on Jewish stores in her neighborhood, then poured the leftover paint over her clothes and let her go.

Her brother Harry immigrated to the United States in 1939. Though Bard had a visa, her parents were uneasy about her traveling alone and hoped the family could leave together. When England and France declared war on Germany, her parents put her on a train to Italy to wait for a ship to America.

"Little did I know that I would never see them again," Bard said.

Bard arrived in New York on November 17, 1939, reuniting with her brother. After the war, they searched for their parents. "The Germans kept lists of all the Jewish people they killed in the concentration camps, and we found their names," she said. Her parents, Leo and Amalia, died in May 1942 at the Chelmno concentration camp in Poland.

Now 102, Bard continues to be an active member of the Orchard Cove community — volunteering with Hadassah, knitting blankets for Project Linus, playing ping-pong, and frequenting the fitness center. "I believe that if you want to get old, you have to keep busy," she said.

On this Yom HaShoah, we honor the courage and resilience of survivors like Bard , and we recommit to preserving their stories so that the lessons of history endure.

Farm Visits, a traveling petting zoo from Swansea, brought a gaggle of baby animals from their farm to Hebrew Rehabilita...
04/10/2026

Farm Visits, a traveling petting zoo from Swansea, brought a gaggle of baby animals from their farm to Hebrew Rehabilitation Center – NewBridge. Patients held and pet two-month-old rabbits, several baby chicks, and some full-grown Silkie chickens, and met Peanut, the diaper-wearing lamb who roamed the activity room in search of attention.

Interacting with animals has been shown to combat loneliness, aid in socialization, increase physical activity, and offer a sense of purpose to older adults.

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1200 Centre Street
Boston, MA
02131

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+16173638000

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