Hebrew SeniorLife

12/26/2025

Inspired by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)’s new “PT for Future Me” campaign, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center - Boston held a fitness and fall risk screening event. 35 community members attended the event, participating in four fitness stations and completing nine standardized assessments to evaluate their balance and strength. After the evaluations, our physical therapists met with the participants to discuss their scores, identify areas of strength and weakness, and offer recommendations for exercises and modifications to their current routines.

A vital component of fall prevention for older adults is taking a proactive approach and recognizing risk factors. This screening helped empower participants to utilize recommended resources to optimize their health and fitness as they age.

12/25/2025

🎄✨ Merry Christmas from Hebrew SeniorLife ✨🎄

This Christmas season, we’re wishing our community peace, warmth, and moments of joy shared with loved ones. We’re deeply grateful for the compassion, dedication, and connection that define Hebrew SeniorLife — from the older adults we serve, to their families, caregivers, staff, and partners who make our mission possible every day.

May your holiday be filled with comfort, kindness, and meaningful moments. ❤️
From all of us at Hebrew SeniorLife, Merry Christmas.

12/24/2025

The Jack Frost Winter Wonderland Show, put on by Big Smile Entertainment, took center stage at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center - NewBridge for a concert performance of several Christmas- and Hanukkah-themed classics. The holiday performance had everyone singing and dancing to timeless classics, and some patients even got to play the roles of Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, and a Christmas tree. The event was followed by the ceremonial lighting of the third candle on the menorah, accompanied by songs performed by Life Enhancement Coordinator Emily Perlman and Rabbi Karen Landy.

12/23/2025

📚 Readers’ Favorite Blog Posts of 2025 📚

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the Hebrew SeniorLife blog posts that sparked the most interest, curiosity, and conversation. From practical tips on nutrition and movement to insights on Medicare, strength training, cognitive health, and the future of long-term care, these posts captured what matters most to older adults, caregivers, and families navigating aging today.

Our new blog roundup highlights the 10 most popular Hebrew SeniorLife blog posts of 2025 — a snapshot of the questions people are asking and the evidence-based information they’re seeking.

👉 Take a look at the list and catch up on any favorites you may have missed https://bit.ly/49dcOMb

And if you enjoy staying informed about healthy aging, research, and care innovations, be sure to subscribe to our blog at the link in our comments so you don’t miss what’s coming in 2026.

12/22/2025

✨ A favorite moment from 2025! ✨

Earlier this year, more than 250 Hebrew SeniorLife friends and supporters gathered at our 2025 EngAGE event! EngAGE is Hebrew SeniorLife’s annual fundraiser, raising support for health care, communities, research, and teaching that transform the experience of aging. Held at City Winery Boston, this year’s guest performers, musical icon Mavis Staples and jazz pianist Joe Alterman, had the crowd on their feet.

Also at the event, Hinda Marcus, a Hebrew SeniorLife board member, former board chair, and long-time volunteer, was honored for her decades of dedicated leadership, advocacy for research in the field of aging, and generosity.

“Becoming a member of the Hebrew SeniorLife team, and continuing to stay connected for these many years, has given me purpose, a deep sense of commitment, a vision for the health and care of today’s and tomorrow’s older adults, a community, extended family, friendship, and love,” said Marcus in her speech.

In his speech, President and CEO Adam Scott cited the audience and the greater Hebrew SeniorLife community as why he is “incredibly optimistic about our future and our ability to ensure that every generation of older people is healthier and happier than the ones that came before.”

12/19/2025

Maureen O'Keefe started her career at Hebrew SeniorLife in her teens as a waitress at our Roslindale campus. Forty-five years later, she has built a career with the culinary and nutrition department at our Roslindale and NewBridge on the Charles sites. She was recently honored for her more than four decades of service at Hebrew SeniorLife's 59th Annual Service Awards.

The event honored nearly 300 staff members marking career milestones in increments of five years, with honorees collectively representing almost 4,000 years of service.

From serving patients their meals to supporting nutrition services behind the scenes, Maureen has witnessed Hebrew SeniorLife's growth and evolution over four and a half decades. Thank you, Maureen, for your extraordinary dedication to the Hebrew SeniorLife community!

Interested in joining our amazing team? Explore career opportunities at Hebrew SeniorLife at https://bit.ly/4pJlgJZ

12/18/2025

🧠💬 A new study is offering a rare, in-depth look at one of the most difficult decisions families may face: whether to pursue surgery for a loved one living with dementia.

Published in Annals of Surgery, the study explores how people living with dementia and their caregivers navigate surgical decision-making — and the profound emotional and ethical strain that often accompanies it. Through in-depth interviews, researchers captured experiences that are rarely documented, revealing how families grapple with uncertainty about outcomes, fear of cognitive decline, and the heavy responsibility of honoring a loved one’s wishes when clear guidance is limited.

The study identified four central themes, including:

❤️ Prioritizing quality of life over extending life at all costs
❓ Struggling to anticipate how surgery may affect cognition and physical function
⚖️ The emotional burden caregivers carry when making decisions on someone else’s behalf
💔 Regret when outcomes don’t align with what families believe their loved one would have wanted

“Our study gives voice to families facing some of the hardest choices in medicine,” said Dae Hyun Kim, MD, MPH, ScD, associate director and senior scientist at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. “Clinicians need to recognize that burden and provide decision-making support tailored to the realities of dementia.”

This research underscores the need for more dementia-specific guidance and compassionate support for families navigating complex surgical decisions.

🔗 Read more about the study and its findings ➡️ https://bit.ly/4s20CGz

Caregivers face heavy emotional strain when making surgery decisions, balancing quality of life, cognitive risks, and caregiving demands.

12/17/2025

⭐ Hebrew SeniorLife is proud to share that Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s skilled nursing units have been recognized among the Best Nursing Homes of 2026 by U.S. News & World Report.

The Rehabilitative Services Units at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham were both rated high-performing, the highest designation awarded by U.S. News & World Report.

“[This recognition] showcases the work that we perform daily to provide the best support possible for those in our care,” said Ernest I. Mandel, MD, SM, executive vice president of health care, chief medical officer, and chief quality officer at Hebrew SeniorLife.

The U.S. News Best Nursing Homes ratings are based on a rigorous analysis of skilled nursing facilities nationwide, using federal Care Compare data that evaluates key quality measures such as staffing levels, medical outcomes, and resident experience.

👏 Congratulations to our dedicated interdisciplinary teams for their commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care every day.

Learn more ➡️

Skilled nursing units recognized among the Best Nursing Homes of 2026

12/16/2025

Thinking about a future move — for yourself or a loved one — and wondering how to plan for changing needs over time? 🏡

Our latest blog explains what a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) is and how it can offer both independence and peace of mind. Also known as life plan communities, CCRCs provide a full continuum of care — from independent living to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing — all on one campus, so support is available as needs evolve.

The post also highlights what makes Hebrew SeniorLife’s CCRCs at NewBridge on the Charles and Orchard Cove unique, including flexible care options, vibrant community life, and on-site, Harvard Medical School–affiliated medical practices — all designed to support older adults in living purposeful, connected lives.

📖 Read the full blog to learn more ➡️ https://bit.ly/4qaKBMJ

12/15/2025

Francia Edouard recently celebrated 45 years of service at Hebrew SeniorLife, spending the past 20 years in the nursing business office. She was among nearly 300 staff members honored at Hebrew SeniorLife's 59th Annual Service Awards, celebrating colleagues marking career milestones in increments of five years.

Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services Sarah Sjostrom praised Francia for her steady presence and kindness that make compassionate, high-quality care possible.

The nearly 300 employees honored at this year's event had collectively worked almost 4,000 years at Hebrew SeniorLife. Thank you, Francia, for your extraordinary dedication to the Hebrew SeniorLife community!

Interested in joining our team? Explore career opportunities here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3WOygzd

12/14/2025

Happy Hanukkah! 🕎

Hebrew SeniorLife wishes a joyous Festival of Lights to all who celebrate! May your eight nights be filled with light, love, and togetherness.

12/12/2025

Simon C. Fireman Community resident Linda Osgood is the latest recipient of our Power a Dream program, which funds long-held or deeply meaningful dreams of the older adults in our care.

Linda’s dream was to soar above the city she loves — and that’s exactly what she did!

With her son-in-law, Ricardo, by her side, Linda boarded a helicopter with Helicopter Tour Boston at Norwood Airport for a breathtaking aerial tour of Boston.

“It was a beautiful day. The weather turned out perfect,” Linda said. “My son-in-law and I enjoyed it so much. We saw all of Boston, and it was fun trying to figure out what each building was. I can’t thank you enough.”

She joked afterward that she’s now fully qualified to deliver the weather report!

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 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 help make an older adult’s dream come true, donate at https://bit.ly/3hx3Kei