AGING IS UNIVERSAL. AGING WELL SHOULD BE TOO.
Hebrew SeniorLife’s Age of Opportunity campaign addresses the urgent and advancing needs of seniors from all walks of life.
America has an aging crisis. Hebrew SeniorLife has the vision and commitment to help address it. Growing numbers of seniors and insufficient resources to care for them. Increasing diagnoses of diseases associated with aging that have no cure, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Health care costs that continue to spiral out of control. Aging boomers with greater expectations for their later years than their parents had. On top of it all—a pandemic that hit seniors the hardest. Those who persevered had to do so in isolation, which robbed them and their families of precious moments together. All of these are placing enormous pressure on a senior care system that isn’t currently prepared to keep up. The needs that today’s seniors face are both pressing and plentiful: • More housing options, especially for low-income seniors and those who require supportive services • More supports for people with dementia and their families and caregivers • More therapeutic services that address each senior’s mind, body, and spirit • More geriatric training and research, both of which are desperately needed
It’s an enormous challenge. But it’s also our calling. Hebrew SeniorLife has been caring for seniors for more than 100 years and the level of our expertise is matched only by the level of our commitment. To us, “good enough” can never be good enough. If anything, the pandemic proved that we are the one that others turn to for guidance. We are restless visionaries who are constantly seeking to raise the bar — for while COVID-19 was a reminder of how frail and vulnerable seniors are, we remain committed to doing whatever we can to support them in reaching their goals, and helping them live their best lives for as long as possible.
Our long track record of achievement has earned us the reputation of being the gold standard in senior care. Still, the challenges we face continue to grow more complex and so our solutions must be creative and comprehensive. With more than a century of experience behind us, we continue to innovate for the benefit of the seniors of tomorrow. But we can’t do it alone.
The need is great. The time is now. We need your help.
The Age of Opportunity campaign will advance our ability to help seniors live their best lives. To achieve this goal, we are focused on four essential areas.
Memory Health Hebrew SeniorLife offers a comprehensive, integrated range of programs and services related to dementia, including our new Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health, which brings a holistic approach to the complexities of Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of memory loss—supporting patients and their families while making novel discoveries in research and care.
Research and Teaching The Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife conducts clinical and translational research on specific health challenges facing older adults and their caregivers. In addition, we train more than 1,000 future health care professionals each year.
Flagship Campus
Above and Beyond
We are revitalizing our flagship campus in Boston into an exciting epicenter of innovative senior care and programming, while also providing a more home-like environment for longterm chronic care patients and improved resources for our dedicated staff.
We offer programs and services distinctive in their scope and impact, including our new Center for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Neglect, expressive therapies, hospice and palliative care, spiritual care, multigenerational programs, and a new community center for seniors.
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Music has an incredible effect on the brain. It helps people to express their feelings when they otherwise can’t.
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“Regardless of how severe their dementia are becoming forgetful or can’t communicate effectively so they tend to may be, music therapy helps seniors retreat. We do music therapy in small to focus and remain alert. We are learning groups so there is a social component, more about how music affects brain but we also provide individualized plasticity. I recently completed a clinical attention to fit functional abilities and study to understand the effects of needs. neurologic music therapy (NMT) on older adults with moderate to severe dementia. “Even when seniors are apparently The results on treatment acceptance and unresponsive, music can move them. I cognition were remarkable, making a facilitated a call between a woman powerful case for the increased use of with severe dementia and her daughter. NMT with this population. The mother wasn’t able to respond to her daughter’s questions, so I started “Our clinical goals for seniors with dementia singing ‘Oh, What a Beautiful Morning’ are many: to improve mood, facilitate movement, and provide opportunities for and the mother began to sing along. It shows that the person is still there, positive social interactions. People but you need creative ways to reconnect with dementia may feel isolated—even with them. That’s why expressive when the disease is in an early stage, therapies are so important.” seniors don’t want people to notice they
Leticia Prieto Alvarez, MT-BC/NMT, LMHC* Memory Support Assisted Living Therapeutic Program Manager, NewBridge on the Charles *Board-certified music therapist, neurologic music therapy fellow, licensed mental health counselor
M E M O R Y H E A LT H Alzheimer’s disease and dementia overwhelm the lives of patients and their families. This is the #1 health issue facing seniors today, and Hebrew SeniorLife is assembling unprecedented resources to fight its devastating effects. We know that research-informed care and cutting-edge services can help seniors continue to maintain fulfilling lives even into the later stages of the disease. It’s happening here and it’s happening now. The Age of Opportunity campaign will help fund: • The Wolk Center for Memory Health, which is positioned to become a national model of comprehensive dementia care, research, and education. Launched in 2019, the Center will be the leading source of next-generation treatments and best practices, ground-breaking clinical and translational research, and specialized training for health professionals. • A range of innovative, individualized services encompassing state-of-the-art clinical care, expressive therapies, palliative care, and hospice.
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Seniors are living longer. The knowledge that we gain and impart will help them live better, too.
“As head of the nutrition program at the Marcus Institute’s Musculoskeletal Research Center, I’m interested in learning how nutrition can prevent or reverse the incidence of bone and muscle loss. I’ve been lead author of a number of studies in this area. Among my research findings are that higher intake of dairy foods is associated with higher bone density and vertebral strength in men over 50, and that a protein-rich diet can preserve lean muscle mass and strength in older adults. “Research not only provides answers but also poses many new questions. For example, given the benefits of good nutrition in preventing diseases, how
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can we help seniors to eat more of the right foods if they lack the ability to shop or pay for healthy groceries, or don’t have the balance or stamina to cook for themselves, or if they simply don’t have the appetite to consume regular, wellbalanced meals? “Teaching is another important part of my job, which includes a joint appointment at Harvard Medical School. I get to mentor and train master’s level students, Ph.D. candidates, and post-doctoral fellows in nutrition and aging: they come from local schools and institutions, as well as from across the country and abroad, which is very exciting. I enjoy knowing that the people I train will carry on this important work in the future.”
Shivani Sahni, Ph.D. Director, Nutrition Program; Associate Scientist, Musculoskeletal Research Center at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research; Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
RESEARCH AND TEACHING Geriatric research is chronically underfunded, and fewer clinicians are available to care for the growing senior population. In the midst of these disturbing trends, Hebrew SeniorLife has emerged as a leading center of aging research and a prolific trainer of medical and allied health professionals, ensuring a higher standard of care for seniors, now and in the future. The Age of Opportunity campaign will help us: • Grow our clinical trials program so we can test the efficacy of new interventions • Change how senior care is practiced throughout the world by sharing our innovations in aging research more broadly • Nurture talented young researchers— tomorrow’s leaders—by providing them with professional development opportunities and support • Enhance our teaching programs to reach more physicians, researchers, nurses, and other caregivers • Expand our chaplaincy education program, which provides geriatric-focused training for spiritual care leaders of many faiths • Introduce more programs like our new CNA training program, which builds a pipeline of certified nursing assistants to help offset a critical shortage
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This is not just the best choice for my parents. It’s the only choice.
“My father is a World War II veteran—of the Russian army. My mother worked as a nurse during the war and later became a doctor. They have been together for 76 years. When my mother’s health worsened, she came to Hebrew Rehabilitation Center; her floor has Russian-speaking caregivers, which is critical for her care. Though she has dementia, she responds to the cultural programs. My father was depressed being apart from her so now he is here as well. They enjoy being able to speak to staff and other patients in their native language, and watching Russian television and hearing Russian music.
A B OV E A N D B E YO N D
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“I have only good words about the staff. They go out of their way to make connections and form relationships with the patients, even though the staff members are many years younger. When I come to visit, there is always life here. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries here and every year on May 9—which is Victory Day in Russia, commemorating the end of of World War II—they have a big celebration. For patients like my parents, this is not where life ends; this is where the rest of their lives begins.”
Michael Feinberg, Ph.D. Son of patients, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Boston
Hebrew SeniorLife goes above and beyond to offer services that are proven effective but not always reimbursable. Why? Because seniors deserve programs that help them learn, grow, and find purpose in their lives. But we can only offer these necessary services through philanthropic support. The Age of Opportunity campaign will help fund: • Our Center for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and Neglect, which provides education, support, and emergency shelter • Expressive therapies, such as music, art, and movement • Hospice and palliative care for facing end of life with dignity and comfort • Spiritual care to ensure that the whole senior is well cared for • Multigenerational programming that brings seniors together with young people • A new senior community center at Center Communities of Brookline, including recreational space, a cafe, and outdoor gathering areas
has the programs “ HRC I like and the care she needs. It’s a wonderful place for us.
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“My wife Florence and I lived at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Brookline campus for 12 glorious years. But then she got Alzheimer’s and I wasn’t physically able to take care of her myself. Hebrew Rehabilitation Center was the best place for her but I didn’t want her to be alone—I would worry too much. If she wakes up in the middle of the night and says, ‘Joey, are you here?’, I want to be there for her. So I was very grateful that they allowed us to move here together. “I’m 100 years old and I’m well. I exercise two days a week and I do needlework, which is all over our walls here. It helps the place look and feel like a real home.
Joseph Steinberg Patient, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Boston Deanna and Sidney Wolk Family Pavilion
They have fantastic programs here, especially music recitals, which Florence loves very much. I feel very lucky that I can do the things that I enjoy here while my wife is getting the amazing care she needs. The nurses and caregivers here are angels. “COVID-19 was scary, but the staff here worked around the clock to keep us safe and as connected to our families as possible. “When we first got married, we traveled everywhere together. It means the world to me that we can still be together today.”
FLAGSHIP CAMPUS With more than 500 inpatient beds, our Boston campus serves as the anchor for many of our key programs and services. It’s the home of the Marcus Institute, the Wolk Center for Memory Health, and many of our teaching programs. Our plan is to restructure and renovate each of the Berenson Allen building’s six floors into two households, with each household providing rooms for 19 patients, as well as communal spaces. The Age of Opportunity campaign will help fund the long-needed revitalization of the Boston campus, including: • Modern settings more conducive to person-centered care, where patients can feel at home and families can gather comfortably • More private rooms and bathrooms, which will enhance infection control • Space, resources, and infrastructure required to support ongoing innovations in research, care (including memory care), and teaching • An improved work environment for our staff and Harvard Medical School-affiliated faculty, providing the functional space and resources they need to do their best work
There are many ways to participate in the Age of Opportunity campaign, and even more reasons why.
“ We know a lot of hardworking people at Hebrew SeniorLife, so we become the conduits to the people who really are the heroes.” Tom DeSimone
“ Hebrew SeniorLife is a pioneer, providing a new life for the seniors in our community.”
“ Giving seniors the best quality of life possible, which is what HSL does, is so important.”
Jay Fialkow
Marsha Cohen
“ Our gift has provided a platform for teaching our grandchildren, nieces, and nephews about the importance of helping others.” Hinda Marcus
This is the opportunity of a lifetime to change the way we age.
We’re human—we age. But how we age matters. It’s the difference between happiness, growth, and fulfillment—and the exact opposite. We owe it to our seniors, ourselves, and our children to act now. Because now is the Age of Opportunity.
To learn more about how to support seniors from all walks of life, please contact: Katelyn Quynn KatelynQuynn@hsl.harvard.edu 617-363-8295
Teresa Lisek TeresaVLisek@hsl.harvard.edu 617-971-5788
C A M PA I G N L E A D E R S H I P
CO-CHAIRS Irwin Chafetz Hinda Marcus
STEERING COMMITTEE Tom Alperin Marilyn Danesh Jeffrey Drucker
B OA R D O F D I R E C TO RS
Hinda Marcus
Melissa Bayer Tearney, Chair
Rick Marcus
Jay L. Webber, Vice Chair
Melissa Tearney
Marsha R. Cohen, Treasurer and Secretary Howard E. Cohen Thomas J. DeSimone
A DV I S O R Y C O U N C I L
Jeffrey D. Drucker
Nancy Allen
Jane Edmonds
Irwin Chafetz
Todd B. Finard
Arthur Epstein
Steven Flier, M.D.
Brenda Haynes, M.D.
Reese Genser
Melissa Janfaza
Richard J. Henken
Linda Sloane Kay
Harold G. Kotler
Rabbi Jamie Kotler
Hinda L. Marcus
Barbara Sidel
William Mosakowski
Peter Sidel
David Rosenthal, M.D.
Susan Solomont
Susan Florence Smith
Maryanne Tackeff
Jay L. Webber
Roger Tackeff
Roberta S. Weiner
Deanna Wolk
Ellen Zane Mark Zeidel, M.D.
1200 Centre Street Boston, MA 02131 www.hebrewseniorlife.org