Staff Spotlight: Carolyn Cassetina, Community Life Leader

Carolyn Cassetina is community life leader at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, making sure the community is a welcoming environment where patients can explore hobbies, interests, and relationships.

Carolyn was born and raised in Boxford, Massachusetts. She graduated in 2007 from the University of New Hampshire and earned her bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation.

After graduation, Carolyn began working as an activity director in a skilled nursing facility and has now been in the field of aging nearly 15 years. “I felt the need to make a change and Hebrew SeniorLife was always a place I wanted to work,” she says. “It’s a great place to be an employee, I adore the patients, and I’m very impressed with the level of care overall.”

Carolyn works with patients daily. As community life leader, she coordinates events, communicates with patients about the events and activities of the day, schedules entertainment and guest speakers, and gets to know the patients on a personal level.

“Each and every patient is so unique,” says Carolyn. “They all have their own backgrounds and you really start to develop a close bond with them. You’re looking out for them and have their best interests in mind. I got married in August 2019 and every patient was so eager to see pictures, they really care about your life.”

Carolyn is proud of many accomplishments during her time at HRC-NewBridge, but one in particular is a new café which will be opening up at HRC-NewBridge sometime early in the new year. “We as a team have coordinated and planned with many individuals to create a new space on the second floor which we will call the NewBridge Café. It was a lot of coordinating and planning.”

The new café will be opening in early 2020 and will improve the existing sitting area by creating a place for patients and families to gather, listen to music, and talk. There will be room to hold organized activities, but also allow it to simply be a gathering space.

“To see something like this come together, knowing we as a team had a big impact on making it happen, is rewarding. I know the patients will love to have a place to go that makes them comfortable and happy.”

Carolyn enjoys using various programs like laughing yoga, a women’s club, and ballroom dancing to enhance patients’ lives. “I really strive to make the programming unique and I take pride in the work I do every day to give patients the best quality of life.”