At Hebrew SeniorLife, you can explore a wide variety of career opportunities, including direct patient care, senior services, research, administration, and more. We offer positions in a variety of settings, such as inpatient care, outpatient care, home health and hospice, independent and assisted living, and much more. Wherever you work at Hebrew SeniorLife, you'll join a culture that is committed to growth and fulfillment, for both our employees and the seniors we serve. Explore the open positions below to find the opportunity that's right for you.
Hebrew SeniorLife Blog
Tips and resources to help you navigate the joys and challenges of aging, from Boston's trusted expert in senior care.
The Healing Power of the Arts
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center provides long-term chronic care patients with expressive therapies to support their psychological, social, and emotional needs. Music, movement, and art modalities are used to restore verbal and nonverbal means of communication and self-expression. Our specially trained therapists work with a multidisciplinary team including geriatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation therapists, nurses, and life enhancement specialists to develop treatment plans. Guided imagery and mindfulness meditation techniques are also used in treatment.
Treatment methods include individual and group sessions as well as specialized services to address:
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Neurologic symptoms associated with neurological disorders such as stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and traumatic brain injury
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Pain and anxiety
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Cognitive and behavioral issues
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Palliative and hospice needs
Music Therapy in Action
Mitch brought his mom, Minnie, to a music therapy session at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, and he soon saw how it helps her deal with the effects of her dementia.
![Older adults participate in a drum circle](/sites/default/files/styles/width_720/public/2019-10/seniors-drumming-memory-care.jpg?itok=gAD3cLF-)
Art as Self-Expression
Integrated in Our Continuum
Learn more about how expressive therapies are used throughout Hebrew SeniorLife to maximize the quality of life of seniors.
Explore Expressive TherapiesOffered in your home throughout Greater Boston and at the following locations:
Maximize the Moment
Using music, dance, and art, our expressive art therapists provide psycho-social support to seniors experiencing a wide range of issues, including adjustment to aging, health status changes, depression, and anxiety. Expressive art therapies are also proven highly effective for those living with memory loss.
If you are homebound due to a chronic illness or recent hospitalization, and within our in-home care service area or in a Hebrew SeniorLife senior living community, expressive therapies can be brought to you as part of palliative care through our home health service.
Great Days for Seniors, our adult day health program, includes regular sessions with music, art, and dance therapists, along with pet therapy visits.
We are committed to helping residents make the most of the cognitive abilities they have at all times. One way we do this is through music, dance, art, and poetry, which provide channels for self-expression with proven therapeutic benefits.
Our expressive art therapies provide a safe, secure setting where patients can express themselves on both verbal and nonverbal levels. Increased connection to others and the environment decreases a patient’s level of distress and psychological discomfort when adjusting to long-term chronic care.
Music therapy is among the complementary services integrated with our whole-patient approach to hospice care.
See Music Therapy in Action
The arts have an amazing power to heal, especially for seniors. Expressive therapies at Hebrew SeniorLife help patients connect with others, soothe distress and anxiety, boost energy, and provide an overall sense of well-being. Watch the video for more about our services.
The Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health offers people experiencing memory loss and their families and caregivers personalized support to minimize disability and maximize well-being.
Through individualized resource coordination with local services, counseling, support groups, and caregiver education, our goal is for you to feel heard and supported. The Wolk Center is here for you along the entire journey, from initial memory concerns to end of life.
Wolk Center counselors help patients and/or family members deal with a wide range of challenges, including:
- Patient and family counseling services
- Memory and dementia support groups and caregiver education
- Resources for memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer's
Individual and Family Counseling
Our clinicians offer psychotherapy and counseling to patients and family members struggling with the experience of memory loss. Family members and caregivers can receive care even if the person with memory loss is not a Wolk Center patient. Virtual and in-person services are available.
Memory Support Groups and Caregiver Education
We offer in-person and virtual caregiver support groups led by licensed clinicians.
For individuals, families, and caregivers, we also offer a “boot camp” style group to support caregivers to meet the constant challenges of providing compassionate and effective dementia care; and diverse educational resources.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Groups in the Boston Area
The informal small group experience is intended for family caregivers who seek support around the daily challenges related to caring for a loved one living with cognitive impairment. The group is offered in a thoughtful way to connect individuals in similar situations and nurture bonds and rapport in organic conversations. The 8-week sessions can be for family caregivers in various roles, including spouse/partners, siblings, adult children, as well as devoted friends.
Wellness for Life Groups
Drawing upon the PERMA-H model of well-being in positive psychology, this group provides a structured, evidence-based approach to wellness that covers positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning and purpose, accomplishment, and health. Over nine weekly sessions, both caregiver and person with dementia can participate in separate but simultaneous sessions to gain skills to increase mental health and enhance healthy aging. This group is supported by the Eleanor and Herbert Bearak Memory for Life program.
Dementia Caregiver Skills Groups
This evidence-based group for caregivers offers education around topics key to caregiving, skill building, and participation in supportive therapeutic discussions. Participants learn techniques to reduce stress and increase mental health specific to caregivers of individuals with dementia.
Resource Coordination for Memory Loss
The Wolk Center for Memory Health provides patients and caregivers highly personalized resource referrals that go beyond general guidance. We can help you build a plan that specifically addresses your preferences, needs, and circumstances, including your specific diagnosis. Referrals may include help finding an aging life care manager, adult day health program, assisted living facility, nursing home, or support in the home, along with other community programs to support people living with memory loss.
![An older gentleman works on a puzzle with two young girls.](/sites/default/files/styles/width_720/public/2021-10/1440x1000-Wolk-Center-Checkerboard-Memory-Blogs.jpg?itok=gyJx_sx3)
Educational Resources on Memory Loss Topics
As a Harvard Medical School-affiliated nonprofit provider of senior care, Hebrew SeniorLife offers information to help families navigate the experience of aging. Read on to explore our blog posts related to memory loss.
Read NowRelated Wolk Center Services
![Dr. Caleb Jordan speaks with a patient at the Wolk Center for Memory Health.](/sites/default/files/styles/width_720/public/2021-10/1440x1000-Wolk-Center-Checkerboard-Assessment.jpg?itok=zzwwsFT0)
Finding the Answers You Deserve
Diagnostic Services at the Wolk Center
If you’re concerned about signs of memory loss, cognitive problems, or behavioral changes in you or a loved one, the Wolk Center for Memory Health can provide assessment and diagnostic services. We go beyond just “whether” you have an impairment to identify “why” you are experiencing it.
Get Answers![A geriatrician from Orchard Cove’s on-site primary care practice consults with a resident.](/sites/default/files/styles/width_720/public/2019-10/geriatrician-consults-with-resident.jpg?itok=78q5IlIm)
Your Quality of Life
Clinical Treatment for Dementia
Yes, there are ways to decrease your risk of developing more advanced dementia, slow the progression of cognitive decline, and maximize your daily functioning. Learn more about our treatment offerings as well as clinical trials.
Get Treatment![Dr. Caleb Jordan and Dr. Davide Cappon have a discussion while walking outside.](/sites/default/files/styles/width_720/public/2021-10/1440x1000-Wolk-Center-Checkerboard-Team.jpg?itok=3tA41lD1)
Experts Here For You
Meet the Team
As a Wolk Center patient, you’ll benefit from a team approach. Meet the expert professionals who will collaborate on your care.
Get to Know UsFrom Our Blog
From Our Blog
Training an Unpaid Army of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Caregivers
Dementia and Alzheimer’s care often begins at home with family members assuming the responsibility of caring for their loved ones.
In the United States, an army of 16 million caregivers contribute 18.6 billion unpaid hours of care each year. This work is valued at $244 billion per year, all provided freely. Considering that there are 5.8 million Americans living with...
Keep ReadingPrice Transparency
We are committed to sharing our standard hospital charges with all current and prospective patients and their families. Please keep in mind that your out of pocket costs will depend on a number of variables, including any insurance or Medicaid coverage you may have.
The goal of price transparency files is to disclose the cash price and the negotiated discounted charges with insurers. Hebrew Rehabilitation Center primarily serves dual eligible seniors. Our gross charges in FY20 were 81% Medicare and Medicaid. Before reviewing the Standard Charges and Shoppable Services files, please read the Price Transparency Special Notes document. If you have questions about Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s pricing, please contact us at 617-971-5766.
Price Transparency Special Notes
Financial Assistance
Whether you have no insurance or not enough, you can apply for financial assistance. Our fiscal staff will work with you to help you complete the financial assistance application and apply for eligible government health insurance programs.
If approved, patients at or below 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) may receive a 40% discount on billed charges. Patients who qualify cannot be charged more than the amount generally billed (AGB), currently 66% of billed charges.
How to Apply
Our financial assistance policy and application are available for download here, or for pick up in our admissions office on the B1 Level at 1200 Centre Street, Boston, MA. You may also call us at call 617-971-5824 to have the policy and application mailed to you.
Financial Assistance Policy
Financial Assistance Application
When completed, please return your application to Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, Attn: Collection Coordinator-Fiscal Services, 1200 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02131.
From Our Blog
From Our Blog
Medicare Basics Explained
Understanding your Medicare options and when and how to enroll
Medicare provides affordable health care insurance for more than 64 million Americans. While a clear benefit for older adults, understanding how it works and how to enroll can be daunting, and it can take a bit of time and effort...
Keep ReadingFinancing Closes on Simon C. Fireman Community Expansion in Randolph
Construction Begins This Week on 45 Affordable Senior Homes with Supportive Services in a Passive House-Designed Building
BOSTON - Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife, New England’s largest nonprofit provider of senior health care and living communities, today announced that it has closed on the financing to build 45 new units of affordable senior housing at the Simon C. Fireman Community in Randolph. Currently, the Simon C. Fireman Community offers 160 senior apartments with supportive services.
With a low-income housing tax credit investment from the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) and support from several other funders, Hebrew SeniorLife’s new construction starts this week. The resulting apartments will be 100 percent affordable, with 27 units for households earning up to 60 percent of Area Median Income (AMI), four for households earning up to 50 percent AMI, and 14 for households at or below 30 percent AMI.
The new three-story wing will be fully integrated with Simon C. Fireman’s existing residences, sharing the same lobby, and creating two courtyards with walking paths, exercise stations, and benches. Other amenities include a multi-purpose room, a fitness center, office space, an art/game room, a deck overlooking the courtyard, a library, and a lounge. The expansion will be built to high sustainability and energy efficient Passive House standards.
“This project is absolutely the very best way to fulfill our mission to provide older people of all backgrounds and economic levels the opportunity to live their best lives in the best place,” said Lou Woolf, President and CEO, Hebrew SeniorLife. “More supportive, affordable housing for seniors is a huge need in Massachusetts, and adding these additional apartments to this already vibrant and diverse community is a wonderful step forward.”
“We applaud Hebrew SeniorLife’s commitment to expanding access to quality, affordable senior homes,” noted Joe Flatley, MHIC President & CEO. “MHIC was proud to provide financing for the Simon C. Fireman Community as well as Hebrew SeniorLife’s new development on Leyland Street in Dorchester, which closed in early February. We offer our congratulations for moving forward with both important properties.”
Hebrew SeniorLife would like to express appreciation to its partners and funders of this project:
- The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development
- The Town of Randolph
- Massachusetts Housing Partnership
- Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation
- Boston Private Bank & Trust/Silicon Valley Bank
- Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation
- MassHousing
Hebrew SeniorLife would also like to recognize Affirmative Investments, ICON Architecture, Bald Hill Builders, Nixon Peabody LLP, Tierney Development Services, and Linnean Solutions.
About the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation
Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) is an innovative financier of affordable housing and community development throughout New England, providing financing that would not otherwise be available to neighborhoods most in need. For over 31 years, MHIC has invested more than $3.1 billion to help create and sustain healthy, equitable communities where people, businesses, and organizations can thrive. To date, MHIC has financed 636 developments, representing more than 24,500 homes and 6.2 million sq. ft. of commercial space. Visit www.mhic.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Hebrew SeniorLife cares for more than 3,000 seniors a day across six campuses throughout Greater Boston. Our locations include: Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-Boston and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center-NewBridge in Dedham; NewBridge on the Charles, Dedham; Orchard Cove, Canton; Simon C. Fireman Community, Randolph; Center Communities of Brookline, Brookline; and Jack Satter House, Revere. Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife also conducts influential research into aging at the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research. It also trains more than 1,000 geriatric care providers each year. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Find a Service or Community
Discover Hebrew SeniorLife’s wide range of senior living options and Harvard Medical School-affiliated health care services throughout Greater Boston.
Senior Living
Learn about the styles of senior living we offer, and explore the communities that interest you most.
Residences
Orchard Cove
A warm, resident-driven community offering pondside views and easy access to all care levels. With an emphasis on choice, residents enjoy what matters most to them.
- Independent Living
- Enhanced Living
- Long-Term Care
- Independent Living
- Enhanced Living
- Long-Term Care
NewBridge on the Charles
Premium senior living community offering cottages, villas, and apartments on a lush 162-acre intergenerational campus. Where luxury and world-class care intersect.
- Independent Living
- Assisted Living
- Memory Care Assisted Living
- Short-Term Rehab
- Long-Term Chronic Care
- Independent Living
- Assisted Living
- Memory Care Assisted Living
- Short-Term Rehab
- Long-Term Chronic Care
Rentals
Center Communities of Brookline
Supportive apartment living in the heart of Coolidge Corner, where residents enjoy vibrant city living alongside amenities and services that maximize independence.
- Independent Living
- Independent Living
Simon C. Fireman Community
Studio and one-bedroom apartments for low-income seniors within a stimulating environment that promotes wellness, socialization, and personal fulfillment.
- Independent Living
- Independent Living
Jack Satter House
Apartments for low-income older adults on historic Revere Beach where waterfront views pair with wraparound social, wellness, and lifestyle supports.
- Independent Living
- Independent Living
Leyland Community
Senior apartments for low-income older adults in the Uphams Corner neighborhood of Dorchester, with supportive social services that boost quality of life.
- Independent Living
- Independent Living
Health Care
Explore the wide range of health care services from Hebrew SeniorLife, the only senior health care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School.
Inpatient Care
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center - Boston
Harvard Medical School-affiliated health care specializing in older adults. Our care is comprehensive, individualized, and centered on the patient.
- Short-Term Rehab
- Long-Term Chronic Care
- Short-Term Rehab
- Long-Term Chronic Care
Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge
Harvard Medical School-affiliated health care specializing in older adults. Our care is comprehensive, individualized, and centered on the patient.
- Short-Term Rehab
- Long-Term Chronic Care
- Short-Term Rehab
- Long-Term Chronic Care
Orchard Cove - Commons Residences
Long-term care in a residential environment within a senior living community, from an interdisciplinary clinical team that focuses on individual preferences for care.
- Long-Term Care
- Long-Term Care
Outpatient Care
Wolk Center for Memory Health
Comprehensive outpatient care designed to maximize brain health, manage cognitive and behavioral problems, and slow the progression of memory loss.
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Clinical Treatment
- Family and Caregiver Support
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Clinical Treatment
- Family and Caregiver Support
In-Home Care
Hebrew SeniorLife In-Home Care
Let us come to you at your home throughout Greater Boston. We’ll help you regain your wellness, adjust to life after illness, and even assist with everyday tasks.
- Home Health
- Private Care
- Personal Assistance
- Rehab Therapy at Home
- Palliative Care
- Home Health
- Private Care
- Personal Assistance
- Rehab Therapy at Home
- Palliative Care
Hebrew SeniorLife Hospice Care
Maximizing quality of life during the final stage of life, including comfort care, symptom management, family support, and expertise in Jewish end-of-life practices.
- Nursing Care
- Home Health
- Medical Social Work
- Complementary Services
- Pastoral Care
- Volunteer Companionship
- Nursing Care
- Home Health
- Medical Social Work
- Complementary Services
- Pastoral Care
- Volunteer Companionship
Not sure which service or location is best for you?
Fill out our general inquiry form and we’ll connect you with a member of our team who can help.
Request InformationFive Tips for Successful Reunion Visits in Long-Term Care
No Visitor Policies Due to COVID-19 Kept Senior Loved Ones and Families Far Apart for Weeks
BOSTON – Skilled nursing facilities and long-term chronic care hospitals across the country, in lockdown due to COVID-19 since early March, are beginning to plan a return to visitations between seniors and their family members now that the federal government has issued visitation guidelines.
While each facility will tailor their timing and approach to safe visitation, families anxiously await their opportunity to rekindle face-to-face communication with their aging parents or relatives. “Understanding and respecting your facility’s policies about visitation and social distancing will be key,” said Tammy Retalic, Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services for Hebrew SeniorLife, a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to investigating, understanding, and enhancing the experience of aging. “Not only do we want first visits together to be successful, we also want both you and your loved ones to remain as safe as possible during your visit.”
To help ensure a successful reunion, Retalic offers these five tips to help prepare for the first visit.
• Plan ahead: Talk with the care team to better understand your loved one’s current state of mind and experience during the pandemic. Come prepared with conservation starters, such as fond memories and home happenings. Use your Zoom or FaceTime calls leading up to the visit creatively, whether that means connecting additional family members on the call, talking about the upcoming visit, playing music, or engaging in simple games like I Spy or 20 Questions.
• Remember it will be emotional: Even with the widespread, effective use of Zoom and FaceTime between seniors and their families over the past 12 weeks, there is nothing that replaces the in-person visit. You will be nervous about how your loved one will respond to seeing you after so many weeks, and emotions will run very high on both sides. Bring your tissues.
• Recognize loved ones may be frustrated: Despite your best efforts – as well as those by your loved one’s care team - to communicate about COVID-19 and the lack of in-person visits over the past few months, patients may not have fully grasped why their visitation routines were curtailed. There may be frustration, questions, and hurt feelings your loved one expresses in that first return visit. Understand that and be prepared to answer their questions in a direct, honest manner.
• Embrace the silence: The first visit could seem very long, even if it is just ten minutes. Not all patients are conversational and after so much time apart, may not want to engage immediately. Be present and embrace the lulls in conversation; it may take time to re-establish the former communications cadence you had together prior to COVID-19.
• Overcome new normal challenges: Facemasks and screenings will be a fact of life for a long time. Remember that masks will make it harder to hear and speak – for both of you. Look and share that important eye contact – smiling eyes and laugh lines can help communicate where words are difficult to comprehend and hugging is not allowed. Be aware you may need to speak louder, talk more slowly, and listen extra carefully as your loved one shares their thoughts behind a mask. If your loved one has had medical challenges or cognitive changes over the past few months, they may look different or respond differently to conversation now.
Reunions after long periods of time apart can fall short of expectations, especially in a COVID-19 world where nothing is returning to a previous state of normalcy. But by recognizing this fact and planning ahead, family members can create a positive environment for that initial re-encounter, and maximize the opportunity to engage their loved ones in mutually rewarding conversations that bring them closer together than ever before.
About Hebrew SeniorLife
Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Based in Boston, the nonprofit, non-sectarian organization has provided communities and healthcare for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit http://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook, or read our blog.