BOSTON – With the federal government back to work after the longest shutdown in United States history, health care is expected to move back to the national agenda. The constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act and the efforts by the Democratic-majority House of Representatives to protect the federal health care law are just two of many drivers that will keep health care a top priority for the U.S. in 2019. At the same time, other parts of the health care ecosystem, including senior care, will also be in transition this year and beyond.

According to Louis J. Woolf, President and CEO of Harvard Medical School-affiliated Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL), a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults, “The combination of the Affordable Care Act, the push for value-based care, and the silver tsunami of aging baby boomers has set in motion incredible economic and social challenges, as well as opportunities in senior care. While the future of the law itself is under debate, the fact remains that seniors want and need innovations in the health care system to help them remain healthier, and as they age, stay more independent. Furthermore, when care is needed, seniors want it provided in a more coordinated and cost-effective manner.”

With a growing, more consumer-savvy senior population in mind, Woolf shared his views on senior care trends in 2019.

1. Payment reform and value-based care: Payment reform will continue to bring hospitals, post-acute care (PAC) organizations, and social services providers closer together to better control the type, scope, location, and cost of care that a patient receives. Hospitals will most likely partner with a short list of PACs, so PACs that differentiate themselves in terms of quality, collaboration, and cost, and are perceived as market leaders, will likely care for a growing share of patients. The momentum around payment reform is likely to continue while the ACA undergoes the appeal process; however, its transformative pace may slow while providers monitor the proceedings, despite the focus on cost-effective quality outcomes and the early benefits manifesting in improved transitions of care and reduced fragmentation.
2. New integrated care models: Once siloed operations, the physician’s office, ambulatory care, acute care and post-acute care organizations, as well as community social services, will increasingly join forces to focus on a “one care” experience for the patient, leading to better outcomes. We expect to see improved quality of life for seniors and reduced hospital admissions as innovative integrated care models emerge, especially between acute and post-acute care organizations.
3. Non-traditional teammates: In 2019 we will see an increase in high quality and cost effective home- and community-based services that cater to seniors’ needs via preventative care and assistance with daily tasks. Collaborations will increasingly include non-traditional partners, such as private duty services, transportation providers, maintenance workers, post-acute care services, and others. This movement is giving rise to a growing group of geriatric care specialists and new organizations such as the National Aging in Place Council.
4. Explosive rise in Alzheimer’s disease and depression: Diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease will continue to increase dramatically in 2019. Alzheimer’s is the only cause of death (of the top 10 in the U.S.) with no identified way to be prevented, cured, or significantly slowed, and it costs the nation more than $236B annually. Many seniors struggle with dementia, depression, or both. As a result, HSL and others will increase focus on the proper diagnosis, management, and education around these conditions among patients, as well as support for their family members and caregivers.
5. Increased need for affordable supportive housing solutions: The health care and housing markets are unprepared to meet seniors’ needs for affordability, accessibility, and supportive services. The burden of high housing costs forces millions of low-income seniors to sacrifice spending on basic necessities, damaging their health and well-being. The shortage of support services makes many housing options ineffective even if they are accessible. Additionally, disconnects between housing programs and the health care system put many aging seniors at risk of poor quality of life and premature institutionalization. In 2019, we will see new research and demonstration projects promoting the health outcomes and cost savings of affordable housing with supportive services models pioneered by HSL, the LeadingAge network, and others.

“The coming year will continue to define health care in America, particularly for seniors who face dementia and other illnesses as they age. It is a social and economic imperative for health care organizations to think differently about how they address the needs of seniors today and take steps to prepare for their future,” concluded Woolf.

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 non-profit, non-sectarian organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook or read our blog.

BOSTON - Harvard Medical School-affiliated Hebrew Rehabilitation Center (HRC), Boston’s only long-term chronic care hospital for seniors, today announced a new clinical partnership with its longstanding affiliate, fellow HMS-teaching hospital Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). Going forward, pulmonary services on HRC’s specialized Medical Acute Care Unit (MACU) in Boston and across the HRC Boston campus will be provided by the BIDMC Pulmonary Division under the leadership of Henry Koziel, M.D., who has been named the Medical Director of Pulmonary Medicine at HRC.

Helen Chen, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of HRC and its parent organization, Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “The HRC and BIDMC relationship goes back more than 65 years. Clinically we make an excellent team, and historically, BIDMC acute care patients who transfer to our post-acute care services have strong outcomes. Given our campuses’ close physical proximity and our shared commitment to teaching, we at HRC feel confident in integrating our pulmonary services and putting them in the care of BIDMC.”

“Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s MACU is highly regarded by BIDMC physicians for its patient-focused care, caring staff, and outstanding clinical quality metrics,” said Dr. Koziel, who is also a pulmonologist in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at BIDMC and will lead a team of more than 15 BIDMC Pulmonary physicians providing daily on-site care on the MACU. “Together, we expect to further improve continuity of patient care, patient care transition, and clinical outcomes.”

The HRC MACU is the only senior-focused, hospital-based unit in Boston that addresses complex, post-acute care for advanced respiratory and pulmonary ventilation patients with chronic co-morbidities or multiple acute illnesses. Treatment combines hospital level care with primary and specialty medical care, and rehabilitation therapies.

Ernest Mandel, M.D., Medical Director on the HRC MACU, said, “MACU patient outcomes, which are already above all Medicare measures, will be further improved with BIDMC’s advanced ventilator management and weaning protocols.” In addition, Drs. Mandel and Koziel will collaboratively develop and teach a comprehensive post-acute and respiratory care curriculum geared toward medical and nursing providers at HSL.

About Hebrew Rehabilitation Center
HRC provides both post-acute rehabilitative care and long-term chronic care at two locations in Boston and Dedham. The HRC MACU provides extended medical and rehabilitative care for patients with complex medical conditions or multiple acute or chronic illnesses. Services are extensive, such as medical management, palliative care, physical, occupational and speech/language therapy, wound management, IV therapy, and hemodialysis.

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 non-profit, non-sectarian organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook or read our blog.

BOSTON - Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults in the Greater Boston area, announced today that it raised an all-time high of $1.3 million at EngAGE 2018.

The annual event, now in its fifth year, featured Alan Alda, Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning actor, writer and science advocate; Marilyn Maye, the Grammy-nominated cabaret singer; and Rose Styron, poet, journalist, translator, and international human rights activist. Dr. Timothy Johnson, Chief Medical Officer, ABC News, retired, also participated in the event, interviewing Alda and Lewis Lipsitz, M.D., Director, Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, and Chief Academic Officer at Hebrew SeniorLife.

EngAGE 2018, which was attended by more than 350 supporters, was held Thursday, Nov. 8, at the Revere Hotel Boston Common.

Alda led conversations about the search for meaning in life, and took part in a “fireside chat” with Dr. Johnson and Dr. Lipsitz. Styron read two thought-provoking poems and Maye entertained the audience with jazz and cabaret classics.

Lou Woolf, CEO and President of Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “EngAGE is always a wonderful celebration of life and the aging process. It is an opportunity to reinforce our mission to respect senior independence, spiritual vigor, dignity and choice, and to lead the way through services, supports, research, and advocacy to help seniors enjoy rich, full lives. We are humbled by the generous support from friends and donors that will help us go beyond what we offer today to meet the evolving needs of seniors in Greater Boston and around the world.”

All proceeds generated by EngAGE 2018 fund Hebrew SeniorLife’s work to provide exceptional health care, strengthen communities, conduct research, and teach new generations of geriatricians and other clinicians.

Co-chairs for EngAGE 2018 were Jennifer and Jeffrey Drucker and Hinda and Arthur Marcus, all of Chestnut Hill (MA). For more information about EngAGE, visit www.hslengage.org.

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. Founded in Boston in 1903, the nonprofit, non-sectarian organization today provides communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org, follow us on Twitter @H_SeniorLife, like us on Facebook or read our blog.

BOSTON – For the third year in a row, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, along with its president, Mary Moscato, has been named to the prestigious “Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts” (#18) by The Commonwealth Institute (TCI), an organization devoted to advancing businesswomen in leadership positions.

With more than 1,400 employees at locations in Boston and Dedham, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center is part of the continuum of health care and senior living communities offered by parent organization Hebrew SeniorLife (HSL). Moscato, President of HSL Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center since 2011, leverages her more than three decades in health care operations and management to set the direction of Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in its commitment to provide the highest quality care available to seniors in Greater Boston.

“For three years running, we have been honored by TCI, and this speaks to the quality, care, and hard work of our leadership team and staff,” said Moscato. “We are deeply committed to helping our residents and patients live the highest quality of life possible, and through doing so, we have built Hebrew Rehabilitation Center into a leader for seniors who need care.”

Launched in 2000, TCI’s Top 100 Women-Led Businesses in Massachusetts program is based on multiple selection criteria such as revenue, operating budget, number of employees, diversity, innovation, and more. TCI members are CEOs, senior executives, executive directors, and entrepreneurs from a wide array of industries and backgrounds - corporate, start-up, and nonprofit. The latest group of honorees was recognized at an award breakfast today and will appear in the Boston Globe Magazine’s Women & Power edition on October 28.

About Hebrew SeniorLife

The Hebrew Rehabilitation Center is part of Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a national senior services leader uniquely dedicated to rethinking, researching, and redefining the possibilities of aging. Founded in Boston in 1903, the nonprofit, non-sectarian organization today provides communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers. 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.

BOSTON – Hebrew SeniorLife’s annual golf tournament looked a little different this year, following new guidelines for safe play with masks and scheduled tee times to allow for social distancing. Held at the Belmont Country Club, the event successfully raised funds to support the Hebrew SeniorLife COVID-19 Senior Response Fund. Proceeds will support initiatives and expenses such as purchasing critical personal protective equipment for front-line staff, expanding programs to promote the emotional well-being of patients during the pandemic, and pursuing research to treat COVID-19 and the mental health ramifications of social isolation.

The 2020 Golf Committee comprised a dedicated group of volunteer leaders that included Reese Genser of Newton as the Committee Chair, along with Jeffrey Drucker of Chestnut Hill, Mira Genser Woods of Waban, Todd Finard of Weston, and Jeff Winnick of Natick.

Katelyn Quynn, Chief Development Officer and Vice President, Board Relations at Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “It was heartening to see everyone come together to support Hebrew SeniorLife’s annual golf event. We’re also extremely grateful to our committee, which helped make the annual golf event a reality this year, in spite of COVID-19. The proceeds from this event will help Hebrew SeniorLife keep seniors safe as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Hebrew SeniorLife has raised more than $2 million in less than six months to support the organization’s response to COVID-19.

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 organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org and our blog, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Hebrew SeniorLife was a lead sponsor of the Aging Life Care Association’s 2020 New England Chapter conference. The advanced clinical virtual conference, “COVID-19 Today, Tomorrow & Beyond, Strategies for Your Aging Life Care Practice,” took place this week. The chapter’s first-ever virtual conference was an in-depth discussion of critical information and shared expertise around best practices during COVID-19. 

Laurie Herndon, M.S.N., G.N.P., B.C., Project Director at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, participated in a panel discussion, “COVID-19 Across the Spectrum of Care.” The panel addressed the impact of COVID-19 in three environments: a long-term care facility, congregate senior housing, and home care. Panelists discussed how the virus manifested within their program, how it was contained, and what the future looks like regarding virus management in their specific setting.

Jennifer Rhodes-Kropf, M.D., Geriatrician at Hebrew SeniorLife Medical Group, was part of an interdisciplinary panel that examined a case study drawing upon real-life challenges faced by older adults and Aging Life Care professionals in the age of COVID-19. Panelists offered insight into the many challenges this pandemic presents and offered practical solutions.

“We looked forward to sharing our knowledge as well as hearing ideas about how others in the field of caring for older adults are navigating the ups and downs of keeping seniors safe during the pandemic,” said Mary Moscato, President, Hebrew SeniorLife Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center.

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 organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://hebrewseniorlife.org and our blog, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife, a national senior services and academic leader uniquely dedicated to investigating, understanding, and enhancing the experience of aging, today announced the Adelson Family Foundation has pledged a $2.5M matching grant to support programs impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Established by Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson, the Adelson Family Foundation will match gifts up to $2.5M for mitigating COVID-19-related losses and/or supporting areas at Hebrew SeniorLife that have been most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. These include Hebrew SeniorLife’s Center for Memory Health; the Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research; programming for Hebrew SeniorLife patients and residents; and education of future doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals. 

“For more than 116 years, Hebrew SeniorLife has given so much to the communities and seniors around Greater Boston. Its research and teaching have paved the way for improved quality of life for seniors and important educational opportunities for geriatric medical teams across the country,” said Dr. Adelson.

Mr. Adelson added, “We hope to inspire community members and others to contribute to the important work that Hebrew SeniorLife does, knowing that their gift can go further through the matching grant program.”
 
Lou Woolf, President and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “Sheldon and Miriam Adelson have been long-time supporters of Hebrew SeniorLife, particularly our NewBridge on the Charles Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Campus and our award-winning Adam and Matan Adelson Multigenerational Program. We truly appreciate their ongoing support, especially now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their generosity will help us continue to lead the way in providing excellent memory care, research and teaching, and programming support for seniors.”

About The Adelson Family Foundation
The Adelson Family Foundation was established in 2007. The primary purpose of the Foundation is to strengthen the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

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 organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://hebrewseniorlife.org and our blog, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

BOSTON – The culinary team at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center was recently selected by Ethos, an Aging Services Access Point (ASAP), to provide kosher meals for the Ethos Meals on Wheels Program. As a result, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center will provide 375 meals a day for the hundreds of vulnerable seniors in the Boston area who follow a kosher diet.
 
According to Misha Shtivelman, Director, Culinary and Nutrition Operations of Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, “Working with the Ethos Meals on Wheels program supports our mission to empower aging adults to live their best lives. Our culinary team is doing an incredible job, and it’s fulfilling to know we’re supporting the nutritional needs of our neighbors who want to keep kosher.”

“The Ethos Meals on Wheels Program reflects the communities that we serve, caters to many tastes and offers a wide variety of menu options,” said Margery Gann, Chief Operating Officer for Ethos. “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Hebrew SeniorLife so it’s natural for us to partner with them to provide healthy, nutritious, and culturally appropriate kosher meals to Boston-area seniors.” 

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center’s kitchen facility and meals are Certified Kosher* through New England Kosher. Menus include meals such as Parmesan Baked Cod, Herbed Orzo, Broccoli & Peppers served with a dinner roll and cookie; or Roasted Chicken with Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, and Vegetable Medley, served with a dinner roll and apple slices. 

Hebrew Rehabilitation Center also provides 125 kosher meals a day for Springwell, another ASAP, that provides meals for those in need west of Boston. Hebrew SeniorLife is also sponsoring the donation of Thanksgiving meals through HESSCO, an ASAP serving 12 communities in South Norfolk County. The sponsorship will help provide many seniors with hearty, nutritious holiday meals. 

About Ethos 
Ethos is a private, nonprofit organization that assists the elderly and disabled to live at home. Ethos serves over 3,000 individuals and families, primarily in the Boston neighborhoods of Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, West Roxbury, Hyde Park, and Mattapan. Ethos offers a wide range of high-quality, discounted services and support, delivered at home and in the community.

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 organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://hebrewseniorlife.org and follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

*Kosher l’cholim. For more information, contact Sara Paasche-Orlow at spaasche-orlow@hsl.harvard.edu.

BOSTON – Harvard Medical School affiliate Hebrew SeniorLife, a nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of older adults, announced that it raised more than $1.2 million at EngAGE 2020. In keeping with state guidelines for physical distancing and safety precautions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, EngAGE 2020 was a virtual event this year, with more than 400 guests in attendance via video.

Alvaro Pascual-Leone, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Senior Scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research, and Medical Director of the Center for Memory Health, spoke about brain health and its relationship to preventing cognitive decline as we age. Governor Charlie Baker spoke about Hebrew SeniorLife’s important role in leading the state in setting infection-control standards for senior care during the pandemic.

Guests also heard from residents who shared their experiences living at Hebrew SeniorLife, as well as family members and staff who reflected on Hebrew SeniorLife and their lives during the pandemic. Guests also enjoyed musical performances by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara.

“EngAGE 2020 far exceeded our expectations,” said Lou Woolf, Hebrew SeniorLife’s President and CEO. “This year, as a reimagined virtual event, we were all uplifted by listening to the wise words of some of our residents, as well as some heartfelt thoughts from families and staff deeply affected by the pandemic. We are humbled by the generous support from donors at this time, and we wish them all well.”

All proceeds generated by EngAGE 2020 fund Hebrew SeniorLife’s work to provide extraordinary health care, strengthen our senior communities, conduct research on aging, and teach new generations of geriatricians and care providers. Hebrew SeniorLife is the only senior care organization affiliated with Harvard Medical School and it is home to the only long-term chronic care teaching hospital in the United States.

For more information about EngAGE 2020, visit hslengage.org.

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 organization has provided communities and health care for seniors, research into aging, and education for geriatric care providers since 1903. For more information about Hebrew SeniorLife, visit https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/ or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.