Hebrew SeniorLife Receives $5M Gift for Memory Care
Deanna and Sidney Wolk’s Donation Supports the Expanding Center for Memory Health - for Patients and Caregivers Affected by Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementias, and Memory Care Issues
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, has announced a generous gift to support patients and caregivers affected by Alzheimer’s disease, dementias, and other memory care issues. As a result of this $5M donation, Hebrew SeniorLife has named its growing Center for Memory Health in honor of Deanna and Sidney Wolk of Boston.
Today, five million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s. With the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, the needs of Alzheimer’s and other memory care patients, as well as their caregivers, have only increased. The newly named Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health at Hebrew SeniorLife has seen a strong uptick in the number of patients and family members needing additional support during this crisis.
Mary Moscato, President, Hebrew SeniorLife Health Care Services and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, said, “Families and patients living with dementias are increasingly at risk for the stress, isolation, and loneliness that dementia can bring. The services of the Wolk Center are already proving beneficial to patients and their families and will only be in more demand in the future as people age. We thank the Wolks for their acknowledgement of this tremendous need.”
Sidney Wolk said, “As Bostonians, we are proud to give back to the community where we have deep roots. When we learned of the increasing need for community-based services in brain disorders and cognition, for both patients as well as their caregivers, we knew that our gift towards memory care services would definitely fill a void here in this area.”
Added Deanna Wolk, “From my volunteer work at Hebrew SeniorLife, I have seen first-hand the expert care that the organization delivers. With this gift, we are happy to support that level of excellence, helping people with memory care issues access the right experts, supports, tools, and services to help them live their best lives possible.”
Lou Woolf, President and CEO of Hebrew SeniorLife, said, “We are grateful to Deanna and Sidney Wolk, who have been leaders in giving to Hebrew SeniorLife for many years. They have stepped up in a time like no other, in an area, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, that is expected to triple in size in the coming years. The Deanna and Sidney Wolk Center for Memory Health is becoming a vital go-to memory care resource for the community.”
The Wolk Center provides Harvard Medical School-affiliated outpatient memory care services, in person and virtually, for people living with cognitive symptoms or disorders at any stage — and for their families and caregivers. Based in Roslindale, the Wolk Center offers services such as behavioral and cognitive neurology, assessing cognitive function, identifying early signs of dementia, addressing behavioral changes, and recommending personalized interventions and lifestyles.
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, or follow us on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
