Jewish Community
Housing for the Elderly

30 Wallingford Road
Brighton, MA 02135-4753
Phone: 617-912-8400
Fax: 617-912-8489
TTY: 617-789-4868
Email: info@jche.org
Programs and Services

Programs and Services

 

The hallmark of JCHE senior housing is the access that residents have to an extensive array of programs and services. These supports are designed to enhance and facilitate healthy aging -- we frequently hear how residents talk about how they were profoundly changed by an experience at JCHE, whether it is a painting class that sparked unexplored creativity or a computer class where new skills were learned. One resident aptly described her experience this way: "When I moved to JCHE, I got involved in things and started using my brain. I found that I actually got smarter!"

As residents' needs increase, they want to remain in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes at JCHE. Through collaboration with community agencies, JCHE provides access to a broad range of supports aimed at helping people stay in their JCHE homes safely.

Many of JCHE’s programs and services are made possible through generous contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. (Giving Opportunities)

Resident Services Coordination – When added support is needed, JCHE's Resident Services Coordinators are available to assist at each of our locations. In order to offer the most effective support, JCHE's coordinators, including staff who speak Russian, Mandarin and Cantonese, work closely with many community partners to assess residents' needs and help them access appropriate services.

CaringChoices™ -- We strive to help residents remain safely in their JCHE homes even as their needs change. Our CaringChoices™ program connects residents with an array of affordable and supportive services. Designed to be personalized rather than a set package of services, CaringChoices™ allows tenants to request the specific service and the amount of assistance that they need, whether it is help with housekeeping, meal preparation, personal care, laundry or medication reminders. JCHE has a modest sliding fee scale for those who are not eligible for subsidized services or who need more services than are available through public resources. Our goal is to raise funds each year to enable us to cover the difference between residents' financial resources and the actual cost of providing the services.

Fitness and Wellness Program – JCHE's Fitness and Wellness Program demonstrates a commitment to helping residents lead healthy and active lives. Residents have extensive opportunities to enjoy activities in settings that promote physical health and social connectedness. Each of JCHE’s sites has a fitness center with senior-friendly exercise equipment where instructors, including bilingual staff, offer personalized instruction. Each building offers numerous onsite exercise classes, such as chair aerobics, expressive movement, Tai Chi, and yoga. Understanding the risks that seniors face by falling, JCHE is piloting an integrated falls prevention program at the Brighton site. The program combines strength and balance exercises, health monitoring by a geriatric nurse practitioner, and assistance from JCHE's maintenance department to help residents reduce the occurrence of falls in their apartments. JCHE is also involved in important collaborative partnerships, working extensively with Tufts University's Department of Occupational Therapy and Northeastern University's physical therapy department, to engage in research and to offer internships to students for invaluable opportunities to understand the specific needs of seniors.

24/7 Onsite Management – All JCHE buildings have one or two staff members who live onsite and are on-call for emergency situations. The availability of staff at all hours offers residents a high level of security when facing a medical or maintenance problem that requires immediate attention. In addition, each apartment unit is equipped with an emergency response system so that residents can indicate that help is needed.

Generations Together – JCHE offers extensive intergenerational programming to develop relationships that are mutually beneficial. Each academic year, JCHE offers over 20 different intergenerational programs that challenge the images of aging and youth. These programs provide meaningful opportunities for residents and young people, ranging in age from preschoolers to college students, to spend time together teaching, learning and sharing life experiences. Partners for the intergenerational programs include Harvard School of Medicine and Brandeis University. In 2006, JCHE's Generations Together program received the prestigious RespectAbility Award from the National Council on Aging for an Exemplary Program.

Educational, Social, and Cultural Programs – Each of JCHE's buildings has common space that is used frequently for concerts, dances, movies, entertainers, and holiday celebrations. Tenants at each location are involved in planning these special events, which have included ballroom dancing, jazz and Klezmer concerts, Chinese Moon Festivals, multi-lingual Passover Seders, and choral groups. The space is also widely used for lectures, concerts, book discussion groups, and classes on a wide range of subjects.

Transportation – JCHE’s wheelchair-accessible vans make it easy for tenants in all buildings to travel to nearby stores, cultural events, and medical appointments. In the course of a typical week, the vans might travel to Boston’s Haymarket for fresh fruits and vegetables, the North Shore Music Theatre for entertainment, and local hospitals for visits with friends or family.

Club Genesis Adult Day Health Program – Residents at JCHE’s Brighton buildings who need extra support during the week have an excellent resource close at hand. Club Genesis Adult Day Health Program, located on the first floor of Genesis House, provides a supportive, stimulating, and social environment for older adults who have memory loss and other serious conditions. Club Genesis, open five days each week, has Russian/English bilingual staff. Residents can pay for this program privately or, if they are financially eligible, through Medicaid.

Computer Centers – JCHE’s computer centers are a magnet for active minds. Every JCHE site has a center that offers individualized instruction as well as group classes. Residents use the centers extensively to e-mail friends and family, remain current with events around the globe, play a variety of games, research health information, and write memoirs. All of JCHE’s computers accommodate both English and Russian languages, and our Brighton housing also has software in Chinese.

Tenant Councils -- Tenant Councils at all sites are actively involved in shaping and improving their environment. They often help plan special events at the buildings. They effectively alert staff to ways to make the buildings safer and more comfortable. The Councils are also organize charitable activities to raise funds for various community organizations, both locally, nationally and abroad.

Convenience Stores – Each JCHE location has a small on-site convenience store that sells groceries and household goods.

Outdoor Space – The grounds at each of JCHE’s locations are well maintained and park-like, with walking paths and benches. They are used for planned gatherings, like the annual Independence Day and Citizenship Celebration in Brighton and the frequent barbeques at Golda Meir House and Coleman House. Throughout the year, residents extensively enjoy the gardens and patios to read the newspaper, practice Tai Chi, and visit with friends and neighbors.