One Year of Healthy Aging
Monday, April 1, 2024
Celebrating One Year
The Healthy Aging Initiative is celebrating one year since launching at our first housing site. Since launching, the study has continued to evolve and improve. Like many research endeavors, the Healthy Aging Initiative began as a pilot study. This initial pilot study included two Hebrew SeniorLife housing sites: NewBridge on the Charles and Jack Satter House. With the help of participant and Marcus Institute steering committee feedback, the pilot study was modified to become the Healthy Aging Initiative that we conduct today. Participant involvement now requires approximately sixty minutes to complete both the survey questionnaires and an in-person assessment. As we approach the second year of the Healthy Aging Initiative, we are continuing to gather feedback to improve participant experience and research quality.
The Latest
As of January 2024, the Healthy Aging Initiative has launched at all Hebrew SeniorLife Communities! We now have participants enrolled from all housing sites: Jack Satter House, Center Communities of Brookline, Orchard Cove, NewBridge on the Charles, and Simon C. Fireman Community. Besides our work at Hebrew SeniorLife housing communities, we are also enrolling older adults living around the Boston area who are interested in participating in research. Currently, we have 192 participants enrolled in the study and are still gaining new subjects on an ongoing basis.
The team continues to be active in housing communities and behind the scenes. HAI team members are at housing sites conducting assessments and presenting lectures, as well as interpreting data and writing papers. We are excited that our new website (which you find yourself on!) is live. The website is home to not only updates and information regarding the Healthy Aging Initiative, but also tips and lectures about healthy aging from Marcus Institute scientists and staff.
Where are we going?
We are looking forward to our next year of assessments at all Hebrew SeniorLife locations and in the broader community! We plan to revisit residents that we assessed in the previous year for their Year Two assessment. To do so, we are improving our reports to help participants gauge where they are compared to the previous year. While we are excited to revisit familiar faces, we are also continuing to welcome new participants at all sites to join the study. In addition, we are looking forward to launching at Hebrew SeniorLife’s newest location, Leyland Community in Dorchester. As a team, we are developing plans to expand our study and reach more potential participants. Hebrew SeniorLife residents can look out for more informative lectures and interactive events involving healthy aging in the coming year.