To the Editor:

I’m proud to be a part of the team implementing Place Based Supports (PBS) as a nursing services manager for Hebrew SeniorLife at MLK Towers in Roxbury. And I’m grateful for the team that helped make this possible. Thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), we have collaborated with Senior Whole Health by Molina Healthcare, the Commonwealth Care Alliance, and the Boston Housing Authority to expand supports for seniors who live in the MLK Towers.

I knew that our efforts were working when a resident told me recently, with tears in her eyes: “To know that someone cares about us, that someone pays attention and wants to help, it feels good.” 

The human connection with our residents is a critical component of the program’s success. Loneliness is a social determinant of health that has been found to increase the risk of stroke by more than 50 percent. PBS addresses this and other ailments impacting the health and well-being of older adults through other non-clinical support, such as food distributions, crisis intervention, and group activities, provided directly where they live to eliminate access barriers and encourage socialization.

This collaboration integrates Hebrew SeniorLife’s Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3) model with an on-site wellness coordinator at MLK Towers to look after the needs of residents. The R3 model links residents to culturally appropriate local providers, behavioral health and wellness services, and community resources. 

Core to the R3 model is having a team on site to develop trust and rapport with residents of the building. What began as our team performing proactive outreach to residents has now become residents seeking our help and advice and sending their friends and neighbors to meet with the team. Residents have welcomed our group programs such as fitness classes, cooking presentations, and one-on-one meetings with a health insurance counselor. 

The PBS model is a testament to the power of collaboration for better health outcomes, and we are grateful to EOHHS and our long-standing partners for their commitment to bringing care directly to older adults. Together, we will work to ensure Bay Staters age with dignity. 

Anya Gorodetskaya, RN, 
R3 Implementation
and Nursing Services Manager 
Hebrew SeniorLife