Services for Russian-speaking seniors

Offered in your home throughout Greater Boston and at the following locations:

Culturally Competent Care Delivered by Bilingual Geriatric Specialists

As part of Hebrew SeniorLife’s commitment to provide welcoming and inclusive environments, we offer services for Russian-speaking seniors throughout our continuum. These services feature program staff members who are fluent in both English and Russian, and programming that promotes the physical, intellectual, and spiritual well-being of Russian-speaking patients and residents.

Read Hebrew SeniorLife’s mission in Russian.

At Hebrew Rehabilitation Center, our program provides a unique and vibrant community where long-term chronic care patients receive culturally appropriate care and services tailored to their background. It gives seniors who speak Russian a sense of belonging. Our mission is to honor their preferences while providing the best care possible.

The program offers:

  • Primary care teams, with physicians, nurses, and social workers who speak fluent Russian and English
  • Other staff members, including certified nursing assistants, therapists, and unit secretaries, who are fluent in Russian and English
  • Culturally appropriate activities and programs that are an integral part of day-to-day life (View sample calendars for 1 Berenson and 2 Berenson)
  • A comfortable atmosphere, including Russian folk art and a library with both Russian and English books and videos designed with Russian-speaking seniors in mind
  • Four free Russian television stations: Channel 1 Russia, Dom Kino, Musika Pervogo, Retro Channel
  • Russian and English signage
  • Beautiful gardens and an outdoor patio area to meet with friends and relatives

To learn more about long-term chronic care for Russian-speaking seniors, please contact our Russian Bilingual Program at 617-363-8425.

Thirty percent of residents who live in our independent living communities in Brookline are Russian-speaking. To ensure their unique needs are met, we offer a number of services tailored to deliver culturally competent care and to make them feel valued as members of the CCB community. We strive to promote wellness in body and spirit. Our program includes:

  • Russian-speaking staff member and Vitalize 360 Coach
  • Translation at resident meetings and of all documents, including a weekly newsletter/calendar
  • Lectures by Russian speakers on topics such as health care, the arts, safety, and available resources
  • Food events that offer Russian cuisine
  • Russian holiday celebrations
  • Russian teas to encourage friendly discussions
  • Special bus trips
  • Access to agencies that support Russian-speaking seniors, such as health care agencies and services that provide social programs
  • Outreach to families
  • Monthly Russian-language sing-along at the Cohen Residences
  • Monthly Russian-language Shabbat program at the Goldman Residences
  • One-on-one pastoral care in Russian

Staffed by caregivers fluent in both English and Russian, Hebrew SeniorLife offers Medicare-certified home health care to Russian-speaking patients, as well as personal assistance services to eligible Russian-speaking seniors in the Greater Boston area.

Medicare-certified Home Health Care

Hebrew SeniorLife Home Care offers a comprehensive range of services to assist seniors in the Greater Boston area with their recovery following surgery, illness, or hospital stay, or to manage chronic illness.

Learn more about home health.

Personal Assistance

Working under contracts with state-funded Aging Senior Access Points (ASAPs), the goal of the program is to allow seniors to maintain independence in their own homes for as long as possible. Workers assist with housekeeping tasks such as shopping, laundry, and meal preparation, and also provide personal care including assistance with dressing and bathing. Services are provided to elderly and/or disabled clients who meet income eligibility guidelines established by the ASAPs.

Learn more about eligibility.

The Brighton location of our adult day health program is fully staffed with Russian-speaking personnel, providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care to seniors.

Find out if adult day health care is right for you or your loved one.

Russian Bilingual Program Director Alexandra Dashevskaya sits with her arm around a patient at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston.

Meet the Russian Bilingual Services Program Director

Alexandra Dashevskaya, director of the Bilingual Services Program, is a gerontologist with many years of experience working with Russian-speaking seniors.

An older couple sitting on a couch, holding hands.

Stories from Our Russian Community

Hear the stories of married couples who have chosen to join Hebrew Rehabilitation Center's Russian-speaking community.

A Hebrew SeniorLife nurse sits with a Russian-speaking senior in an outdoor courtyard at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center in Boston.

Read our Newsletter

Twice a year, our newsletter provides the latest information about Hebrew SeniorLife’s many services for Russian-speaking seniors. We invite you to view our most recent issues (October 2023April 2023September 2022May 2022November 2021June 2021November 2020June 2020) and subscribe below.

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The cover of the Brandeis University Oral History Project book

Preserving an Important History

Each year students from Brandeis University’s Russian Studies Program visit with our patients to document and preserve their life histories, compiling them into a meaningful book.

View Latest Issue
A Russian-speaking nurse at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center stands smiling with her arm around a female patient.

We Can’t Do It Without You

Donations help us surround Russian-speaking seniors with the foods, activities, and artwork that make them feel at home. With your gift, we can provide culturally competent care and an inclusive, welcoming environment.

Give Today

See what life is like for our Russian-speaking seniors.