Of the many noise issues I’ve had over the course of my seven and a half years of unfortunate residency in this facility, one of the most egregious involves a mentally ill man whose apartment is two doors down from mine. He has a habit of running up and down the hall at night, having conversations, and occasionally arguments, with imaginary people. It’s horribly disturbing, it interferes with my ability to get enough rest and the stress has contributed to the overall destruction of my health.

I have been telling the management for years that this man belongs in a psychiatric facility, but they refuse to become involved. This is their preferred method of dealing with problems; they ignore them and hope they resolve themselves. On the rare occasion I’ve been able to get them to address this, they’ve reluctantly had a word with him, but the result is always the same. He never stops entirely, but he scales it back for a week or two; then, when he thinks no one is paying attention, he resumes his activities.

In recent months, I’ve begun telling Hebrew SeniorLife’s management that I intend to begin calling in the police to deal with this, and both the Director of the facility (who never addresses anything herself but consistently hands me off to one of her subordinates) and the Director of Community Life, to whom she handed me off some months ago, have encouraged me repeatedly to do so. (She had originally handed me off to the head of their Social Services Dept., whose job it is to deal with these issues, but she made a couple of half-hearted gestures then handed me back to the Director. She simply didn't want to be bothered with me.) They actually want me to bring in the police to do their jobs for them, and there is no hint of shame or embarrassment in their voices when they tell me this.

Although this man’s nocturnal activities usually occur three nights per week on average, occasionally, something will set him off, he will become exceptionally agitated and will do it several nights in a row, and sometimes in the afternoons as well. This has been the case recently. This last Friday night, after I had warned him the day before that I would begin calling the police, he began one of his nightly sojourns, and I made good on my threat. I called them and they sent a uniformed officer.

The officer told me he had only been to this facility on two previous occasions, but he was aware that others in the Police Dept. have been here frequently. I informed him that HSL’s management had encouraged me repeatedly to call the police. He expressed surprise that an organization that manages a facility for the elderly and disabled would encourage its residents to call the police on one another. I told him this is how they operate; they tell residents, essentially, “Call the police, because we can't be bothered to do our jobs.” He also expressed the opinion that these issues are better handled in-house, rather than by the police. I told him I agreed with him, but as they have refused consistently to deal with the issue, I have no other option.

When I told him this has been going on for seven and half years, he asked me if it would just be easier to get them to move me to another apartment. I told him I had been fighting with them to get them to do that for years, and that they had finally offered me another apartment but only as a result of being threatened with litigation.

He also suggested this man might be better served in a different kind of facility. Again, I had to tell him I agreed, and had been telling the management as much for years, with absolutely no result. There are, in fact, many people here who would be better served in other facilities. In particular, the management has a practice of allowing elderly residents to remain far longer than they should, sometimes for years past the point at which they should be moved to assisted living, nursing or Alzheimer's facilities. Some become bedridden or wheelchair-bound, barely conscious, dependent upon around-the-clock care given by unskilled caretakers - babysitters, really - who are engaged by their families because they are able to hire them more cheaply than they can hire skilled professionals.

In any case, the officer went upstairs, spoke to the man and was able to get him to stop running up and down the hall. He told me if it happened again to call back. He also told me that he would inform the Community Service Officer, who handles domestic disputes and with whom I have also been in contact, and suggested that I inform both the Community Service Officer and the building management of his visit. I have subsequently emailed several parties within management, telling them that my intention is to call the police each time this man acts out.

Although I will maintain the Facebook group as a support venue and to protect people’s anonymity, I intend to use this blog and the Facebook Community page to post stories of my past and present experiences with Hebrew SeniorLife, in an effort to make the public aware of how the organization is run.

Why have I created this blog?

Hebrew SeniorLife is an organization in the Boston area that owns and operates nursing homes, rehab facilities and housing for seniors and the disabled. It is the largest operation of its kind in the area, but tragically, it is a horribly run organization - a corrupt, self-serving agency that has for decades been betraying the trust of the Jewish community of Boston.

Although Boston’s Jewish population is relatively small, it is disproportionately affluent, and as Hebrew SeniorLife is one of our flagship nonprofits, the Jewish community gives it many millions of dollars per year. Unfortunately, that money is not returned to the community in the form of services. HSL does tend to keep up its properties (although even that is relative, as I understand similar properties in other cities are in much better condition), so they can take their wealthy donors around and show them what they’re doing with the money. Apart from that, they use it to provide their upper management with six-figure incomes and generous retirement packages. When it comes to hiring the people who are responsible for the care and welfare of the residents - middle management, nursing staff, social workers, program directors, etc. - they scrape the bottom of the proverbial barrel.

Hebrew SeniorLife has caused a great deal of suffering over the years by victimizing weak, vulnerable people who are unable to defend themselves. The organization has been threatened from time to time with litigation, but it has a history of paying off the parties so as to avoid damage to its reputation. I assume they feel it is less costly in the long term than hiring competent, caring staff.

I am disabled and have been a resident in one of their facilities for nearly eight years. I have had terrible problems here, both with the apartment itself and with neighbors in varying states of physical and mental decline making egregious levels of noise 24/7, which have caused my health to deteriorate to a point at which I am more debilitated now than I was when I moved in. HSL’s staff has refused repeatedly to deal with these issues, even though they are legally obligated to do so under the terms of my lease, and have encouraged me to call in the police to handle them as they cannot be bothered to do their jobs. They have also, until recently, refused to give me another apartment, although they are legally obligated to do that as well under the terms of the reasonable accommodation law. They have been apathetic at best, abusive at worst and at all times incompetent.

Twenty years ago, my grandfather was in their rehab and nursing home facilities. He also was subjected to abuse, and although he was quite elderly, I feel confident that it shortened his life. It certainly made his final months more difficult and unpleasant than they needed to be. This is a set of problems that are pervasive throughout the organization and that have been going on for a very long time. There is absolutely no interest in improvement or change within their organizational culture.

I recently began threatening the Director of my facility with litigation, and as a result, after seven years of fighting and avoiding dealing with all of the issues I've brought to them, she has finally begun to talk about offering me another apartment, but what has been offered has been unsuitable and has been presented with a tremendous amount of posturing and with unreasonable restrictions attached. At no point has there been any acknowledgment of culpability or wrongdoing on their part.

Many people here are unhappy and have been for most of the twelve years since HSL purchased the property. Many complaints are lodged, but nothing changes. I have therefore started this blog to serve as a support venue for anyone who is or has been, or has had a loved one who has been, a victim of Hebrew SeniorLife.

I would be interested in hearing the stories of others who have been similarly harmed, and in comparing notes pertaining to legal and governmental resources, etc. Even if you're merely disgruntled or have a low opinion of the organization in general, you're welcome.

In addition to this blog, I’ve set up both a Community page and an anonymous support group on Facebook. The Community page is open and unrestricted. Membership in the group must be requested and the identities of its members are visible only to others within the group. If you'd like to join, message me through this blog or the Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victims-of-Hebrew-SeniorLife/1603719693173867