schoolguidancecounselor.AnneBravemanhadbeena
MassachusettsGeneralHospitalnurse,andherhusband
wasintheofficesupplybusiness.RhodaMakoverused
to be a bookkeeper and her husband a dry goods
salesman. Financially, these people were no different
from Lou Sanders.Indeed, 70 percent ofNewBridge’s
nursing homeresidents had depletedtheir savings and
goneontogovernmentassistanceinordertopayfortheir
stay.
NewBridge had been able to cultivate substantial
philanthropicsupportthroughitsclosetiestotheJewish
community,andthathadbeenvitaltoitsstayingafloat.
But less than an hour’s drive away, close to where
Shelleyandherhusbandlived,Ivisitedaprojectthathad
nothing like NewBridge’s resources and nonetheless
foundwaystobe justastransformative.PeterSanborn
Place was built in 1983 as a subsidized apartment
building with seventy-three units for independent,
low-income elderly people from the local community.
JacquieCarson,itsdirectorsince1996,hadn’tintendedto
createnursing-home-levelcarethere.But,ashertenants
aged,shefeltthatshehadtofindawaytoaccommodate
them permanently if they wanted it—and want it they did.
Atfirst,theyjustneededhelparoundtheirhomes.Carson
arranged for aides from a local agency to help with
laundry, shopping, cleaning, and the like. Then some
residents became weak, and she brought in physical
therapistswhogavethemcanesandwalkersandtaught
them strengthening exercises. Some tenants required
catheters, care for skin wounds, and other medical
treatment. So she organized visiting nurses. Whenthe