Concord Park in West Concord, MA announced the opening of The PhotoVoice Project, a distinctive exhibit featuring the photographs and writing of older adults living with memory loss (see video below for a view of last year's exhibit in a sister community in Hopkinton, MA).
The Opening Reception for the exhibit is Thursday, November 29, 2012 from 4:00-7:00pm at Concord Park located at 68 Commonwealth Avenue, Concord. The public is invited to attend to view the works and will have an opportunity to meet the artists.
The PhotoVoice Project was developed by several researchers at the University of Michigan to enable individuals with disabilities to identify, represent and articulate aspects of their lives by working with cameras to capture images of interest and then giving meaning to those images through words.
Senior Living Residences, the Boston-based company which manages the daily operations of Concord Park and created Compass Memory Support, is the first assisted living company in the United States to adapt this program for individuals living with different types of dementia. Exhibiting the work at the end of the six-week project in a public space creates a forum for dialogue, awareness and solidarity with individuals living with memory loss who are often isolated and misunderstood by society.
According to Mary Baum, Compass Program Director at Concord Park, “We are excited about the ways in which the PhotoVoice Project is positively affecting individuals living with memory loss. This unique project increases engagement, improves mood, and offers our residents a pathway to tap into emotional memory and the rich history and identity of their lives. Exhibiting their work allows the general public to move beyond the stigma of Alzheimer’s disease to see the person who is still there, who still has so much to offer.”
She added, “The enormous positive impact of this program on the lives of individuals living in Senior Living Residences’ communities is reflected in the words of a woman at one of our sister communities who said, ‘Thank you for bringing the world back to me.’”
Compass Memory Support programming treats the symptoms of memory loss. Through an affiliation with Boston University School of Medicine’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Compass puts research into action through social engagement, lifelong learning, physical fitness, the arts, and an award-winning Brain Healthy Cooking Program. Ms. Baum said, “We believe individuals with memory loss should have the fullest possible sense of control over their daily lives, continue to learn, enjoy personal relationships, play a role in their own care, and live meaningful lives. The PhotoVoice Project is one way we achieve these goals.”
Concord Park is located at 68 Commonwealth Avenue in Concord. For more information, visitwww.concordpark.net or call 978.369.4728.
Posted by: 
