Worcester, Mass., June 1, 2007—Summit ElderCare, a Program of All-
Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), and the Worcester Art Museum have joined together to provide a variety of art classes to participants at Summit ElderCare’s 227 East Mountain Street location in Worcester.
Under the instruction of Worcester Art Museum instructor Tom Kellner,
Summit ElderCare participants are able to join classes every Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. through June 13. In these classes, participants are given an opportunity to let their creativity take over through painting, pottery, water color, clay and print making techniques.
“We are so excited to partner with the Worcester Art Museum in providing this wonderful program to our participants,” Karen J. Longo,
Executive Director, Summit ElderCare. “While the insurance, medical and other supportive services that we provide are more obvious, we also continuously strive to offer activities and social opportunities that provide creative outlets for our participants to express their feelings and experiences.”
“The goal of these art lessons is not necessarily about producing
beautiful works of art, but rather to help participants feel good about
themselves and help them to communicate with others,” said Nancy Grigas, Activities Coordinator, Summit ElderCare.
Summit ElderCare’s Medical Director, David Wilner, M.D., said that
keeping one’s mind active can help preserve thinking skills. “Art and music stimulate different areas of the brain more than reading, speaking and even doing puzzles. This collaboration between Summit ElderCare and the Worcester Art Museum will help our participants exercise their brains in more ways,” said Dr. Wilner.
This is the first time the Worcester Art Museum and Summit ElderCare
have provided this program, and Alexander Dunn, Outreach Coordinator for the museum, is thrilled to be bringing creativity to the participants.
“When art is stripped free of its context, value and notoriety, it becomes
the most wonderful form of human expression,” said Dunn. “As a museum, we are charged with both preserving art for future generations and spreading the experience of creativity to all.”
Funding for the program is made possible by the Worcester Art Museum’s Stoddard Discovery Fund. Established in 1997, the fund ensures the continuation of excellent educational programs and provides essential funding for outreach to underserved segments of the community.
Note to media: Photographers, videographers and reporters are invited to experience a class first-hand on Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 1 to 3 p.m. Summit ElderCare, 277 E. Mountain Street, Worcester, MA.
For more information, please contact Bob Nolan, FCHP, at 508-368-9430.
About the Worcester Art Museum
The Worcester Art Museum, which opened to the public in 1898, is world-renowned for its 35,000-piece collection of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, drawings and new media. The works span 5,000 years of art and culture, ranging from ancient Roman mosaics to Colonial silver, Impressionist paintings and contemporary art. Dedicated to the promotion of art and art education, the Museum offers a year-round studio art and art appreciation program that enrolls over 7,000 adult and youth students each year. Public tours are offered Saturdays at 11AM and Sundays at 1 PM, September through May. Enjoy a delectable lunch in the Museum Café, and browse the Shop for unique gifts and mementos. Visit us online to learn more about our special exhibitions at www.worcesterart.org.
About Summit ElderCareSM
Summit ElderCare is an insurance, medical care and social support system all in one convenient package that includes: home care, personal care and even prescription drugs, when approved. Summit ElderCare is one of approximately 40 Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) in the country, and the only one in Worcester County. For over a decade, Summit ElderCare, sponsored by Fallon Community Health Plan, has served the needs of elders and their caregivers in Worcester County, Marlborough and Hudson at its locations in Worcester and Charlton.
About FCHP
Founded in 1977, Fallon Community Health Plan provides health care services designed to meet the unique and changing needs of all we serve. FCHP is the only health plan in Massachusetts that is both an insurer and provider of care. Our product portfolio includes a variety of group and individual health plan options (HMO, POS, PPO, Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans) featuring flexible and innovative benefit designs. We administer fully-insured and self-insured funding arrangements with customized services for employers. Our uniquely developed provider networks offer high-quality, cost-effective, coordinated care and give our members access to doctors and hospitals throughout Massachusetts. We also offer a broad spectrum of services and programs to ensure our members, at every stage of life, remain as healthy and productive as possible. FCHP is a provider of care through its Summit ElderCareSM program, an advanced and completely integrated program that offers seniors and their caregivers an alternative to nursing home placement. Our continued commitment to deliver high-quality health care and exceptional customer service has earned FCHP consistent ratings as one of the nation’s top health plans. And, FCHP is the only health plan in Massachusetts to have been awarded “Excellent” Accreditation by the National Committee for Quality Assurance for our HMO, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid products.