SWAMPSCOTT — The Senior Center’s Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) program was recognized as a “Goal #6 Success Story” by Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll and the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, who unveiled a state plan to improve ways for agencies to better serve seniors.
Reimagine Aging 2030: The Massachusetts Plan is a five-year roadmap that outlines strategies, goals and plans that work to make the state “a great place for everyone to grow old and thrive,” according to Mass.gov. The Plan featured OMA, which pairs trained high school students with seniors living with dementia, as an example of a success story in making places more dementia friendly across the state.
Through a Title III Grant administered by the Greater Lynn Senior Services, the town’s Senior Center has collaborated with Swampscott High School to complete five sessions of the program, with the sixth and final session scheduled for the summer, though no final date has been released yet.
Six goals from the plan act as central pillars for the mission: “Economic Opportunity and Security,” “People and Communities,” “Places and Spaces,” “Health and Wellness,” “Aging in All Policies,” and “Information Communication and Framing.”
Director of Aging Services Heidi Whear shared her thoughts on being recognized as a Goal #6
“success story,” and their commitment to serving the elderly.
“We were recognized as a gold member success story for reimagine 2030 plan, and the goal six specifically asks for a community to develop programs that celebrate positive contributions of older adults,” Whear said. “So, I was proud of OMA for being recognized, the program itself celebrates individual retained strength rather than lost skills — it produces so much joy, and I thought it was a great example of goal number six.”
Assistant Director and Outreach Social Worker Sabrina Clopton reiterated the pride the senior center feels from being recognized in their efforts.
“OMA celebrates an individual’s retained strengths as opposed to lost skills. The joy that is felt throughout this failure-free experience embodies the sixth goal in the State’s plan, for communities to find creative ways to increase and celebrate the positive contributions of older adults and reduce stigmas associated with aging and changing abilities,” Clopton said.
