Vantage House Awarded Grant for Pilot Project

Vantage House, a Life Plan Community in Downtown Columbia, has been awarded a grant from the Howard County Arts Council(HCAC) to fund a pilot art program designed for people with dementia.

The Opening Minds through Art (OMA) program is founded on the fact that people with memory impairment are capable of expressing themselves creatively. OMA's mission is to build bridges across age and cognitive barriers through art. Vantage House will become the first life plan community in Howard County to offer a group OMA program.

During the eight-week pilot project, Vantage House will offer the OMA program to 12 residents with memory impairment who will work with volunteers trained to promote social engagement, autonomy, and dignity of people with dementia. The project will be facilitated by Carol Dana, a Howard County-based dementia-arts specialist and certified OMA program facilitator. The art-making sessions will culminate in a public exhibition celebrating the artists’ accomplishments while educating the public about the creative capacities of people with memory impairment.

Vantage House is a full service life plan community for people 60 and older, with long-term health services available exclusively for its residents should they need them. It celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2015 and is noted for its arts, cultural and educational activities, as well as for resident engagement with the larger community of Columbia.

For information, contact vantagehouse.org.