Music & memory take center stage at OPH showing of film, Alive Inside, Thurs., April 7

(SHARON, MA) – Music’s positive impact on the minds of people with memory impairment is offering new insights into possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, and dementia.

On Thursday, April 7, the Our Partners in Health (OPH) collaborative, will present the documentary film, Alive Inside, hosted and facilitated by Lesley University Graduate School Professor of Expressive Therapy Alan O'Hare, M.Ed. The movie tells the story of social worker Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, as he fights to demonstrate music's ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. The film was released in 2014 and offers interviews with family members who have witnessed the effects of personalized music on their loved ones as well as researchers and performers.

The presentation will be held in the Cynthia B. Fox Community Room at the Sharon Public Library (SPL) from 7:00 – 9:00 pm. Admission is free and open to the public.

O’Hare, formerly of Sharon, is an award-winning artist, professor, consultant, and trainer. He works extensively with students and professionals on programs in expressive therapy, counseling psychology and education. Founder of Life Story Theatre, Inc., O’Hare has written and directed numerous educational dramas for corporations in healthcare and education, and will produce and direct a performance of the dramatic musical, iloveyouiloveyouiloveyoutoo, during the OPH Grand Finale and Performance on Thursday, April 21. At the OPH program on April 7, O’Hare will lead a discussion about the effects of music on the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss and other forms of dementia.

The showing of Alive Inside will be followed on Monday, April 25, by a presentation by Orchard Cove Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Karen Dick, PhD, on Brain Fitness for the Aging Adult. The program will be held at the Sharon Council on Aging at 1:00 pm.

Our Partners in Health is a collaborative comprising the Sharon Public Library in partnership with the Sharon Council on Aging, Epoch Senior Healthcare of Sharon, Hebrew Senior Life, Health & Social Services Consortium, Inc. (HESSCO), Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Orchard Cove, White Oak Cottages, and Your Elder Experts. For more information about Our Partners in Health and upcoming OPH programs, contact SPL Library Director Lee Ann Amend at 781.784.1578, ext. 1425, or visit www.sharonpubliclibrary.org.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. #HHS-N-276-2011-0001C with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

ABOUT THE SHARON PUBLIC LIBRARY

A member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN) with a collection in a wide range of traditional and digital formats, the Sharon Public Library (SPL) is committed to serving the informational, educational, cultural and recreational needs of all members of the Sharon community by providing access to a professional staff, a state-of-the-art facility and quality materials, programs and service.

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