Supportive Living, Inc.'s Photovoice Project "Talking with Pictures" on Exhibit at the Cary Memorial Library

Supportive Living Inc.’s participatory research project, “Talking with Pictures,” will be on exhibit in the large meeting room at Cary Memorial Library, 1874 Massachusetts Avenue in Lexington, Massachusetts, from February 2 to February 28, 2015. The project explores community integration of older adults with brain injury and other neurologic conditions living in Lexington. “Talking with Pictures” is supported by a grant from the Dana Home Foundation. The grant’s keystone activity was a photovoice project with five Lexington residents, aged 53 to 69 with disabilities from brain injury, to understand local environmental factors that impact community integration in Lexington from their perspectives. From September to November 2014, participants took photographs of their perceptions of community integration in Lexington. Their photographs and captions communicate their feelings, experiences, supports and barriers to independence, relationships, and meaningful things to do. The group met over eight weeks to discuss the topic, share photos, write personal captions, and prepare the exhibit. Of the 35 photos taken, 12 will be on exhibit at the Cary Memorial Library for the community to view. “The photovoice project helped us understand Lexington’s unique characteristics related to community integration for older adults with brain injury, and their photos capture personal and community challenges and strengths,” said Laura Lorenz, research and education director, SLI Brain Injury Wellness Center and Visiting Scholar at Brandeis University. “On February 26, we will hold a brainstorming session with local stakeholder organizations to identify actionable solutions to address the problems and support the strengths illustrated by the exhibit.” The SLI Brain Injury Wellness Center, located in Lexington, Massachusetts, provides physical, cognitive and social fitness programs to improve the lives of individuals affected by brain injury. Supportive Living, Inc. also coordinates collaborative efforts of academic and clinical professionals to conduct research on program effectiveness. The Dana Home Foundation, founded in 2010, is dedicated to providing for the care, comfort and well-being of senior citizens, with a special emphasis on serving, directly or indirectly, the needs of those who reside in or have connections to the Town of Lexington.