Building bridges across age and cognitive barriers through art
Join Virtual OMA!
Older adults are invited to meet weekly with Miami University students to discuss art and music, and to create original drawings, stories and poetry. Older adults (living with and without dementia) will meet with the same three students every week for 45 minutes throughout the semester (2/8/21 to 5/7/21). No art background or preparation is necessary. The students will come prepared to every session. The program was well received last semester, as one elder participant wrote, “I am so grateful for the opportunity to interact with students and engage in enjoyable activities. The ability to meet through Zoom has been an excellent tether during the pandemic.” Participation is FREE. Space is limited so sign up soon!
OMA by the Numbers in 2020
Despite the pandemic, OMA continues to build bridges across age and cognitive barriers. Here is an overview of OMA by the numbers in 2020:
175 Miami students went through the OMA program

134 older adults participated in the OMA program

75 new OMA facilitators trained
166 OMA masks sold

1 new program: ScrippsAVID (Arts-based, Virtual, Interdisciplinary and Dementia-friendly) (in development)

1 Gen2Gen Fellowship from Encore.org

QIP Grant available to implement OMA
*Image taken before COVID-19 Restrictions
Grants from the Ohio Department of Medicaid are available to nursing homes with Medicaid certification interested in implementing OMA to meet their Quality Improvement Project requirement. Selected nursing homes will partner with universities educating future healthcare professionals and receive scholarships for two staff members to attend OMA training, valued at $1500, plus an art supply budget of $2000. Fully online training is available.
Mark Your Calendars for OMA's Birthday!
*Image taken before COVID-19 Restrictions
OMA turns 13 this year! Stay tuned for updates on social media from our team as we celebrate another wonderful year of the program. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
CMP Funds for Communicative Technology Help Nursing Home Residents Connect with Family and Friends
Nursing home providers can request up to $3,000 in CMP funds to purchase communicative technologies that help residents stay in touch with loved ones and participate in telehealth visits during the Covid-19 pandemic. Funds can cover devices such as iPads, tablets and webcams as well as accessories such as headphones and protective covers.
Featured Site: Art for the Journey and Virtual OMA
This quarter, we wanted to feature Art for the Journey and their partnership with St. Mary's Woods. During the past year, the staff at Art for the Journey created a new way to deliver the OMA program using an innovative approach. They continued OMA virtually by connecting students with elders via Zoom. Each student was paired with one elder partner, and the session flowed similar to the in-person sessions—including an art show at the end of the semester. Art for the Journey is located in Richmond, VA and is an OMA Training Center.
Ohio Health Care Association Webinar
Join the OMA staff for "Preparing Intergenerational Programming For People Living With Dementia After The Pandemic" hosted by the Ohio Health Care Association (OHCA) on January 27, 2021 at 2:00 PM EST. Registration is required and prices are located on the OHCA website. CEUs are available.
Art idea: Love Painting
With Valentine's Day next month, check out this project from the Creative Caregiving Guide available for FREE on our website. The “Love Painting” lesson shows how to create beautiful images with stencils while reminiscing about memories of love. 
Connect With Us
Phone: (513) 529-2914