Friends Life Care, a Quaker non-profit senior health care organization headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., has joined COLLAGE, The Art & Science of Healthy Aging®. COLLAGE is a national consortium of aging services organizations using a holistic, evidence-based assessment system to improve healthy aging outcomes and quality of life.

"Our new partnership with COLLAGE is truly exciting as it further enables our significant ongoing commitment to healthy aging for our members," said Elise Lamarra, Vice President of Clinical Operations at Friends Life Care. "Our mission is to help people age in place with VigR™, our program for Vitality, Independence, Growth and Resilience. We constantly strive to help our members stave off the effects of aging, and COLLAGE will be an integral component in achieving that goal. With COLLAGE, we will be using an evidence-based assessment system to assist our members to live successful, healthy lifestyles. The synergy between the goals of the two organizations is amazing, and therefore the launch of this partnership is, by far, one of the most positive developments in our 25-year history!"

The COLLAGE assessment system is being used by a consortium of organizations across the country working to advance healthy aging and improve health outcomes of older adults living independently. Members of the consortium -- continuing care communities, moderate-income and federally subsidized housing programs, and home care and community-based agencies -- agree that measuring outcomes is critical, and that without outcomes, organizations don't know whether their programs are having the intended impact on residents.

"Aging services organizations understand that they must have the right tools to partner with older people in their quest to age successfully, and Friends Life Care really understands this," said Beryl Goldman, Director of Kendal Outreach, LLC, and COLLAGE. "We are thrilled that Friends Life Care has joined the COLLAGE family of organizations and sees the COLLAGE assessment system as a bridge to improve healthy aging and mission critical goals."

Friends Life Care supports aging adults with a unique alternative to long-term care insurance and continuing care retirement communities. Designed to help people remain in their own home and independent as they age, the Friends Life Care full continuum of care helps people protect their savings and prepare for the unexpected, while providing innovative options to help increase their vitality and longevity.

Valid and reliable assessment data leads to: 1) the development of personalized healthy aging plans for individuals, and 2) a methodology to target the right programs and services to best match needs for a campus or community. This two-level approach enables individuals to take charge of their own healthy aging and allows organizations to focus aging support resources appropriately for their community.

Initiated in 2003, COLLAGE is a joint venture between Kendal Outreach, LLC, a subsidiary of Kendal, and the Institute for Aging Research at Hebrew SeniorLife, a Massachusetts not-for-profit corporation affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

For more information please contact:

Neil Beresin

National Program Manager

COLLAGE, The Art & Science of Healthy Aging

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phone:  610.335.1283