PRESS RELEASES

Opening of Therapeutic Garden 

Beverly Hospital Spectrum Adult Day Health Center Commemorates Opening of Therapeutic Garden Kelleher family of Beverly makes generous donation in memory of John "Jack" Kelleher, Jr.

(Beverly, MA) - On July 18, 2007, Mayor William F. Scanlon, Jr. joined members of the Kelleher family of Beverly at The Beverly Hospital Spectrum Adult Day Health Center for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating the opening of the center’s newly added therapeutic garden.

The therapeutic garden, or "Jack’s garden," generously donated by the Kelleher family in memory of John "Jack" Kelleher Jr., has been a much anticipated addition to the center, which provides specialized care and activities to adults in the community diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of memory loss. Jack, a witty man who looked forward to attending the Spectrum program-work as he referred to it-was known as a generous philanthropist with a love of nature, making the dedication of this outdoor garden to his memory all the more appropriate.

"The care the my father received at the Beverly Hospital Spectrum Adult Day Health Center gave him a real sense of comfort and a quality of life while dealing with Alzheimer’s," said John C. Kelleher III, president of Kelleher Construction Company, Inc. "He enjoyed going to the center everyday and it gave our family peace of mind knowing that he was being given the best care possible. This garden is our way of giving back to the Spectrum Center in appreciation for all they did to help our family through a difficult time."

Robert Laramie, chief information officer of Northeast Health System, which includes Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals, as well as a full continuum of inpatient, outpatient and behavioral health services throughout the North Shore

Research shows that therapeutic gardens provide benefits to people with Alzheimer’s. Some of those benefits include: encouraging clients to walk, stoop, bend, reach and maintain balance; promoting interaction by encouraging discussions about a common interest; providing opportunities to relieve tension, frustration and aggression; providing a place to gather with family and friends for emotional support and encourages exercising hands, fingers, arms and upper body.

The Beverly Hospital Spectrum Adult Day Health Center is located at 600 Cummings Center, Suite 176X, Beverly, MA. For more information about the center and its programs, please call 978-921-5020.

Northeast Health System, Inc.

Northeast Health System, Inc. (NHS) is an integrated healthcare system comprised of a network of hospitals, behavioral health, senior health and human service affiliates offering North Shore residents general and specialized medical care. Along with Beverly and Addison Gilbert hospitals - NHS’s two acute care facilities that were again named 100 Top Hospitals in the nation - behavioral health services are provided through Health & Education Services, Inc., while substance abuse and preventative services are available through CAB Health & Recovery Services, Inc. In addition, NHS offers senior health services through a continuum of care including skilled nursing and assisted living centers and community based programs. For more information on Northeast Health System and its affiliates, visit www.nhshealth.org.