Lynn, Mass. — Element Care has received a $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation to launch programs aimed at reducing social isolation and loneliness among older adults.
The nonprofit Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, will initially introduce the programming at its Cummings Center location in Beverly. Element Care plans to later expand the initiative across Essex County, Middlesex County and Greater Boston.
The renewable three-year grant was awarded through the Cummings Foundation’s 2026 annual grant program. Element Care was selected as one of 150 nonprofit recipients from more than 900 applicants.
“Element Care is grateful to the Cummings Foundation for recognizing this need and for allowing us to expand the very programming our participants tell us matters most: connection, belonging, and the chance to stay meaningfully engaged in their communities,” said Doug Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Element Care.
The initiative will provide group education on chronic disease management and fall prevention, rehabilitation-led fitness classes, behavioral health support and transportation to places of worship and community events.
Programs will also include activities connecting older adults with younger community members, as well as creative arts and music therapy intended to encourage social and cognitive engagement.
According to the Massachusetts Healthy Aging Collaborative, one in four adults ages 65 and older is socially isolated, while approximately one-third of adults between 50 and 80 experience loneliness. Social isolation has been associated with an increased risk of dementia, hospitalization and premature death.
“As clinicians, we know health is about far more than what happens in the exam room. Social connection is imperative as it reduces cognitive decline, lowers hospitalization risk, and gives our participants a reason to stay engaged with daily life,” said Dr. Anthony Zizza, Chief Medical Officer at Element Care. “This grant allows us to formalize a principle our care teams have long understood: belonging is a clinical imperative, not a nice-to-have.”
The new services will build on Element Care’s existing PACE model, which combines primary care, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, social work and activities through a coordinated care team.
The Woburn-based Cummings Foundation increased its annual grant program from $30 million to $35 million in 2026 and shifted to unrestricted funding, allowing recipients greater flexibility in how they use the grants. The foundation has awarded more than $650 million to Greater Boston nonprofits since its founding.
“Nonprofit professionals are closest to the challenges facing their communities, making them best positioned to determine where and how new funds will drive the greatest impact,” said Joyce Vyriotes, Executive Director and Trustee at Cummings Foundation. “By providing increased, flexible funding, we hope to strengthen organizations’ long-term stability and help them respond to evolving community needs.”
