Memory Matters

Virtually everything that the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry accomplishes is done through collaboration. We collaborate with donors, using their dollars and their vision to support positive change. We collaborate with nonprofit organizations, providing the funding necessary for them to accomplish their important work. Our guest blogger this week is Edwina “Eddy” Hoyle, the Executive Director of Memory Matters, located on Hilton Head Island.

This organization has received assistance from the Community Foundation in a number of ways--from having a project fund held and managed here, to receiving a competitive grant from our Hilton Head Island Foundation Endowment Fund, to receiving a number of grants from other advised and project funds of the Foundation. We are proud to be a part of this project, and proud to share with you yet another of the EVERYDAY MATTERS that makes EVERY DAY MATTER for the Community Foundation and all those with whom we collaborate.

Denise K. Spencer

---------- Thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, our community is now home to a center of excellence in dementia care, housed in a state-of-the-art facility: Memory Matters. Affordable, high quality dementia care is available to our growing senior population. The support we received from the Community Foundation helped us complete the purchase and renovation of a building to house our dementia-specific daycare program, support groups counseling sessions and resource library.

Since opening the doors of our new facility seven months ago: The number of support groups offered to caregivers doubled due to the volume of attendees. For many, this is the only opportunity they have to let down their guard, to share concerns, to know they aren’t alone. There was standing-room only when 90 people attended “Dementia Dialogues,” a four-week training for caregivers desperate for resources to help them navigate the difficult road ahead. Our daycare program expanded from half- to full-days to give our families a real respite from 24-hour caregiving at home. This dementia-specific program is a “failure-free zone” with specialized care and individualized attention. We held three 8-week classes of Brain Boosters, a pro-active training for people with concerns about changes in their memories.

Our caregivers have peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in a safe, caring environment and are treated with dignity and compassion. For our families, the security and consistent service we provide is a welcome comfort as they recharge their own energy and spirits. Memory Matters’ goal is to enhance and expand our existing programs. We are deeply indebted to the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry for helping to make our vision a reality.

Edwina “Eddy” Hoyle