Alzheimer support group opens its first home on Hilton Head Island

With a music library and cozy retreat rooms with names like the Zen Den and Sleepy Hollow, Memory Matters' home has something for each patient's mood.

Formerly the Alzheimer's Respite and Resource Group, the nonprofit organization opened its new Hilton Head Island location with a dedication ceremony Wednesday at Northside Park, near the Squire Pope Road intersection with William Hilton Parkway.

The group raised $1.7 million in donations to build the facility and cover the mortgage for at least the next three years, said Edwina Hoyle, executive director. The group also started an endowment fund, which Hoyle hopes will help cover some of the center's daily operating costs.

Hoyle said the new Memory Matters name reflects the group's focus, which is helping those who are affected by Alzheimer's disease, as well as dementia, strokes, Parkinson's disease and brain injuries.

The new facility, once licensed, will allow the group to expand its services by offering a full-day program for up to 53 people a day. Previously, the group offered only half-day programs for about 70 families per year at various churches, Hoyle said.

"We have a really strong tradition of identifying where there is a need," Mayor Tom Peeples said of Hilton Head residents. "This is just another example of citizens coming out to meet the need."