Respite Care Charleston
405 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403
843-647-7405
www.respitecarecharleston.org
Respite Care Charleston
Mission, Description and Vision
Each week, it seems, another Charleston family awakens to the reality that a loved one – parent,
spouse, sibling, friend – may be developing symptoms of dementia. It is a reality fraught with
emotion, confusion – and a million questions.
Respite Care Charleston, the only nonprofit organization of its kind in Charleston County,
understands the stages of quandary that come upon persons who have dementia, and those who
care about and for them. For 17 years, Respite Care Charleston has committed to offering
programs and valued guidance to Charleston families grappling with Alzheimer's disease, the
most prevalent, as well as vascular dementia and the many other forms of cognitive impairment.
As the national debate continues about how best to care for our nation's aging citizens, we here at
Respite Care Charleston are focused on the day-to-day needs of caregivers and their families
today, and tomorrow.
Mission
Respite Care Charleston improves the quality of life for individuals and families coping with
Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD).
Description
Respite Care Charleston is a valuable resource that provides social day programs, community
education and support groups for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and
other dementia. Short breaks from care giving (respite care) help support and strengthen
families, allowing the continuation of care in the home. Participants enjoy memory stimulating
socialization, music therapy and gentle exercise thus promoting health and well-being.
Vision
Respite Care Charleston will be known as the premier resource in the community for services and
support for families coping with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. Respite Care
Charleston will respond to the growing need for services and support for people with Alzheimer’s
disease and related disorders. The caregivers we serve will be healthier and stronger caregivers.
The people with diagnoses we serve will be respected, valued and supported. The community at
large will be better educated and supportive of families and people coping with Alzheimer’s
disease and related disorders.
Social Day Respite
West Ashley
Lutheran Church of the
Redeemer
714 Riverdale Drive
Tuesday and Friday
10am-1:50pm
Early Stage-Early Onset
Support Group
West Ashley
nd
2 and 4th Wednesday
10am-12:30pm
Please call for details.
Caregiver Support
Groups
Johns Island
The Church of Our Saviour
4416 Betsy Kerrison Parkway
3rd Thursday
1pm-1:50pm
Mt. Pleasant
All Saints Lutheran Church
2107 Hwy 17 North
st
1 and 3rd Wednesday
10am-11am
Mt. Pleasant
All Saints Lutheran Church
2107 Hwy 17 North
Monday and Wednesday
10am-1:50pm
Respite Care Charleston
Johns Island
The Church of Our Saviour
4416 Betsy Kerrison Parkway
Tuesday and Thursday
10am-1:50pm
Park Circle
North Charleston United
Methodist Church
1125 East Montague
Thursday
10am-1:50pm
info@respitecarecharleston.org
James Island
2nd Tuesday
6pm-7pm
Martin Luther Evangelical
Church
respitecarecharleston.org
James Island
1st and 3rd Tuesday
10:30am-11:30am
Bishop Gadsden
405 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403
843-647-7405
Social Day
Program
• Sixty-four percent of
caregivers of the elderly
receiving 4 hours of
respite per week after
one year reported
improved physical
health, 78% improved
their emotional health,
and 50% cited
improvement in the
care recipient as well.
Forty percent said they
were less likely to
institutionalize the care
recipient because of
respite (Theis, S.L., et
al, 1994).
 We have approximately 50 participants with
Alzheimer’s or Dementia enrolled in the day
program on a weekly basis.
The participants attend the program 1 to 5 days a
week.
The daily fee for the four hour program is $35.
Participants enrolled with Respite Care Charleston
often attend at more than one location.
"I see much love first thing...and he loves it! When I leave
him at the respite program, I know he will be taken care
of and will be happy after spending time there. I am so
glad I found them!
- Betty Temple, wife and caregiver
Caregiver
Support
Groups
Studies show that
counseling and support
groups in combination
with respite and other
services help caregivers
remain in their
caregiving role longer,
with less stress and
greater satisfaction.

(Family Caregiver
Alliance, National Center
on Caregiving)
We have eight caregiver support groups that
serve between 40-50 caregivers each month.

We provide respite care during our caregiver
support groups.

With support groups, caregiving is a
partnership between family, friends and
community resources.
Support and
Education for
People in the
Early Stages of
Alzheimer’s
disease
“Give me tools for living
with this disease. Please
don’t give me my diagnosis
and then leave me alone to
confront it. I need to know
what will happen to me,
and I need to know not only
about medical treatment
options but also what
support is available
through resources in my
community. Work with me
on a plan for healthy living.
Medication may help
modify some of my
neurological symptoms, but
I am also interested in
other recommendations for
keeping myself as healthy
as possible through diet,
exercise and social
engagement.” Quote from
“Request from People with
Alzheimer's disease”
We offer a support group for people newly
diagnosed and in the early stages of Alzheimer's
disease twice a month.
Our group has 8 members with Alzheimer's
disease and is growing.
Care partners meet separately for half of the
meeting.
Community
and Caregiver
Education
Becoming wellinformed about the
disease is one important
long-term strategy.
Programs that teach
families about the
various stages of
Alzheimer’s and about
flexible and practical
strategies for dealing
with difficult caregiving
situations provide vital
help to those who care
for people with
Alzheimer’s.
(National Institute on
Aging)
Partnering with South Carolina Aging in Place
Coalition and Dementia Specialists we provide
education seminars in the community

With Aging in Place Speakers Bureau we educate the
community about how to plan for aging in place and about
the wide range of resources that are available to support
the ability of seniors to age in place successfully
With Dementia Specialists we offer Dementia Dialogues, a
5-part learning experience designed to educate individual
who care for persons with Alzheimer's disease or related
dementias.
Annual
Highlights
 11,000 hours of socially-oriented respite care were provided to
130 families coping with Alzheimer’s or related dementia.
 Monthly support groups were conducted for 115 caregivers,
including a new evening group for those unable to attend during
daytime hours.
 Support and education served 21 people, ages 49 to 80, newly
diagnosed and in the early stages of Alzheimer’s or related
dementia.
 We have the tremendous support of a dedicated board of
directors, more than 200 volunteers and our community partners
including MUSC Center on Aging and Franke at Seaside.
 Together we raised significantly more than half of our annual
operating budget of $220,000.
Measure of Success
The most heartwarming measure of success for Respite Care Charleston
is the wonderful feedback we continue to receive year after year from
the people we serve. Here are the thoughts of just a few of them:
“When you are a caregiver (of a loved one with dementia) you are sometimes
at a loss about how to go on, but you can depend on Respite Care Charleston
to be with you...Respite Care can also be a great gift for those with dementia.
Their programs provide a safe place where they can ...enjoy a sense of
normalcy with volunteers who give them a lot of love.”
– Bebs Smith, Caregiver
“I am a regular at a Respite Care program. I see hands on face to face,
attitude and physical changes...and more smiles. (This program) “keeps us
calmer mentally and physically. It's another blessing in my life of 86 years.”
– Wilber Neumeyer, Volunteer with Alzheimer's disease.
“The GriefShare program has been a godsend to me...It is wonderful to join
others in the same, but amazingly different situations and learn from what
they deal with as we travel this road together.”
–Carol Onorato, Caregiver
Community
Partnerships and Projects
 Community Based Participatory Research with MUSC













College of Nursing.
MUSC Center on Aging - Senior Mentor Program and Brain
Bank
Trident Technical College Department of Human Services
Student Field Placement Site
College of Charleston Sociology Department Applied
Learning Site for Students
MUSC College of Nursing Clinical Site for BSN Students
Community Garden Clubs
Time Slips Storytelling
South Carolina Aging in Place Coalition Education
Partnerships
Redeemer Children’s Center Intergenerational Program
Southeastern Therapy Animal Resources
Seabrook Island Artist Guild
East Cooper Meals on Wheels
Charleston Area Senior Center - Senior Companion
Program
Hot Jazz Dance Club
Maintaining
Each year we provide over 11,000 hours of respite care for
caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
During one month, volunteers provide over 500 hours of care,
companionship and support.
We provide tools and education for people with Alzheimer’s disease
to remain independent in their community.
Caregivers are given time to take care of themselves.
To simply sustain our program,
we must raise $120,000 each year to provide the programs and
services of Respite Care Charleston.
Your support will help us sustain our program.
Sustaining, Growth and
Impact of Support
Vision and Goals
Establish a respite center. The respite center would be the destination for
anyone with Alzheimer's disease or their caregivers to receive the best
in education, support and day programs.
Expand the support and education group for people in the early stages
of Alzheimer’s disease by adding 4 additional meetings a year.
Expand the support and education group for people in the early stages
of Alzheimer’s disease by adding a day respite program specific to
people in the earlier stages of disease.
Expand the social day respite program and caregiver support groups to
North Charleston.
Establish an endowment to provide a stable income source to assure
the services provided by Respite Care Charleston remain available
in our community.
To grow and enhance our program we must increase our budget
from $220,000 to $506,000 annually.
Your support will help us grow and enhance our program.
Income Sources
2013
Individual
and
Communit
ySupport
19%
Participant
Fees
31%
Grants
18%
Fundraiser
Events
32%
Fundraising Events
Golf Tournament
Monday March 18, 2013
The 9th annual golf tournament
to benefit the programs of
Respite Care Charleston
was held on Monday, March 18th, 2013
at Seabrook Island's Crooked Oaks Golf Course.
Opportunities to sponsor the 2014 tournament available!
Fundraising Events
Golf Tournament
Guided Nature Walk
Our Guided Nature Walk is a fabulous addition to the
event. Walkers met at 3:00pm at Camp St. Christopher.
David Gardner with the Barrier Island Environmental
Education Program led a 2 hour nature walk to the
beach, the maritime forest and undisturbed salt marsh
on Seabrook Island, SC.
Fundraising Events
Golf Tournament
Reception and Awards
Volunteers, caregivers, participants,
and other supporters joined the golfers
in The Atlantic Ballroom at Seabrook Island Club.
Fundraising Events
Art Event and Silent Auction
Save the Date
Thursday, October 3rd 2013
This evening is a tribute to the creative spirit that persists
in spite of many losses experienced with Alzheimer’s disease.
Through your generous support we can make a difference in
the lives of many individuals and their families as they deal
with the challenges of this disease.
Fundraising Events
Art Event and Silent Auction
Board of Directors and Staff
2013
Board of Directors
Barbara J. Edlund Ph.D., RN, ANP, board chair, Professor, MUSC College
of Nursing
G. Chris Osborne, Jr., Family Asset Management, LLC
Bernard J. Buonanno, Jr.,VP, Distribution, Midwest Region, AARP Services
Inc.
Marilyn M. Swygert, PT, DPT, MHS, co-owner Charleston Physical
Therapy
Nancy Hall Barker, CEO, IMSCO, Quality Workforce Solutions
Amy Cox, MD, Medical Director, Amedisys Hospice Care
Staff
Laura Stefanelli, Executive Director
Margaret Kunes, Program Director
Jennifer Hartig, Program Coordinator
Allison Durst, Part-time Program Coordinator
Ginger Deignan, Part -time Program Coordinator
Nellie Hair, Program Assistant
Thank you
For more information about
Respite Care Charleston
Visit us at our day respite sites
Call us at 843-647-7405
Visit our Facebook page – Respite Care Charleston
Visit our Website – www.respitecarecharleston.org
Thank you!