Hospice Savannah, Inc. is pleased to announce receipt of two grants for the newly created Edel Caregiver Institute currently under construction off Chatham Parkway.

Many caregivers in our community are caring for loved ones who are neither appropriate nor ready for hospice or palliative care, and for them the absence of a coordinated support network is deeply felt. In the spring of 2013, Hospice Savannah, Inc convened a Community Coalition Advisory Committee to explore the creation of a caregiver institute to respond to this pressing need.  During 2013 and 2014 focus groups were conducted with caregivers to inform the development of the vision and the curriculum.

Slated to open in the summer of 2015, the Edel Caregiver Institute will be part of a continuum of care within Hospice Savannah and in the community as a whole, offering a full spectrum of support to those living with a chronic or life-limiting illness, their caregivers, and their families. The Edel Caregiver Institute will offer intake coordination, consultations with medical residents, core caregiving classes and training, disease-specific education, self-care and wellness classes, and social work and anticipatory grief support.

The United Way of the Coastal Empire has awarded the Institute an $8,000 Break-Through Grant to hire a part-time Intake Coordinator beginning in early 2015. The Intake Coordinator will determine appropriate outcome measurement indicators and data collection tools for the program prior to its pubic opening.  Additionally, the National Alliance for Caregiving has awarded the Institute a $1,500 mini-grant for the creation of an event which will raise the visibility of challenges facing family caregivers who are balancing work and caring.  Only one award was made in each of the 15 states invited to participate, and depending on outcomes, additional funding may be available.

 “Hospice Savannah has a tradition of being at the forefront of serving community need,” said Megan Kerley, MA, CFRE,  VP of the Hospice Savannah Foundation, Inc.. “With these two grants, we can move forward with laying the groundwork for the Edel Caregiver Institute and put in place a true community resource to support the thousands of caregivers who, day in and day out, are looking after loved ones with chronic and life-limiting illness.”

More information on the Edel Caregiver Institute can be found at www.EdelCaregiverInstitute.org or by calling Paula Hudson at 912.629.1331.