The 4^TH Annual Maude’s Awards recipients were announced today, awarding the Hospice Savannah’s Edel Caregiver Institute, $25,000 as a winning organization in the category of Supporting Care Partners.  

Maude’s Awards was created to recognize and reward innovations that enrich the quality of life for persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as their care partners. The category, Supporting Care Partners, recognizes organizations that are “providing education, training or support for care partners of persons living with dementia.”  

Maude’s Awards honored Hospice Savannah’s Edel Caregiver Institute in the Supporting Care Partners category by saying, “Hospice Savannah, Inc. has provided Savannah and surrounding suburban and rural counties with the best services and resources on living with a life-limiting illness, dying, death, grief and loss.” 

The Edel Caregiver Institute (ECI) offers services designed specifically for non-paid, non-prepared family caregivers of those living with diagnoses such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Recognized for excellence by the Rosalyn Carter Institute, and directed by Certified Dementia Practitioner Jill Costello, ECI offers education, resources, emotional support, and wellness for family caregivers. Since its inception in 2015, ECI has served over 2,000 individual family caregivers, and hundreds of others through public engagements, all at no cost to them. 

ECI’s parent organization Hospice Savannah is also mentioned for its dedication to the community: “Founded in 1979 through a volunteer-driven, grassroots effort, Hospice Savannah has grown in response to community needs, now offering home-based and inpatient hospice care, grief counseling, palliative care, volunteer companions for those living with serious illnesses, and their caregivers, specialized care for veterans, and pet care assistance.” 

Maude’s Awards, founded in 2019 by Richard Ferry in honor of his beloved wife of 65 years, who was diagnosed in 2013 with dementia, awards programs that have achieved demonstrated success, rather than grants for future programs.