Memory Matters launches international initiative for Beaufort County

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC – The Purple Angel Project has officially taken flight in the Lowcountry … and not a minute too soon, according to Memory Matters Executive Director Edwina Hoyle.

An award-winning local organization that provides day care and support services to dementia sufferers and their caregivers, Memory Matters is one of the first organizations in the U.S. to join forces with The Purple Angel Project, an international movement to make our world dementia-friendly.

Through The Purple Angel Project, Memory Matters provides on-site employee sensitivity training on dementia-related issues to Beaufort County businesses and their employees which, according to Hoyle, is an important first step in the process of becoming a dementia-friendly community. Businesses that complete the training are given a Purple Angel sticker to display and inform the community that they are dementia-friendly.

Memory Matters added their own unique twist on the program by adding the purple kite toits symbol.  “The kite is a localized reference that aligns with the coastal culture of our region,” explained Hoyle. “Kites, like people are made to be both lifted and anchored by caring hands. We felt the purple kite symbol added spirit, dignity, and lift to the program and was an appropriate representation of what we hope to accomplish.”

“Every 70 seconds, someone in America is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia,” Hoyle said recently. “Ten million baby boomers will fall victim to the disease. The rapid growth of the aging population – the median age in Beaufort County is 56 – has given rise to a host of dementia-related issues in communities across the country,” said Hoyle.

“The pervasive public desire not to know – not only in Beaufort County, but across the country – about dementia-related illness is driven by fear and denial,” Hoyle said. “We don’t want to be reminded of the fact that we are all going to grow old. So we often turn away.”

“With the launch of The Purple Angel program, the Hilton Head/Bluffton community joins the ranks of a powerful global initiative to make the world dementia friendly.”

Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, St. Luke’s Church, Island Improvements, TheBluffton Sun, Beacon Insurance Group of Hilton Head, and All Saint’s Episcopal Church are the first community businesses to fly The Purple Angel Project window sticker. The Purple Angel sticker is an outward sign to dementia sufferers and their caregivers that the business and its employees have received formal dementia-sensitive education and training to understand their needs and to better support them as customers.

“Learning to make our facilities, attitudes and culture more welcoming for those with dementia-related issues makes us a more welcoming place for all people,” said Community Foundation of the Lowcountry President & CEO, Denise Spencer. “Afterall, isn’t that what we want to be?”

Created by Norman McNamara from Torbay, England, who was diagnosed with early onset dementia in his 50s, The Purple Angel has been adopted internationally as a symbol of dementia awareness, action and support. “This is not only exciting,” said Hoyle, “It’s a catalyst for positive change. We’ve only just begun, but we hope to see Purple Angel kites flying all over Beaufort County very soon!”

If you’re a Beaufort County business owner, call Memory Matters to learn more about the Purple Angel Kite Project. If you’re a family member or caregiver looking for dementia-friendly businesses in the Lowcountry, just look for the purple sticker.

The Purple Angel Project
purpleangelproject.org