Alzheimer’s Association Center for Dementia Respite Innovation (CDRI) awarded Still Us Foundation with a $100,000 start-up grant over two years to enhance the quality and availability of dementia-specific respite care for people living with brain change and their care partners.
Still Us Foundation, a new nonprofit based in Moore County dedicated to changing the lived experience of dementia, is among 34 organizations nationwide selected to receive funding through this initiative. Grant funds will support the launch of the Sanctuary Days Program in October, an innovative nature-based day program designed to provide meaningful engagement opportunities for individuals living with brain change while offering care partners protected time for rest, self-care, work, or personal responsibilities.
Unlike traditional respite models centered primarily on supervision, Sanctuary Days is built around the belief that people living with dementia continue to possess strengths, identities, and a desire to contribute. Participants will engage in activities of genuine meaning and community value, including tending gardens, caring for animals, preparing meals, creating projects for local memory care communities, and spending time in nature. Each participant will be paired with a trained Still Friends volunteer, serving as a dedicated cognitive bridge to support engagement, reduce overwhelm, and foster connection.
“This start-up grant allows us to build the foundation needed to launch a program like this well,” said Dr. Karen D. Sullivan, founder and executive director of the Still Us Foundation, in a news release. “There is a tremendous amount of work that happens behind the scenes before families can have a meaningful experience. Since The Retreat closed during the pandemic, Moore County has lacked a dementia-specific day program. Through my Reid Healthcare Transformation Fellowship community research and listening sessions, day programming emerged as the No. 1 unmet need. What a joy it is to see this investment in local hope and in families who have been waiting far too long for this type of support.”
Jim Smith, Still Us Foundation board member, retired pharmacist and care partner to his wife Peggy, who lives with Alzheimer’s disease, emphasized the importance of respite for families.
“After a lifetime spent caring for others as a healthcare professional, I have learned that caregivers need care too,” Smith said. “When you love someone living with brain change, you learn quickly that caregiving is not a sprint, it is a journey that requires support, community and moments to simply catch your breath. Programs like Sanctuary Days will give families something invaluable: the confidence that their loved one is not just being watched, but is engaged, valued and experiencing joy. Peggy and I know firsthand how meaningful that can be. This program offers hope to families who have been carrying this responsibility largely on their own.”
North Carolina’s older adult population is growing rapidly, yet families have limited access to dementia-specific respite opportunities beyond institutional settings. The Sanctuary Days Program seeks to address this gap by creating a relationship-centered model rooted in nature, community engagement, and person-centered care.
In conjunction with the grant, Still Us Foundation will receive training, technical assistance and evaluation support through CDRI to strengthen program sustainability and contribute data that will help inform future respite policy and practice nationwide.
While this grant provides critical start-up funding, long-term sustainability will depend upon continued community investment. Still Us is actively seeking donors, sponsors, volunteers, and partners who believe that families affected by brain diseases deserve meaningful respite, connection, and hope close to home.
For more information on Still Us Foundation, visit stillus.org or call 910-800-3065.
Feature photo: Peggy and Jim Smith of the Still Us Foundation gardening, one of their favorite hobbies.
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