ST. GEORGE — “Good Morning Sunshine” are the words heard each morning by many of Southern Utah’s seniors who are dealing with memory loss issues.
These words are the greeting shared by volunteers as part of Memory Matters’s daily telephone reassurance program offered Monday through Friday.
Good Morning Sunshine is available to seniors who live alone, are age 55 or older and have memory loss issues or seniors with health issues caring for someone with memory loss issues, according to a press release issued by Memory Matters. A trained volunteer calls each day at a predetermined time to check on their well-being.
In addition, there is a protocol in place to have an emergency contact check on a client if they don’t answer or if there is cause for immediate concern. The goal is to ensure that if there is an emergency, there will be a positive outcome.
One such positive outcome made headlines two years ago when a Good Morning Sunshine volunteer helped save a caregiver and her memory-impaired husband stuck in their home in rural Washington County without access to running water in the dead of winter.
Read more: Volunteers rescue elderly couple trapped in home by snow with no water
Memory Matters is now enrolling participants into the free program. To enroll, call 435-319-0407 or email [email protected].
Memory Matters Utah/Nevada Alzheimer’s and Dementia Services is a nonprofit organization working to reduce isolation and improve wellness for individuals with dementia and their caregivers through activities, support, education and consultation. Learn more at the Memory Matters website.
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