A survey of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients completed in the summer
of 1986 identified a need in the Augusta area for an In-Home Care Program.
Funding and training for In-Home Respite Staff was completed and in
November of 1986 that program got under way.
Through another survey a need was identified for a Day Center for
the care of those with Alzheimer's disease. In April of 1989
a center was opened one day a week at Covenant Presbyterian Church
in west Augusta. Eventually, the program here was increased to three
days a week.
The Augusta Alzheimer's Chapter office made the decision to purchase
property across Baker Street at 1901 Central Avenue with the intention
of converting it into a five-day-a-week Day Center. Construction of
the facility was completed in the fall of 1996 and the Jud C. Hickey
Center for Alzheimer’s Care opened its doors at 1901 Central
Avenue. The construction was made possible by funds raised through
a community campaign conducted by the University Health Care Foundation.
The center was named in honor of Jud C. Hickey, D.D.S., founding dean
of the School of Dentistry at the Medical College of Georgia and interim
president of the Medical College of Georgia from 1987-88. Dr.
Hickey died on Oct. 24, 2005 at the age of 78 following a long illness
from Alzheimer’s disease. During the early years of the
center, he was a client and when the center opened in its present location
in 1996, it was named to honor this gentleman whose legacy will be
remembered for years to come.
This was the first Alzheimer's-Dementia Specific Day Center in the Central
Savannah River Area (CSRA). The Jud C. Hickey Center for Alzheimer's
Care is a non-profit organization and is dedicated to providing support
and assistance to Alzheimer's patients and their families in the CSRA.
