ABOUT US
The Story of We Remember You
By Lee Ann Hyatt, RN, BSN,
Founder
Having worked in the field of end-of-life and dementia care for many years, I became uncomfortably aware of the difficulties faced by family caregivers of people with diseases that cause dementia. This awareness was backed by very negative statistics on how the burden of caregiving affects the physical and mental health, finances, and general quality of life for caregivers. The good news is that research also shows that education on various clinical aspects of the diseases, managing challenging behaviors, caregiving skills, and self care help to decrease the stress experienced by caregivers and, thus, limit the destructive effects. Support for the family caregivers who care for their loved ones at home, in a facility, or in another location is essential for wellbeing!
Now back in Middle Tennessee, where I grew up, I decided to find out where these caregivers could find services in Rutherford County. I discovered that this kind of organization did not exist, so I incorporated We Remember You, Inc. with the state of Tennessee in July 2021. As of September 2021, “We” truly became a “We” as I was joined by a very caring and creative Board of Directors. We received 501(c)(3) status from the IRS early in 2022 which makes us a tax-exempt organization. It is very exciting to think that we can now present ourselves to the Rutherford County community and begin to grow our influence. We execute our mission by hosting support groups, and by scheduling private appointments in the office, home, facility, or by phone.
Additionally, we are available for educational presentations on many aspects of Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body Dementia, and more than 100 other dementia-causing diseases and the caregiving for people living with these conditions. Please schedule a presentation from us with your professional or community organization.
Watch our Facebook page for frequent caregiver tips!
Also, please join us in spreading the word about these non-cost services to families throughout Rutherford County. Refer them to us at:
Lee Ann (Goenne) Hyatt, RN, BSN, Dementia Care Certified
PO Box 10506
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
(615) 801-5570
werememberyoucg@gmail.com
Office space has been donated by First United Methodist Church Murfreesboro and is at 265 West Thompson Lane, Room 214.
Staff
Lee Ann Hyatt, RN, BSN Executive Director
Returned to Tennessee after a long career in Houston, Texas, as a registered nurse with a bachelor ‘s degree in nursing from San Jose State University in California. The early part of her career was spent in many roles in hospice and end-of-life care but was mostly concentrated in community and professional education.
As her career progressed, she also began expanding into dementia/Alzheimer’s care. After arriving in Tennessee, she spent about a year as the Director of The Alzheimer’s Caregiver Relief Program of Bedford County. A growing awareness of the need for a support program for caregivers in Rutherford County, and the encouragement of her beloved First United Methodist Church Murfreesboro, lead her to create the services of We Remember You. She is certified in Alzheimer’s care by the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. She is also a volunteer as a community educator and support group facilitator for the Alzheimer’s Association, where she is also certified as a Care Partner.
Lee Ann has had many years of delivering educational presentations on topics such as senior health and care, issues of Alzheimer’s and dementia diseases, and end-of-life. During her long career she has spoken to lay community and professional groups and also has created and presented state approved continuing education to nurses and social workers.
Tonna Collins Administrative Assistant
Our experienced Administrative Assistant, Tonna Collins, first began attending the support groups in 2022, because she was taking care of her mother and husband. Her husband has since passed away, so she now also attends the grief sessions called Beyond Dementia Care (BDC). She comes to us with over twenty-five years of administrative work.
Pam Roberts, PhD, Director of Beyond Dementia Caregiving
Having lived in various states, Pam moved with her family to Rutherford County in 2003 to become a graduate student and an educator at Middle Tennessee State University. In the decade that followed she completed coursework and defended her dissertation. In 2013, three significant things happened. First, Pam earned her PhD in English and continued teaching at MTSU, second, she and her husband placed their 30-year-old son who has Cerebral Palsy in a support group home and third, her husband (age 58) was diagnosed with early onset memory loss. Although his disease progressed slowly, it was apparent in 2020 that her husband, now diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, would need more attention. She retired from teaching to focus on her husband's care. Struggling to navigate through her husband's challenges, she was thankful when someone told her about We Remember You. Pam was encouraged by Executive Director Lee Ann Hyatt's personal attention and advice. Attending various support groups each month for over a year she found the sharing and listening to other caregivers’ concerns and suggestions extremely helpful. Most importantly, she found hope in learning that she did not have to walk the difficult path as a caregiver alone.
Sadly, Pam faced the death of her husband of 41 years in December 2022. She went through the motions of handling finances and learning to live alone. But, once again, she sensed that she needed more emotional help. She felt the need to join a group of others who were also mourning the loss of a loved one with dementia. She desperately searched but could not locate such a group. Finally, she contacted Lee Ann and asked about the possibility of beginning a grief recovery group as a part of We Remember You. Pam offered to facilitate this grief recovery group.
In April 2023, the first Beyond Dementia Caregiving (BDC) grief recovery group met at First United Methodist Church in Murfreesboro. Two others attended that first group and both admitted later that they felt they would attend the first meeting but might not continue. Others joined; each person found something that they desperately needed.They found a safe place where they could express their grief to caring listeners and felt their burdens lift little by little and they found hope. Since then, the in-person group has expanded to over a dozen members. Understanding the need for them to reintegrate into the social world with their “new normal”, she also began organizing and hosting monthly socials for them in the community. Pam also began a zoom BDC grief support group for those unable to attend a group in person.
Presently, Pam resides with her new husband, Doug, who also lost his wife to Alzheimer's Disease.