Harbor House in Eau Claire, WI

For the Moyer family, caring for elders is a commitment that spans the generations. Alzheimer's has affected three generations of the family, giving them a sense of mission and purpose in providing outstanding care for others.

Grandma Hattie Our story begins with Hattie Foley, the grandmother of our founder Delores Moyer. Grandma Hattie was a teacher in one-room schoolhouses in Southwest Wisconsin for more than 40 years. In the early 1970s, Delores' family could tell that Grandma Hattie was slipping. The situation became a crisis when Grandpa Bartley dropped dead in the barn doing morning chores. Family members had no idea how much masking had taken place and how much he had been taking care of Hattie.

Hattie was placed in a nursing home but it did not go well. She complained and was restrained and over-medicated - standard practice at the time. Delores was just a few years out of nursing school and her family thought she should have the answers about what was best for Hattie. The family experienced the usual feelings of guilt and frustration. They wanted to help Hattie but no one understood Alzheimer's and the solutions like we do today.

Grandma Hattie passed away in the early 1980s and Delores never forgot her struggles. Delores remembers vividly a visit she made as a nurse consultant in 1989 to a community-based residential facility. While this home was not Alzheimer's-specific, she knew that her Grandmother would have flourished in this setting. What resonated with her was the small, homelike environment with a family atmosphere. It was not long after that Delores began ElderHaus, which became one of the nation's most respected assisted living and memory care providers. Now called Harbor House, these same locations have served Wisconsin families for nearly twenty years.

Member: Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Since 2005.