‘Dementia village’could push Americans to rethink how we treat memory loss

The upcoming Dementia Village planned for Madison, Wisconsin, will feature eight households.Each of them will have private bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms, shared kitchens and living spaces.(iStock)

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Agrace’s Dementia Village could provide a blueprint for other communities across the United States as the country grapples with an estimated 7.2 million Americans age 65 and older who are living with significant memory loss, according to theAlzheimer’s Association. 

The upcomingWisconsin villagewill feature eight households;each will have private bedrooms, en-suite bathrooms, shared kitchens and living spaces. 

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The exteriors will even include front porches.

“We are building a Main Street that looks familiar to the type of downtown you see in so many Wisconsin communities, but also in towns throughout the country,� 

The nation’s first “dementia village” will be available to 40 to 50 adults with dementia who live at home and who want to take part in social activities.(iStock)

The goal is to get away from an overly scheduled routine often associated withnursing homes.

A resident may think, “I was supposed to go to play Mahjong today, but instead I feel like just sitting around and reading the newspaper or working on a puzzle,” Sexten said.

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The village is expected to house up to 65 full-time residents. 

It will be available to 40 to 50adults with dementiawho live at home but who want to attend activities.Specially trained caregivers will also have private apartments in the village.

The Hogeweyk in Amsterdam seeks to “emancipate people living with dementia and include them in society,” according to its website.The Wisconsin project is being modeled after the Hogeweyk.(The Hogeweyk)

The development in Wisconsin is based on what is widely considered an extremely successful village for those with memory issues in Amsterdam, called the Hogeweyk.

Since opening in 2009, the Hogeweyk — spanning four acres in the Amsterdam suburb of Weesp — has worked to “emancipate people living with dementia and include them in society,”according to its website.

Funded by the Dutch government, the community now serves 188 residents across 27 houses, representing a marked departure from traditional nursing homes.

Funded by the Dutch government, the community in the Amsterdam suburb of Weesp now serves 188 residents across 27 houses.(The Hogeweyk)

Though other companies have tried to replicate the model in the U.S.— including a village proposed in Holmdel, N.J.— there are currently no close contenders.

“Residents [in Wisconsin] will pay monthly rates comparable to what they would otherwise pay at memory care facilities,” according to Sexten.

Prospective residentswill likely be able to apply in the first quarter of 2027, according to Agrace.

Residents of the village expected to open soon will be able to walk around the neighborhood with friends.(iStock)

“Residents will be able to buy food from the store, take part in menu planning for their household and even participate in meal preparation,” Sexten said.

The dementia village model is viewed by many as idyllic.Some skeptics worry about creating an alternate reality for residents.

wrote Dr.Fay Niker,a member of the Neuroethics Collective in British Columbia. 

The dementia village model is viewed by some as too good to be true.(iStock)

Dementia villages in Amsterdam,Norway, Franceand Australia recreate familiar settings while removing friction points.

One friction point that’s removed: money.

When residents go through the checkout line in the grocery store, no money will be exchanged.

Some villages incorporate “play money” to provide a sense of normalcy.As of now, Agrace does not plan to use any money.

Dementia villages try to recreate neighborhoods that feel familiar.(iStock)

Also, residents will be allowed to leave the village withfamily members, but most medical care will be provided by Agrace.

“When more specialized care is needed, our team will refer them as necessary,” Sexten said.

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The desire to replace standard nursing homes with bustling communities is becoming more urgent. 

Today, over 55 million people worldwide are living with dementia, a number that is projected to rise significantly, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI).

Residents will go to a grocery store, but no money will change hands.(iStock)

ADI forecasts those numbers will nearly double every 20 years to reach 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050.

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“Residential care environments have increasingly been embracing a sense of ‘household,'�

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Prior to opening and without data, it can’t be confirmed that the Wisconsin village will restorea sense of autonomy and spontaneity, said Zimmerman, who is based at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

“But they are very much the characteristics that people value throughout their lifespan.”