Nonprofit Hospice Provider Agrace Plans New Dementia Village Concept

A Wisconsin-based nonprofit hospice, Agrace, is launching a new memory care initiative that includes a village for residents inspired by the Hogeweyk model in The Netherlands.

The hospice and palliative care provider recently announced the project, which will be dubbed as the Ellen & Peter Johnson Dementia Village at Agrace. Fueled with the Johnsons’ donation of $7 million, construction of the new dementia village will begin in spring 2026 and is slated to complete by fall 2027.

The village will be the first of its kind to launch in the United States. The initiative has been several years in the making as Agrace worked to identify demand, as well as gaps in memory care needs and resources. They also had to develop a care model that would address these issues, said President and CEO Lynne Sexten. The new dementia village’s aim is two-fold: to improve both quality and caregiver support, Sexten indicated...

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Leo’s notes: As Wisconsin grapples with aging demographics and health care staffing shortages, this initiative shows how innovative housing models can simultaneously improve quality of life, reduce caregiver burnout, and strengthen the long-term care workforce—an approach worth watching well beyond the memory care world.

Ken Notes: Read this article. What a great design for any housing project! Wisconsin has looked for ideas from in this case the Netherlands, wouldn`t it be refreshing if we explored the world for housing solutions that actually work elsewhere! We applaud this project...