'Dementia village' could push Americans to rethink how we treat memory loss
Some Americans who suffer from dementia will soon be able to walk into a grocery store and buy food. They'll be able to enjoy a meal out with friends — or schedule an appointment at a local spa.
The nation’s first "dementia village" is coming soon to Madison, Wisconsin. The $40 million project, to be spread across six acres, will feature a Main-Street feel with shops, a theater and an arts and crafts center, according to a news release. It is slated for a 2027 opening.
Spearheaded by Agrace, a nonprofit healthcare agency, the Dementia Village community is being modeled on a European arrangement of "microtowns" that have emerged across the globe, the agency told Fox News Digital.
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"All too often, when someone enters memory care, their life gets smaller, and the way each day unfolds is regimented and uniform," said Lynne Sexten, president and CEO of Agrace.
"We want to give those people back their autonomy," she said.
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 the Alzheimer's Association.
The upcoming Wisconsin village will 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," Sexten told Fox News Digital.
The goal is to get away from an overly scheduled routine often associated with nursing 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 50 adults with dementia who live at home but who want to attend activities. Specially trained caregivers will also have private apartments in the village.
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.
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.
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Agrace has an endowment to help offset costs for people who cannot cover the full expense.
Prospective residents will likely be able to apply in the first quarter of 2027, according to Agrace.
"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.
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"Critics have drawn parallels with the deception depicted in the 1998 ‘social science fiction’ film ‘The Truman Show’; but many Alzheimer’s experts have praised [the Hogeweyk] for being the first to adjust ‘our’ reality to allow those with dementia to be in a safe and comforting environment," wrote Dr. Fay Niker, a member of the Neuroethics Collective in British Columbia.
Dementia villages in Amsterdam, Norway, France and 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.
Also, residents will be allowed to leave the village with family 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).
ADI forecasts those numbers will nearly double every 20 years to reach 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050.
"Residential care environments have increasingly been embracing a sense of 'household,'" Sheryl Zimmerman, director of the National Center for Excellence in Assisted Living, told Fox News Digital.
Prior to opening and without data, it can't be confirmed that the Wisconsin village will restore a 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."