From the Netherlands to Wisconsin: The Dementia Village Model Comes to America

Families facing dementia often struggle with a painful question: How do we keep someone safe without taking away their quality of life?

Traditional memory care settings have historically leaned toward safety first; locked units, structured routines, and limited independence. Those priorities matter. But over time, clinicians and caregivers began noticing something troubling: physical safety was improving while quality of life was shrinking.

In the early 2000s, a small community in the Netherlands decided to try something radically different. Instead of adapting people to a facility, they adapted the facility to feel like real life.

That place was Hogeweyk.

The Hogeweyk Model: A Village Instead of a Facility

Hogeweyk is a purpose-built neighborhood in Weesp, Netherlands designed entirely for people living with dementia. Rather than hospital corridors and nurses’ stations, residents see:

• A grocery store

• A café and restaurant

• A theater and hair salon

• Outdoor streets and courtyards

• Homes styled to match familiar lifestyles

Residents live in small households with others who share similar backgrounds and routines. Staff members blend into daily life rather than standing apart in uniforms.

The goal is not to pretend dementia doesn’t exist, it’s to remove constant reminders that a person is only a patient.

Researchers and clinicians observed important differences compared to traditional nursing homes. Residents were more active and often required less medication, likely because confusion and agitation decreased in a familiar environment.

The philosophy behind the model is simple: Treat the person first, the diagnosis second.

This approach, sometimes called “social-model dementia care”, has gradually gained international attention. And now, it is coming to the United States in a meaningful way.

Wisconsin’s New Dementia Village: A First for the U.S.

Near Madison, Wisconsin, nonprofit healthcare provider Agrace is building what will be the first full Hogeweyk-inspired dementia village in America.

The project, the Ellen & Peter Johnson Dementia Village at Agrace, will break ground in 2026 and is expected to open in 2027.

Rather than a large building, the campus will function like a neighborhood.

Residential Living

• Eight small homes

• About eight residents per home

• Private bedrooms with shared kitchens and living rooms

• Housemates grouped by lifestyle, preferences, and experiences

Each household will operate much like a normal home. Residents may cook, socialize, and participate in daily routines with trained caregivers helping in natural ways, not institutional ones.

The design intentionally replaces “unit living” with community living.

A Community, Not Just Housing

What makes this model unique is that the care doesn’t stop at the front door.

The campus will include everyday destinations:

• Restaurant and café

• Grocery store and shops

• Theater and social gathering areas

• Gardens and outdoor walking paths

• Spa and activity spaces

Residents can move freely within a secure setting, preserving independence while maintaining safety.

This matters. Many dementia behaviors (wandering, agitation, resistance) stem from frustration and overstimulation in unfamiliar environments. A predictable neighborhood dramatically reduces those triggers.

Agrace also plans to include:

• An adult day program for people living at home

• Housing for caregiving staff and students

• Education and support resources for families

In other words, it is not just a place to live, it becomes a community hub for dementia support.

Why This Model Is Different

Traditional memory care often focuses on managing symptoms. The village model focuses on preserving identity. Instead of asking, “What can’t this person safely do anymore?” it asks, “What parts of normal life can we safely restore?”

Research from Hogeweyk suggests residents maintain better physical, mental, and social well-being when they live in a familiar-feeling environment and participate in everyday activities.

Agrace hopes to replicate those outcomes in the United States, especially as dementia diagnoses rise and caregiver burnout increases.

What This Means for Families

This project represents more than a new building. It signals a shift in how we think about dementia care.

Historically, care models have balanced two competing goals:

• Independence

• Safety

The dementia village attempts to stop treating those as opposites. By designing the environment around cognitive limitations,  instead of restricting the person, safety can exist alongside dignity.

For families, that may change the emotional experience of placement. Instead of feeling like a loved one is entering an institution, they are moving into a neighborhood.

The Bigger Picture

The Wisconsin village will house about 65 full-time residents and additional day-program participants.

But its importance goes beyond capacity. It is a proof of concept.

If successful, dementia villages could influence future memory care design nationwide, much like hospice reshaped end-of-life care decades ago. The focus moves from containment to living well with disease.

Dementia does not remove a person’s need for purpose, routine, social connection, or joy. Perhaps, better architecture will contribute to a solution.

 

Contact a certified elder law attorney(*), such as Linda Strohschein and her team at Strohschein Law Group for assistance. To set up an appointment, contact Strohschein Law Group at 630-300-0627.