MADISON, Wis., Jan. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Agrace, a leading nonprofit provider of hospice care, palliative care, and dementia care services, today announced plans to build the Ellen & Peter Johnson Dementia Village at Agrace, the first Hogeweyk-inspired dementia care community of its kind in the United States. The revolutionary residential village will provide a contrast to institutional memory care by offering small households and person-centered neighborhood living designed to restore dignity and autonomy to people with dementia.

Breaking ground this spring, the $40 million project represents a complete reimagining of dementia care in America, drawing inspiration from the Netherlands' internationally acclaimed Hogeweyk Dementia Village—a model that has set a new global standard for supporting people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

"For too long, dementia has been treated as a medical condition to be managed, rather than a diagnosis that still allows for a life filled with meaning, joy, and connection," said Lynne Sexten, President and CEO of Agrace. "The Dementia Village is not just a new facility—it is a reimagining of how we honor life after a dementia diagnosis. We are not building another memory care unit. We are launching a movement to transform how people living with dementia experience daily life."

A Crisis Demanding Innovation

The need for a different approach to dementia care has never been more urgent. Nearly ten percent of Wisconsinites age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer's disease, with that number projected to grow dramatically. Meanwhile, their caregivers are providing nearly 300 million hours of unpaid care, with 63 percent struggling with their own chronic health conditions.

Traditional memory care has long focused on safety and clinical oversight—priorities that matter deeply to families and caregivers alike. Yet many of these settings—shaped by institutional design and medical frameworks—can unintentionally narrow autonomy, spontaneity, and connection to ordinary life. Even with deeply committed caregivers, the structure itself often limits how fully people can continue to live with purpose, personal choice, and variety. The Hogeweyk-inspired model imagines something more: a community designed around living, not just care, where people with dementia remain active participants in the rhythms of real life.

"When someone is diagnosed with dementia and they look at traditional facilities where they may end up living, they're usually unhappy with how it looks because it looks so institutional and depersonalized. While I think the people who do the work are incredible, the way traditional memory care is structured is not ideal," said Dr. Kenneth Robbins, director of Agrace Memory Care Suites. "The Dementia Village proves there's another way—one that honors the person, not just manages the disease."

Care Through Design

Agrace's Madison campus will be transformed into a hub of care and connection, seamlessly integrating the daily lives of Dementia Village residents and Day Club participants. Village residents will live in small, intimate households supported by specially trained staff. Individuals who choose to participate during the day while continuing to live in their own homes will spend their days alongside Village residents, with a strong emphasis on physical activity, social connection, and time outdoors. As with Hogeweyk, the Village is designed to support people in doing the kinds of everyday activities they would naturally enjoy if they were not living with dementia.

"Living at this campus will not feel like an institution—we are building individual homes that look and feel just like a home. Residents will have eight housemates, a kitchen, their own bedroom and a living room. All the things that you have in a traditional home today will be replicated here within the village," said Sexten. "The village will be thoughtfully designed to support those with dementia to keep them safe while providing them with access to a robust social network they can be excited about participating in."

The Dementia Village will also include workforce housing in the form of private studios to attract caregiving professionals seeking meaningful, relationship-based work—helping to address critical staffing shortages across the long-term care sector.

Agrace's campus has long been—and will remain—a trusted home for compassionate inpatient hospice care. Building on this enduring mission, the campus will expand to become an even more vibrant community resource, with the addition of a Grief Support Center and a Training and Education Center that extend healing, learning, and support to the broader community.

Leading a National Movement with Support from the Community

The Hogeweyk model has transformed dementia care in parts of Europe, Australia, China, and Canada but has yet to take root in the United States. Agrace's project is leading a national movement to reimagine memory care in the United States.

"Twenty-five years ago, Agrace transformed end-of-life care by proving that dying could be dignified and peaceful," said Sexten. "Now, we're doing it again for people living with dementia. This is where the future of dementia care starts."

Fulfilling the vision for Agrace's Dementia Village is made possible by a $7 million lead gift from Ellen and Peter Johnson. The Johnsons are Madison-based philanthropists and major donors to a 2006 expansion of inpatient hospice facilities at Agrace. "The need is so incredible, and this project demonstrates that Agrace is a leader in memory care," said Ellen and Peter Johnson. "To be able to say that Madison is going to have this extraordinary project is something that the whole community can be very, very proud of and we're delighted to be a part of it."

The Johnsons are joined by dozens of other generous donors who have already invested in the Revolutionizing Life with Dementia campaign, a $30 million community capital campaign. With strong early momentum, Agrace is continuing to build community support and invite others to be part of this groundbreaking care model. To learn more about investing in this effort, contact Beth Larson, chief development officer, at beth.larson@agrace.org.

For more information about Agrace's Dementia Village, visit Agrace.org/Village.

Founded in 1978, Agrace is a nonprofit, community-supported health care organization dedicated to providing high-quality care and support to people who are seriously ill, dying or grieving. With offices in Madison, Janesville, Baraboo, Dodgeville, Wauwatosa, Watertown and La Crosse, Agrace serves more than 1,700 patients and clients across Wisconsin every day.

Contact: Liz Kopling, Assistant Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Cell: (608) 772-9653
Liz.Kopling@agrace.org

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SOURCE Agrace