Wisconsin to Break Ground on First U.S. ‘Dementia Village’
FITCHBURG, Wisconsin – The United States will soon be home to its first purpose-built dementia village, a $40 million community designed to reimagine elderly care. Agrace, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit healthcare agency, announced plans to construct the village on its Fitchburg campus near Madison, with an anticipated opening in September 2027.
The project, inspired by successful models in Europe, Australia, Canada and China, aims to provide a more dignified and supportive environment for individuals living with dementia, a condition affecting over six million Americans and projected to double by 2060.
Rather than a traditional nursing home setting, the village will feature eight small, home-style houses, each accommodating around eight residents with private bedrooms and shared living spaces. A central hub will include a grocery store, restaurant, theatre, and green spaces, allowing residents to maintain a sense of normalcy and independence while remaining in a secure environment.
“Living here will not feel like an institution,” said Lynne Sexten, president and chief executive of Agrace. “We are building households that look and feel like home, while ensuring people receive the care and safety they need.”
The concept draws heavily from Hogeweyk, a pioneering dementia village that opened in the Netherlands in 2009. Studies of similar communities internationally have indicated improvements in residents’ quality of life, reduced anxiety and depression, and decreased stress for both families and caregivers.
Agrace emphasizes that the village is not intended to cure dementia, but to preserve dignity, independence, and social connection for as long as possible. Caregivers will live on-site in separate apartments, fostering relationship-based care and potentially addressing chronic staffing shortages within the sector.
Monthly fees are expected to be comparable to assisted living costs, with a sliding fee scale planned to ensure accessibility for individuals with varying financial means. The project represents a significant shift in how the U.S. approaches dementia care, offering a potential blueprint for future communities as the number of diagnoses continues to rise.