Agrace breaks ground on dementia village at Madison campus

Thursday, May 21, 2026

As reported by Calahan Steed, WMTV-15

Agrace Hospice Care broke ground on a new facility on Wednesday that hopes to redefine dementia care within Wisconsin.

The facility is called a dementia village.

It’s inspired by a model used in the Netherlands that offers a different approach to memory-care facilities.

The village will consist of small houses instead of a traditional building.

The hope is that the neighborhood-like setting will promote connection and autonomy for dementia patients.

“Here, we’re building an environment where safety and autonomy can co-exist, where life continues to feel open, familiar and deeply human,” Agrace CEO Lynne Sexten said. “We often say people with dementia need care and that’s true, but they also still need to feel like their life is their own.”

The $40-million project will be on East Cheryl Parkway.

The village will be named after Ellen and Peter Johnson, who supported the project with a $7-million donation.