A New Chapter in Compassionate Care
We face a new and pressing challenge: how to care for individuals living with dementia across a broad and growing spectrum of need.
While Friends Home offers supportive programs for those with mild cognitive challenges, our current facilities cannot adequately serve residents with more advanced dementia symptoms and behaviors.
In the past year alone, we have had to discharge five residents and decline more than twenty applicants for this reason.
Recognizing this gap, we are committed to adapting by expanding our environment and programs to ensure that every resident, present and future, receives compassionate, appropriate care at every stage of life.
Responding to the Challenge
To meet this growing need, Friends Home is creating Willow Wing, a thoughtfully designed space within the main building that will provide safe, supportive care for residents living with dementia while maintaining their connection to the broader community.
Unlike traditional secured dementia units that rely on isolation, Willow Wing will embody an integrated model of care—balancing security with inclusion.
Residents will live in personalized apartments equipped with safety features such as secure doors and windows, specialized lighting and flooring, and carefully controlled sensory environments to reduce stress and confusion. Yet, they will continue to enjoy access to community spaces like the library, parlor, and front porch, and participate in activities such as choir and art classes when beneficial.
Keeping Friends Home Connected
Willow Wing residents will share a secure outdoor courtyard with Linden Hall, encouraging social interaction, gardening, and other outdoor pursuits that enrich daily life.
Dining and activities will be flexible, allowing residents to choose between small, intimate settings or the main dining and activity rooms, depending on their comfort and abilities.
All caregivers in Willow Wing will be CNA-trained, med-tech certified, and dementia certified, with additional Montessori Lifestyle and community life training.
The program will also offer respite and day services for families not yet ready for full-time placement, along with family support and education sessions to guide loved ones through the journey of dementia care.
Renovations began in December, with completion anticipated this spring.
Once open, Willow Wing will allow Friends Home to care for residents at every stage of cognitive change—honoring our long tradition of compassionate, individualized care in a truly inclusive setting.