Hawthorne House

Rather than attempting to make an institution feel more like ‘Home,’ the Hawthorne House is a home with some of the features of institutions (such as security systems, nursing supervision, etc.). A private bathroom, attached to each bedroom, provides necessary visual cueing to protect the dignity of the resident. The single hallway is circular to eliminate the fear of becoming lost. The bedroom doors are personalized. The kitchen area has been designed to allow residents to participate in meal-making. Rather than a large spacious (unfamiliar) dining room with multiple tables, residents will gather around a comfortable dining room table as a ‘family.’

The Hawthorne House provides a physical, social and operational environment that accommodates the disabilities of someone suffering from dementia and capitalizes on the person’s strengths. By reducing the anxiety and confusion that result from an unaccommodating environment, residents of the Hawthorne House are allowed to function at their highest possible level. Candidates for residency at the Hawthorne House will be later stage dementia patients for whom current living environments such as their own home, adult foster care, or assisted living environment are no longer secure or suitable for their special needs.