Memory care operator Abe’s Garden is in the midst of an expansion project that is set to increase its capacity for housing residents and dementia care research.
Funding for the expansion comes from a fundraising campaign called “Let’s Grow Together,” which as of Sept. 20 had raised $16.5 million of its $20 million goal. The Nashville, Tennessee-based organization is utilizing fundraising initiatives and pursuing grant proposals to finish out the remaining 16% it needs for the capital goal, according to COO Chris Coelho.
Construction is already underway for the 38,000 square feet expansion, which will add 20 new assisted living and 20 memory care suites, alongside improvements to the community’s independent living apartments.
Also on tap for the community are new engagement spaces, including a community room, fitness center, outdoor patio, bistro and chapel to “create an environment that fosters engagement and purposeful living,” Coelho said.
While the timeline for the project’s opening hinges on fundraising, Coelho is optimistic the expansion will open by the end of 2025.
“By increasing our capacity, we’re not only easing the pressure on our waitlist but also enhancing the overall quality of life for our residents,” Coelho told Memory Care Business. “This expansion is about more than just physical space, it’s about fostering connections and building a vibrant community where everyone feels valued and supported as they age.”
Abe’s Garden Community typically has a waitlist around 50 people long, and the expansion will allow the nonprofit to better care for more residents, Coelho said.
Alongside expanding the living spaces for residents, one of the additions Coelho is particularly excited about is a music theory and research lab, a “controlled research setting” which will study the effect that music has on health outcomes.
The lab is set to include programming such as livestreamed music performances, Coelho said. Researchers in the lab also can control variables , such as types of music, volume, mixes, posture, movement, visuals and time limits to study how it affects residents’ health.
“Staff for the research music lab will work directly with researchers in advance of listening sessions to ensure variables are understood and implemented,” Coelho said.
Abe’s Community Garden is no stranger to blazing trails in memory care. The operator is aided by its Hearthstone Institute, which promotes and develops evidence-based practices for memory care.
“The approaches we take are coming from practices developed through the Hearthstone Institute over the past 25 years,” Coelho said. “Validated tools for engagement, cognition, quality of life, mood, and behaviors are used to assess residents over time. We use these assessments to better understand the effects of engagement on a holistic level.”
Staff are taught to use an approach dubbed “I’m Still Here,” which Coelho said focuses on meeting the person living with dementia where they are in the progression of the disease.
“When training staff we use other validated tools that observe and quantify the effects of activities of daily living, approaches to nutrition, and engagement,” he said. “These practices were developed through Hearthstone Institute’s NIH research along with partnerships with Vanderbilt University.”
