Nick Even was trained as a psychiatric social worker and worked in the mental health profession for nearly 50 years.  Betty, Nick’s wife was an educator teaching High School English and Composition for over 20 years.  At age 59 Betty was diagnosed with Lewy Bodies Dementia and forever changed the lives, life goals and paths for both of them.

Nick cared for Betty at home for 14 years until he was no longer able to manage her care due to the advancement of the disease.  Nick searched for care centers with memory care units.  After trying at least two different facilities that could not provide the necessary level of care Betty required (she was classified as a “runner”, a person who would leave the facility and wander), Nick placed Betty in a care facility with a secure memory care unit where she remained for 3 years until Nick brought her home for the final 24 hours of her life.

Nick was inspired by what he considered the lack of compassionate engaging care he saw at these facilities as well as the stress and fatigue experienced particularly by family caregivers.  His research and careful thought brought Nick to the conclusion, “the current system in the United States is so badly broken it can’t be fixed.”  A new type of care facility needed to be developed in the United States based on evolving European models featuring not just “memory care”, but memory therapy and “dementia villages”.