Innovative memory care residence receives patent
For years, ThriveMore has been working to answer a difficult question: When one partner develops dementia, why should receiving the right care mean a couple has to stop living together?
Now, the innovative answer taking shape at Brookridge in Winston-Salem has reached another major milestone.
Today ThriveMore received a patent for the distinctive design of the EverTogether residence, a first-of-its-kind approach created to help couples continue living together when one partner is living with dementia. The patent recognizes the originality of a design that brings residential living and specialized dementia support together in a new way.
For ThriveMore, the patent represents more than recognition of an innovative building. It marks an important step in a journey that began years ago by simply listening.
A problem worth solving
The idea for EverTogether began when Reed VanderSlik, president and CEO of ThriveMore, attended a support group for partners of people living with dementia.
There, he heard about the difficult realities facing couples when one partner's needs had progressed beyond what the other could provide alone. They wanted their partners to have excellent dementia care, but they did not want receiving that care to mean giving up the lives they had built together.
One man's story particularly stayed with Reed. The couple had spent decades eating dinner together and falling asleep holding hands. Once his wife moved into memory care, those cherished routines were no longer possible.
That experience became Reed's "why" and planted the seed for a different model. What if a couple did not have to choose between staying together and getting the right support?
Designing something that didn't exist
Turning that idea into EverTogether took years.
ThriveMore collaborated with CJMW Architecture, working through multiple concepts and configurations before developing the circular design now under construction at Brookridge.
The residence will feature 12 homes arranged around a secure shared courtyard. Each has an independent living space where couples can share their daily lives as well as a connected private studio designed for the partner living with dementia. The interior courtyard and central clubhouse will provide access to programming, gathering spaces and specially trained caregivers.
The result is designed to give couples something traditional models often cannot: flexibility.
Partners can eat together, spend evenings together and maintain the familiar rhythms of home. When the caregiving partner needs to run an errand, attend an appointment or simply take a break, the partner living with dementia can have access to a secure setting, meaningful engagement and professional support nearby.
The goal is not merely to create another memory care residence. It is to rethink the relationship between home, caregiving and dementia support.
An idea gaining recognition
The newly received patent is the latest recognition for an idea already drawing attention within senior living.
Earlier this year, EverTogether received the LeadingAge North Carolina Innovation Award, recognizing its unique contribution to aging services and its vision for couples navigating dementia together.
The concept has also attracted attention beyond North Carolina. Senior Housing News reported on the project this summer, highlighting both its unusual residential design and the way it blends the role of a spouse with support from professional caregivers.
Receiving a patent adds another important milestone to that story. It affirms that the physical model taking shape at Brookridge is not simply a variation on traditional memory care, but a distinctive approach created around a need ThriveMore believed deserved a better solution.
Building toward early 2027
Today, that once-theoretical idea is becoming a real neighborhood.
Construction is underway at Brookridge, and the first residents are expected to move into EverTogether in early 2027. Reservations are now being accepted.
For ThriveMore, the project reflects a larger commitment to advancing dementia care by listening to residents and families, investing in expertise and being willing to challenge long-standing assumptions about what care has to look like.
Interested in learning whether EverTogether could be right for you or someone you love? Contact Stephanie, sshafer@thrivemorenc.org, to schedule a tour of Brookridge, see the EverTogether Residence taking shape and learn more about reserving a home.