The Vicarage By The Sea – Dementia Care Home

The Vicarage By The Sea, Dementia Care Home is a specialized assisted living facility in Harpswell, Maine, dedicated to providing long-term, person-centered dementia care for individuals living with memory loss, including Alzheimer’s disease. Serving residents from early onset to end-of-life stages, the home offers a holistic, non-institutional environment rooted in the Eden Alternative philosophy. Residents enjoy daily engagement in meaningful activities such as cooking, gardening, walking on the Freedom Trail, and spending time with pets, all within a nurturing, multi-generational setting. With a staff ratio of 1:4 or better and a capacity of just 12 residents, care is deeply personalized and focused on preserving dignity, comfort, and connection to nature. The facility is recognized for its exceptional quality, reflected in a 5.00 rating based on two verified reviews.

The Vicarage by the Sea was founded in 1998 by Dr. Johanna Wigg and Cheryl Golek, inspired by Dr. Wigg’s experience caring for her grandmother, Esther, an artist whose grace and appreciation for beauty remained intact despite her illness. Their mission was to destigmatize dementia and create a culture where individuals are seen as whole persons, not defined by their condition. The home operates as a non-institutional, residential care environment emphasizing empathy, continuity, and the healing power of nature. Staff are deeply committed to the well-being of each resident’s mind, body, and spirit, guided by a philosophy that values growth, connection, and the normalization of the dementia experience. The home has maintained this vision for over two decades, serving as the only facility in Maine offering this model of care.

Located on Vicarage Lane in Harpswell, the facility sits just 0.3 miles from Curtis Cove, a scenic bay, and is within 0.4 miles of both Curtis Farm Preserve, a nature preserve, and the West Harpswell neighborhood. It lies a short distance from Mitchell Field, a local park, and Harpswell Coastal Academy, a school, with the Harpswell Neck Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department situated about 0.6 miles away.

The Vicarage By The Sea stands out through its comprehensive, well-documented presence online, with a website that offers clear, consistent, and detailed information about its mission, staff, philosophy, and services. Its site is optimized for search engines, making it easily discoverable and reliable for families seeking specialized dementia care.

Nestled in the natural beauty of Harpswell’s coastal landscape, The Vicarage By The Sea offers a rare model of compassionate, enduring care that honors the humanity of every resident.

Services:

• Eden Alternative Philosophy
• Holistic Environment for Elders
• Long-Term Residential Care
• Multi-Generational Living
• Person-Centered Dementia Care