About the Sunflowers

Sunflowers symbolize happiness, optimism and longevity. They turn their faces to follow the sun’s journey, continually seeking the warmth that helps them flourish. Similarly, the mission of The Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia is to create a place that continuously helps older adults and those living with dementia to flourish. Learn more.

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It is what the sunflowers do.” – Helen Keller

Mission:

Framing a new future for aging and dementia.

Vision:

Manifest life-changing design so that older adults and those living with dementia live their most meaningful and highest-quality lives.

About the Center

Couple walking outside The Chris & Suzy DeWolf Family Innovation Center for Aging & Dementia of Mercy is a place where older adults and those living with chronic conditions are empowered to lead satisfying and fulfilling lives.

Family caregivers receive support to make caregiving easier. And, our volunteers — often older adults with lived experience — find meaning and purpose in helping others.

Our future-focused philosophy exists throughout the entire DeWolf Innovation Center. From our programs to the decor, each element of our environment is intentional. Age- and dementia-friendly insights continue to be a driving force behind our decisions.

These values are upheld in each of the Center's main components:

Linn County joins Dementia Friendly America® network

In March 2024, Linn County officially became the sixth community in Iowa to join the Dementia Friendly America® (DFA) network. As a Dementia Friendly Community initiative, our shared goal is to reduce the stigma around dementia and create comfortable interactions for people living with dementia. Read full story.

Providing Accessible Resources for Residents of HallMar Village

The DeWolf Innovation Center is connected to HallMar Village, a 237-residence senior living community. It is the only known Innovation Center in the United States that is directly accessible from within a senior living community. The close proximity benefits residents while also providing a crucial resource to the public.

Inclusive & Intentional: A Living Classroom for Continuous Discovery

The DeWolf Innovation Center was created to better serve older adults and adults living with chronic conditions like dementia, Parkinson’s, cancer and more — as well as their caregivers. If you are facing chronic or age-related changes, or love someone who is, we invite you to visit our living classroom — where change is welcomed, not feared.

From its inception, the Center was intended to be inclusive, complete with age- and dementia- friendly design features. Plaques in the atrium and Cambridge Auditorium outline each choice and the insights behind them.

Stronger, bolder colors are used throughout to provide contrast between surfaces, such as walls and floors; furniture and walls; and toilets and walls. By using bold colors instead of pale colors, older adults and those living with dementia will be able to see within the space more easily. Colors also assist in wayfinding and aren't dark, thus avoiding the appearance of being a hole.

Lighting selections provide consistent, even light to reduce glare, shadows and reflections. The Cambridge Auditorium also operates on dimmer switches, making it easier to meet the needs of individuals and various functions happening throughout the day.

Flooring is designed to absorb noise and reduce sound levels; contrast with walls and furniture; reduce sensory issues by minimizing pattern; and be slip-resistant.

Furniture was selected to look and feel warm and comfortable — like someone’s home, rather than a clinical setting. For instance, we chose chairs with arms and furniture without legs sticking out. Upholstery features strong, bold colors that contrast with the walls without being overly patterned.

Art, including pieces created by local artists, is used throughout the Center to add interest and appropriate visual stimulation. The art is representational so everyone can identify the subject. It's also colorful, varies in type and assists in wayfinding.

State-of-the-art audio equipment was also installed in the Cambridge Auditorium to enhance hearing. To maintain an otherwise quiet environment and reduce sound from echoing, we added 24 acoustical panels on top of the existing sound-absorbing panels in the Cambridge Auditorium. We also added panels to the atrium and noise-buffering materials between consultation rooms in the Mercy Center for Memory Health and other key locations, such as counseling offices.

Focused on the Future

Since opening, the DeWolf Innovation Center has:

served more and more caregivers through the Family Caregivers Center and the Mercy Center for Memory Health.
recruited new volunteers to help serve a long list of ongoing needs.
reformatted the monthly Family Caregivers Centered News to cover all components of the Center.
expanded programs and services, including in-person activities and an online community.
earned new accreditations, like Dementia Friendly Linn County.

As the Center moves forward, service enhancements and expansions will continue in order to meet the growing need. Virtual platforms like Zoom will allow these offerings to become more accessible. This will be followed by outreach in rural communities in an effort to connect even more Iowans with the Center's resources.

The services and programs of the Family Caregivers Center and the DeWolf Innovation Center have been valuable to those who have utilized them. Next, the Center will work to prepare these products and resources for replication and distribution.

A Knowledge Management System is in progress to ensure replication is done effectively and securely. This includes the availability of individual and organizational memberships through an online portal.

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