A Hopeful Reckoning

In the Irish indie film Once, two ­struggling musicians write a song called “Falling Slowly,” an appeal of sorts to “raise your hopeful voice.” Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová didn’t have nursing homes in mind, of course, but when I set out to investigate the best in long-term care, those lyrics, that sentiment, followed me.

It travelled with me across Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands, where I visited seniors’ communities that aspired for more. In these homes, residents were not shut up indoors, confined to the TV room, but lived with freedom and purpose. How energizing it was to witness the inclusion of people with dementia in everyday activities, to see the embrace of daily walks and dance parties. These places offered the familiarity of small households, where residents could tend the garden or roast marshmallows over the firepit. So‑called dementia...