About

Memory Care

Providing emotional support for seniors with dementia in a home like setting.

The Inn at Deerfield is a licensed supported residential care home for elders with memory disorders located in the beautiful country setting of rural Deerfield, New Hampshire. The Inn at Deerfield was established to provide quality care to elders with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Our History

Founded in 1983 as a group home, The Inn at Deerfield transitioned to specialize in dementia care in 1993 under the leadership of its principal owner, Jo Vass. Driven by Jo’s vision, the facility aimed to provide a homelike, social atmosphere where elders with dementia could thrive. The Inn at Deerfield would later become one of the first facilities in New Hampshire to earn a Supported Residential Health Care license, enabling it to retain residents longer with the assistance of outside clinical professionals.

In 1997, the business was converted from a private enterprise into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, receiving nonprofit status from the IRS, recognition from the New Hampshire Secretary of State, and registration as a public trust by the Attorney General’s Office.

Operating in its original location – a renovated farmhouse at 51 Ridge Road in Deerfield – space restrictions limited the facility to serving just 16 residents. In 1998, the board of directors, led by Dr. Christopher Corcoran, sought to expand operations to meet growing demand for dementia care. With guidance from the Bank of New Hampshire, the board of directors secured funding to expand through a USDA Rural Development loan.

Land for a new facility was purchased at 34 Ridge Road from longtime supporters Roger and Peg King, with construction commencing in July 2000. By late December, residents, staff, and equipment moved into the newly completed building, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for The Inn at Deerfield.

Throughout its history, The Inn at Deerfield has remained committed to a social model of care and a homelike atmosphere – despite increased clinical oversight and documentation requirements, a competitive job market for qualified staff, the growing reliance on Medicaid-funded “Choice for Independence” programs, and the changing needs of an aging population Over the years, The Inn at Deerfield has expanded resident benefits by establishing valuable partnerships with outside professionals such as Nurse Consultants, Visiting Nurses, Physical and Occupational Therapists, Geropsychiatrists, Podiatrists, and more.