1
                                                                     Exhibit 2.5

                             SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT

         This is a Supplemental Agreement, dated July 14, 1998, among American
Retirement Corporation, a Tennessee corporation ("ARC"), Freedom Group, Inc., a
Florida corporation ("FGI"), and Robert G. Roskamp, PHC, L.L.C., a Michigan
limited liability company, and The Edgar and Elsa Prince Foundation, a Michigan
not-for-profit corporation (collectively, the "FGI Shareholders"). This
Supplemental Agreement amends and supplements the Agreement and Plan of Merger,
dated as of May 29, 1998, among ARC, FGI, and the FGI Shareholders (the "Merger
Agreement"). Certain capitalized terms defined in the Merger Agreement are used
herein as defined in the Merger Agreement.

         FGI has historically prepared interim financial statements at the end
of the each calendar month. The parties acknowledge that a closing of FGI's
accounting books on other than on a month-end basis and a determination of Net
Working Capital for purposes of Section 8.7 of the Merger Agreement would impose
severe administrative burdens upon FGI, would result in a significant delay in
determining Net Working Capital, and could lead to disagreement among the
parties concerning appropriate revenue and expense allocations. Therefore,
notwithstanding that the Closing of the Merger is occurring on the date hereof,
the parties desire to provide for certain accounting and price adjustments as of
July 1, 1998, in order to avoid these problems.

         In addition, the parties desire to make certain other amendments to the
Merger Agreement as hereinafter set forth.

         Therefore, in accordance with Section 11.4 of the Merger Agreement, and
in consideration of their mutual agreements, the parties agree as follows:

                  1. Closing Date. ARC, FGI, and the FGI Shareholders agree that
the Closing Date, for all purposes of the Merger Agreement, is July 14, 1998,
and that the parties will take all actions (including the filing of Articles of
Merger in Tennessee and Florida) necessary to cause the Effective Time to occur
simultaneously with the Closing. This Supplemental Agreement does not in any way
change or otherwise affect the Closing Date or the Effective Time, and except as
expressly and specifically provided herein, this Supplemental Agreement has no
effect on the rights or obligations of the parties on the Closing Date or with
respect to the periods preceding or following the Closing Date.

                  2. Amendment of Section 8.7 of the Merger Agreement. Section
8.7 of the Merger Agreement, entitled "Net Working Capital Adjustments," is
hereby amended in its entirety to read as follows:

                     (a) ARC and the FGI Shareholders shall adjust (up or down)
                  the cash portion of the Merger Consideration based upon
                  the extent to which the Net Working Capital on July 1, 1998
                  (the "Adjustment Date") is less than or greater than zero. The
                  cash portion of the Merger Consideration shall be reduced
                  (dollar


   2



                  for dollar) by the amount by which the Net Working Capital on
                  the Adjustment Date (the "Adjustment Date Net Working
                  Capital") is less than zero. The cash portion of the Merger
                  Consideration shall be increased (dollar for dollar) by the
                  amount by which the Adjustment Date Net Working Capital is
                  greater than zero.

                           (b) On the Closing Date, ARC and the FGI Shareholders
                  shall estimate the amount of the Net Working Capital on the
                  Adjustment Date (the "Estimated Net Working Capital"). The
                  Estimated Net Working Capital shall be determined in
                  accordance with GAAP and shall be based upon the entries in
                  the balance sheets for FGI and the FGI Subsidiaries (other
                  than the Excluded FGI Entities) included in the latest
                  available monthly financial statements delivered pursuant to
                  Section 6.2(h). ARC and the FGI Shareholders shall tentatively
                  adjust (up or down) the cash portion of the Merger
                  Consideration payable to the FGI Shareholders on the Closing
                  Date (the "Initial Net Working Capital Adjustment"), based on
                  the extent to which the Estimated Net Working Capital is less
                  than or greater than zero. The cash portion of the Merger
                  Consideration payable to the FGI Shareholders on the Closing
                  Date shall be reduced (dollar for dollar) by the amount by
                  which the Estimated Net Working Capital is less than zero. The
                  cash portion of the Merger Consideration payable to the FGI
                  Shareholders on the Closing Date shall be increased (dollar
                  for dollar) by the amount by which the Estimated Net Working
                  Capital is greater than zero. For purposes of illustration,
                  Exhibit I sets forth a hypothetical Initial Net Working
                  Capital Adjustment using the balance sheets included in the
                  Most Recent Financial Statements. The methodology for
                  calculating the Initial Net Working Capital Adjustment and for
                  finally determining the Adjustment Date Net Working Capital
                  shall be consistent with that shown on Exhibit I. Attached
                  hereto as Exhibit A is the Initial Net Working Capital
                  Adjustment that the parties have agreed upon, which results in
                  an Estimated Net Working Capital deficit (and accordingly a
                  downward adjustment to the cash portion of the Merger
                  Consideration) of $9,365,000.

                           (c) Within ninety (90) days after the Closing Date,
                  ARC and the FGI Shareholders shall re-compute, and determine
                  the definitive amount of, the Adjustment Date Net Working
                  Capital in accordance with the procedures and methodologies
                  set forth above. Within thirty (30) days following receipt by
                  the FGI Shareholders of such calculation, the parties shall
                  settle any amounts owing as a result of such calculation. If
                  the amount of the Adjustment Date Net Working Capital,
                  as finally determined, is greater than the Estimated Net 
                  Working Capital on which the Initial Net Working Capital 
                  Adjustment was based, then ARC shall pay to the FGI 
                  Shareholders the amount by which Adjustment Date Net Working 
                  Capital, as finally determined, exceeds the Estimated Net
                  Working Capital on which the Initial Net Working Capital
                  Adjustment was based. If the amount of the Estimated Net 
                  Working Capital on which the Initial Net Working Capital 
                  Adjustment was based is greater than the Adjustment Date Net
                  Working Capital,


                                        2

   3



            as finally determined, then the FGI Shareholders, jointly and
            severally, shall pay to ARC the amount by which the Estimated
            Net Working Capital on which the Initial Net Working Capital
            Adjustment was based exceeds the Adjustment Date Net Working
            Capital, as finally determined. Any amounts to be paid to the
            FGI Shareholders pursuant to this Section 8.7(c) shall be paid
            to the FGI Shareholders in accordance with their proportional
            interest in the cash portion of the Merger Agreement paid on
            the Closing Date. Any such refund or payment shall be by wire
            transfer of immediately available funds to a bank account
            designated by the payee to the payor or by such other method
            as to which ARC and the FGI Shareholders shall agree.

                      (d) If, within ninety (90) days after the Closing
            Date, ARC and the FGI Shareholders are unable to agree on the
            definitive amount of the Adjustment Date Net Working Capital,
            ARC and the FGI Shareholders shall each have the right to
            require that such disputed determinations be submitted to such
            independent certified public accounting firm as ARC and the
            FGI Shareholders may then mutually agree upon in writing, for
            computation or verification in accordance with the provisions
            of this Agreement and otherwise, where applicable, in
            accordance with GAAP. The foregoing provisions for certified
            public accounting firm review shall be specifically
            enforceable by the parties; the decision of such accounting
            firm shall be final and binding upon the parties; there shall
            be no right of appeal from such decision; and such accounting
            firm's fees and expenses for each disputed determination shall
            be borne by the party whose determination has been modified by
            such accounting firm's report or by both parties in proportion
            to the relative amount each party's determination has been
            modified. Any additional payments due under this Agreement
            shall bear interest until paid in full at the Applicable Rate.

         3. FGI Final Tax Return. For federal and state income tax purposes, the
final fiscal year of FGI and the FGI Subsidiaries (other than the Excluded FGI
Entities) shall terminate at the Effective Time on the Closing Date. ARC, on
behalf of FGI, shall prepare and file the final federal and state income tax
returns for FGI and such FGI Subsidiaries covering their final fiscal year
(collectively the "Final Return"), and shall pay all Taxes due thereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Section 3 shall affect, nor
impair or limit the FGI Shareholders' indemnification obligations under the
Merger Agreement.

         4. Allocation of Revenues and Expenses. Notwithstanding the Merger
Agreement, all items of revenue, income, gain, expense, cost, and loss of FGI
and the FGI Subsidiaries (other than the Excluded FGI Entities) received,
realized, paid, or incurred on or after July 1, 1998, shall be allocated to, and
be retained by, ARC. ARC shall pay all operating costs and expenses (including
without limitation all interest on indebtedness and all Taxes), and shall be
entitled to retain all income and revenues, of FGI and the FGI Subsidiaries
(other than the Excluded FGI Entities) received, realized, paid, or incurred
from and after July 1, 1998; provided, however, that



                                        3

   4



ARC shall not be obligated to pay any costs or expenses for which the FGI
Shareholders are required to indemnify the ARC Indemnified Parties under Section
9.2 of the Merger Agreement (as amended hereby), and the provisions of this
Section 4 shall not limit, affect or impair the provisions of Section 9.2 of the
Merger Agreement (as amended hereby).

         5.       Amendment of Section 9.2(b) of the Merger Agreement. The 
following provision is hereby inserted at the end of Section 9.2(b) of the 
Merger Agreement:

                  ; provided, further, that the indemnification by the FGI
                  Shareholders under this Section 9.2(b) for Taxes for the short
                  period covered by the Final Return (but for no other period)
                  shall not include the amount of any income Tax liability that
                  would be reported on hypothetical federal and state tax
                  returns for FGI and the FGI Subsidiaries (other than the
                  Excluded FGI Entities) covering the period beginning on July
                  1, 1998 and ending on the Closing Date (collectively the
                  "Hypothetical July Return"). The income Tax liability on the
                  Hypothetical July Return shall be determined using the
                  following assumptions: (i) that current FGI tax accounting
                  methods and practices are continued; (ii) that the rate of tax
                  applicable to taxable income is the highest marginal rate of
                  tax applicable to taxable income reported on the Final Return;
                  (iii) that the Merger is a tax-free reorganization under
                  Section 368(a)(1)(A) of the Code; and (iv) that income
                  arising, directly or indirectly, from the distribution or
                  transfer of the Excluded Assets is disregarded (as is any
                  charitable contribution deduction arising from such
                  distribution or transfer). Nothing in the foregoing sentence
                  shall diminish, alter, impair or affect the parties'
                  indemnification obligations relating to the tax-free nature of
                  the Merger, any such charitable contribution deduction or any
                  other indemnification provision hereof.

         6.       Adjustment of Merger Consideration. In order to compensate the
FGI Shareholders for any earnings of FGI and the FGI Subsidiaries that they will
forego as a result of the allocations under Section 4 of this Supplemental
Agreement, ARC shall pay to the FGI Shareholders additional cash consideration
as provided in this Section 5 (the "Additional Consideration"). The Additional
Consideration shall be added to, and shall constitute a part of, the Merger
Consideration. The amount of the Additional Consideration shall be determined by
(a) dividing 6.87% by 365, in order to determine a daily rate of interest (the
"Daily Rate"), (b) multiplying the Daily Rate by the cash portion of the Merger
Consideration (other than the Additional Consideration and as adjusted by the
Initial Net Working Capital Adjustment) that is payable to the FGI Shareholders
on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 3.1 of the Merger Agreement, in order to
determine a daily price adjustment, and (c) multiplying the amount of the daily
price adjustment by the number of days within the period running from July 1,
1998, through the date


                                        4

   5



on which such cash portion of the Merger Consideration (as adjusted by the
Initial Net Working Capital Adjustment) is paid to the FGI Shareholders. The
Additional Consideration shall be allocated among and distributed to the FGI
Shareholders in accordance with Schedule 3.1 of the Merger Agreement and shall
be due and payable, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, on the
Closing Date.

         7.       Adjustment of Cash Portion of the Consideration Under 
Companion Securities Purchase Agreements.

                  (a) Section 3.1 of the Merger Agreement is hereby amended by
         deleting the numeral $20,647,951 appearing therein, and inserting in
         its place $20,179,669. As such, the cash portion of the Merger
         Consideration is $20,179,669 before adjustment pursuant to Section 8.7
         of the Merger Agreement as amended hereby, or Section 7(b) below.

                  (b) In order to compensate the partners of the Target
         Entities, other than FGI and the FGI Shareholders (the "Target Entity
         Partners"), for any earnings of the Target Entities that they will
         forego as a result of the allocations under Section 4 of this
         Supplemental Agreement and for the income tax effects of such
         allocations, ARC shall pay to the Target Entity Partners additional
         cash consideration as provided in this Section 7 (the "Additional
         Partner Consideration"). The Additional Partner Consideration shall be
         added to, and shall constitute a part of, the consideration paid to the
         Target Entity Partners under the Companion Securities Purchase
         Agreements. The amount of the Additional Partner Consideration shall be
         determined by (a) multiplying the Daily Rate by the amount of the
         consideration (other than the Additional Partner Consideration) that is
         payable to the Target Entity Partners on the Closing Date pursuant to
         the Companion Securities Purchase Agreements, in order to determine a
         daily price adjustment, and (b) multiplying the amount of the daily
         price adjustment by the number of days within the period running from
         July 1, 1998, through the date on which the consideration is paid to
         the Target Entity Partners under the Companion Securities Purchase
         Agreements. The Additional Partner Consideration shall be due and
         payable, by wire transfers of immediately available funds, on the
         Closing Date.

         8.       Amendment to Section 9.9(a) of the Merger Agreement. Section 
9.9(a) and Exhibit J of the Merger Agreement are hereby deleted in their
entirety. In lieu of said Section 9.9(a) and Exhibit J, the parties have entered
into an Escrow Agreement dated the Closing Date, pursuant to which the FGI
Shareholders have deposited shares of ARC Common Stock with the escrow agent
thereunder for the purposes specified therein.

         9.       Effect of Supplemental Agreement. Except as expressly and
specifically provided in this Supplemental Agreement, the Merger Agreement
continues in full force and effect, without modification.



                                        5

   6



         10.       Counterparts. This Supplemental Agreement may be executed by 
the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and
delivered shall be an original, but all such counterparts shall together
constitute one and the same instrument. Each counterpart may consist of a number
of copies hereof each signed by less than all, but together signed by all, of
the parties hereto.

         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Supplemental
Agreement and caused the same to be duly delivered on their behalf on the day
and year first written above.

                                       AMERICAN RETIREMENT CORPORATION


                                       By: /s/ James T. Money
                                           ----------------------------------- 
                                       Name: James T. Money
                                             ---------------------------------
                                       Title: EVP Dev. Services
                                              --------------------------------


                                       FREEDOM GROUP, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Robert G. Roskamp
                                           ----------------------------------- 
                                       Name: Robert G. Roskamp
                                             ---------------------------------
                                       Title: CEO
                                              --------------------------------


                                       THE FGI SHAREHOLDERS:

                                              /s/ Robert G. Roskamp
                                       ---------------------------------------
                                       ROBERT G. ROSKAMP, individually


                                       PHC, L.L.C., a Michigan limited liability
                                       company

                                       By: /s/ Robert Haveman
                                           ----------------------------------- 
                                       Name: Robert Haveman
                                             ---------------------------------
                                       Title: President/Manager
                                              --------------------------------





                                        6

   7


                                       EDGAR AND ELSA PRINCE FOUNDATION, a
                                       Michigan corporation


                                       By: /s/ Robert Haveman
                                           ----------------------------------- 
                                       Name: Robert Haveman
                                             ---------------------------------
                                       Title: Secretary/Treasurer
                                              --------------------------------






                                        7