Senior living providers are adapting to evolving operating conditions in memory care while adding more programming, lifestyle and engagement services to help residents thrive.
Memory care residents have growing needs and the operators that serve them say those needs are growing ever-more acute in the years to come.
Memory care operators are using evidence-based, research-supported tactics that include more non-pharmacological approaches than in the past to improve the lives of residents living in memory care communities today. They are building tech-enabled processes to detect when cognitive changes occur so they can support residents even earlier in their memory care journeys.
“The resident that lives with us today is very different from the person that was with us 10 years ago, and we are able to care for and support greater clinical needs,” said Senior Resource Group Vice President of Memory Care Melissa Dillon.
Leaders with Solana Beach, California-based SRG have expanded the company’s Enliven memory care program, acquiring new communities while occupancy within its memory care segment remains well above 90%. Dillon, who was promoted to vice president of memory care last year, is helping to improve staff dementia training and broaden the company’s program to bring more shared programming to those living in memory care.
Other senior living providers, including Goodwin Living, Kisco Senior Living and Maplewood Senior Living, are transforming their respective memory care operations to meet future demand and provide more enriched living experiences for older adults experiencing cognitive change.
The changing profile of memory care residents
Rising acuity is impacting all levels of senior living operations, including beyond memory care in independent living and assisted living. Senior living providers have responded to these new pressures by updating staff training, expanding programming options and exploring new partnerships with third-party organizations including health systems and universities to better serve older adults living with cognitive change.
Memory care residents in 2026 are coming to senior living communities “more medically complex and more fragile” than in the past, along with there being diversity in residents’ education and cultural backgrounds, according to Maplewood Senior Living Corporate Director of Memory Care Adena McGowan.
Westport, Connecticut-based Maplewood Senior Living has upgraded its memory care program with a focus on cognitive health interventions and personalizing resident engagement. This year, Maplewood announced a partnership with a clinical neuropsychologist to integrate brain health science into daily operations. The company also recently launched an assisted living-to-memory care transitional care level, known as Aura, to facilitate smoother transitions for residents and their families as acuity levels change.
Clinical complexities in memory care will always exist, and operators must find ways to navigate these challenges. In 2026, memory care providers must focus on a resident’s abilities rather than their deficits or loss of ability, according to Brenda Gurung, the national director of memory care services for Kisco Senior Living.
“We’re also seeing a broader archetype of the individual on the dementia journey, so we’re seeing people who are living with younger-onset dementia and a wider complexity of types of dementia diagnoses,” Gurung said. “We’re definitely seeing a change in the person themselves, in their families or families of choice and their expectations for not just good care delivery, but purpose and meaning.”
Based in Carlsbad, California, Kisco Senior Living is expanding its Heirloom memory care program that is built on peer-reviewed brain health research and Montessori principles to support greater personalization for residents living in memory care. Kisco Senior Living also is investing more heavily in staff training, retention and leadership development, including proprietary instruction and Montessori dementia care certifications aimed at improving care delivery and reducing stigma around cognitive decline.
Some older adults today cannot afford senior living services, and reaching those living on their own is critical to supporting healthy aging, according to Jessica Fredericksen, the senior director of Goodwin Brain Health at Goodwin Living.
To reach more older adults, regardless of whether they are in a senior living community, Alexandria, Virginia-based nonprofit provider Goodwin Living is focused on growing its StrongerMemory program, a module of daily tasks like reading aloud and numeracy aimed at reducing and preventing early cognitive decline. The program is based on findings from Tohoku University neuroscientist Ryuta Kawashima, who is known for developing the “Brain Age” series of cognitive training games for the Nintendo DS.
Brain health, cognition and early detection critical for evolving memory care
To identify cognitive change earlier, Maplewood Senior Living overhauled its assessment process to identify cognitive decline sooner, which has allowed communities to put in place care plans and lifestyle interventions more quickly, McGowan said.
To elevate programming, Maplewood has made changes to its lifestyle and programming opportunities for memory care residents, emphasizing physical activity and offering “lifelong learning opportunities” to spur engagement with programming that is appropriately adapted for the setting. The company’s Tides and Aura programs focus on individuals in early stage dementia, offering activities, social engagement and opportunities to maintain independence, while the Currents and Oceana programs provide more specialized support for more advanced dementia diagnoses.
These transition programs have built better trust with families and provided better education to make transitions smoother and less stressful, McGowan said.
Through the StrongerMemory program, Goodwin Living is able to pair early interventions with more traditional assessments and diagnostic tests to improve brain health of residents inside and outside of its communities. The program is free and available in multiple languages for download by caregivers and older adults.
“Things like StrongerMemory can really come in hand and be a side-by-side asset alongside a clinical or diagnostic detection tool,” Fredericksen said.
Creating inclusivity in memory care must be intentionally done, and operators must consider the types of programming being offered in communities to determine if they meet residents’ needs or risk residents becoming bored and expressing their emotions accordingly.
To expand the reach of StrongerMemory, Goodwin Living had the modules translated into eight different languages, and the organization also relies on partnerships to create meaningful programming for residents. For example, Goodwin Living has created a social adult day model in memory care to get residents out in their local communities safely, offering events like a chocolate factory tour or partnering with local volunteer organizations to enrich the lives of older adults living in memory care.
By integrating technology into operations, Kisco memory care staff can spend more time with residents and focus on building connection and fostering empathy. The company’s Heirloom program focuses on “retained abilities and positive triggers” for activating memories and positive responses from residents, Gurung said.
By investing in frontline leaders, Kisco is able to provide a clinical and cultural framework for responding to a memory care resident expressing their emotions, often referred to as behavioral expression in memory care. In practice, this means creating activities like card-making classes for charitable causes or using AI-personalized stories read aloud to residents that feature them by name. Creating “ritualized cues” like a warm towel at mealtimes is also important for establishing structure and routine in memory care operations today, Gurung noted.
SRG relies on business intelligence dashboards to analyze data from the company’s electronic health record and engagement platform to understand patterns in residents’ activities and lifestyles to better support them. The company is piloting fall detection technology into its technology suite to better care for older adults experiencing cognitive change.
“Staff can look at one dashboard and then share with us the results on what we should do differently moving forward,” Dillon said.
Beyond back-end changes, SRG has overhauled memory care programming to focus on a resident’s current capabilities to improve daily life. For example, Enliven staff are present assisting an older adult who golfed before moving into a memory care community by supporting them on the community’s putting green.
“This approach is rooted in a ‘yes’ mentality. Our Longevity Clubs with Growing Bolder launched with a ‘Say Yes’ campaign that reinforces this mindset. Equality and equity are different, and both matter,” Dillon said.