When people think about memory care, they often picture residents sitting passively in a room, maybe watching a cooking demonstration or listening to someone read aloud.
In Kisco’s Heirloom Memory Care neighborhoods, we’ve built our approach around a different question: How can we create engagements where every resident – regardless of where they are in their cognitive journey – can actively participate in something meaningful?
Our answer is rooted in peer-reviewed research, Montessori-based principles, and a fundamental belief that engagement should never just be about filling time. It should be purposeful, hands-on, and connected to what matters to each individual resident.
Let’s explore what this looks like in practice and the specific types of engagements you might find in our Heirloom neighborhoods.
RELATED READING: What is Memory Care?
Before diving into specific activities, it’s important to understand the philosophy that shapes everything we do.
Engagements are active, not passive. You won’t often find residents sitting and watching while an associate demonstrates something at the front of the room. Instead, everyone’s around a table together, passing bowls, taking turns, contributing what they can.
Days are purposeful. We’re not just keeping residents busy or “out of our hair.” Each activity has meaning – whether it’s creating something for others, connecting with personal interests and history, or building skills that bring a sense of accomplishment and calm.
Engagements are accessible. We push beyond the idea that someone is “too high acuity” to participate. Instead, we ask: How can we break down the steps? How can we make this dignified and engaging for everyone in the group?
Programming is tailored. Not every community offers every activity every week. What we offer flows from the interests, abilities, and preferences of the residents who are there right now. If someone mentions they’re a history buff, we’ll find other residents who share that passion and pair them up. If we don’t have an activity someone would love, we’ll create one.
The flow of the day is intentional. Our daily rhythm is based on research about what helps people with cognitive conditions thrive: consistency of routine, opportunities for movement, and meaningful engagement that extends beyond quick 30-minute activities.
Now let’s look at some of the specific engagements you might find in our Heirloom neighborhoods and what makes them valuable.
Baking is a beautiful example of how we transform what could be a passive demonstration into something hands-on, connective, and purposeful.
How it works: Instead of one person baking while others watch, residents gather around a table with all the supplies spread out. Everyone takes turns contributing, whether passing the bowl around, adding a cup of flour, or helping grate butter. At our Cedarwood at Sandy community, residents work together on tasks that might be challenging alone. Butter grating, for example, becomes easier and more social when neighbors are all taking turns and helping each other.
Why it’s valuable: This approach uses Montessori principles to make the engagement accessible to residents at all ability levels. Someone further along in their journey can still add an ingredient and feel the satisfaction of contributing. Others who could complete the whole recipe independently still get to be part of a collaborative, social experience. No one is left out.
The engagement expands: While items bake, the group might reminisce about favorite recipes or examine old cooking tools like hand-crank mixers. Sometimes residents decide to bake something for others, such as making cookies for the neighborhood or dog biscuits for a local shelter. After baking, they’ll package them up, write notes, and deliver them. It’s not just about the act of baking or staying busy for a few hours; it’s about connection, contribution, and seeing something through to its natural conclusion.
Art engagements can be incredibly meaningful for residents with cognitive conditions, but only when they’re set up thoughtfully.
How it works: At communities like The Preston of Rockville, residents regularly participate in watercolor sessions. Some are very active painters, and others may be naturally less engaged. The key is using real watercolor paper rather than printer paper, as it feels more elevated and is more elevated. For residents who were artists earlier in life, this matters. It’s the real, right stuff.
For residents who need additional support, associates secure the paper to the table with low-tack painter’s tape. This helps hold it in place and also helps residents distinguish the edge of their painting area. When someone is having difficulty recognizing the brush or getting started, associates break down the steps and build in simple choices: “Let’s pick out which brush you’d like.” Each small step activates participation and pulls residents into the engagement.
Why it’s valuable: This activity honors residents’ dignity by providing professional-quality materials and gentle, respectful support. The creative process itself can be calming and centering. For some, it’s a connection to their identity as an artist. For others, it’s simply the satisfaction of making something beautiful with their hands.
At Crestavilla, life enrichment associate Yvette has turned card making into something truly special.
How it works: Residents create greeting cards for neighbors who are unwell, for those celebrating birthdays, or for other meaningful occasions. Yvette facilitates by making the activity accessible – breaking down tasks, reminding everyone of the bigger purpose, and prompting conversations: “Tell me about a time when you didn’t feel well and someone reached out to you.”
The engagement isn’t focused on the craft itself; it’s focused on the humanity and connection behind it. Residents aren’t just making cards to stay busy, they’re creating something that will comfort a neighbor or celebrate someone they care about.
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Why it’s valuable: This activity gives residents a sense of purpose and contribution. They’re doing something that matters beyond themselves. It also creates opportunities for reminiscence and storytelling as residents reflect on times they’ve given or received comfort from others.
The engagement expands: Twice a year, Crestavilla hosts a community marketplace where handmade items, including packets of cards created by residents, are sold. Proceeds go to charities like Homes of Hope and the Alzheimer’s Association. Residents see their work valued by others and know their efforts are supporting important causes. The craft items consistently sell out.
At Abbotswood at Irving Park, the reading group offers a creative twist on a classic activity.
How it works: Rather than having someone read aloud while residents listen passively, this group reads together. Residents take turns reading short stories aloud to each other. What makes it special is that associates use AI to create stories that include residents’ names and details about their lives. For example, their love of gardening or their favorite hobbies.
Why it’s valuable: When a resident hears their own name or sees a detail about their life woven into the story, something shifts. They light up, and often their friends notice and smile. It brings them back into the engagement if they’ve been struggling to stay focused. Knowing their turn is coming helps residents remain attentive rather than drifting away.
This approach honors the retained ability to read aloud that many residents maintain, as long as they’re set up for success with the right content, font size, and support. It also creates moments of personal recognition and connection that feel meaningful and centering.
One of our most touching initiatives comes from Balfour at Louisville, where the team created Memory Box Family Nights.
How it works: The community invites families to bring meaningful photos of their loved one, such as images from earlier in life, important events, and cherished people and places. Together, families and residents look through the photos. Family members ask the resident about each image and write down one or two sentences describing it in the resident’s own words. Each page goes into a screen protector, creating a personalized Heirloom Guide for that resident.
Why it’s valuable: These guides give residents something they can flip through independently, reading about their own lives in their own words. Visiting family members, friends, or even associates can use the guide as a bridge to connection. When families struggle with what to talk about during visits, especially as cognitive changes progress, these guides offer something real to share and discuss.
After one Memory Box Family Night, the community’s leader shared a moment that captured the power of this engagement: A family member who had flown in from Texas specifically for the event pulled her aside with tears in his eyes, thanking the team for creating these moments. He said he couldn’t wait to add more to his loved one’s memory box during his now-monthly visits.
The event itself brought together associates, residents, and families who hadn’t visited in a long time. Sons- and daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and great-nieces – it felt like a reunion. The room was full of laughter and connection as people sat side-by-side, not just helping residents but really being with them and learning about who they are through their photos and stories.
The engagement expands: Beyond the initial creation, these guides become tools for connection. They help families navigate meaningful visits even when other forms of conversation become challenging. They honor each resident’s history and give everyone – from new associates to visiting relatives – a window into the beautiful, full life that person has lived.
Not every engagement needs to be a group activity. Sometimes the most meaningful support comes from recognizing what a specific person needs in a specific moment.
How it works: Some communities create personalized engagement kits for residents based on their interests and what brings them comfort. During the Memory Box Family Night at Balfour Louisville, the team invited families to help build these kits using items meaningful to their person.
For residents experiencing sundowning in the late afternoon, for example, some might find comfort in choir music and group singing. For others, that’s too stimulating. A resident who loves bees and plants might find calm in a sorting and matching activity focused on those interests, such as organizing by color, matching images, or other gentle, purposeful tasks.
Why it’s valuable: These activities honor what’s meaningful and comforting to each individual. Sorting and matching engagements, grounded in Montessori principles, can give residents a sense of accomplishment, focus, and calm. When someone is able to successfully complete a task, it builds confidence and provides comfort. The purpose isn’t just “keeping busy;” it’s about giving that specific person what they need to feel centered and capable in that moment.
Sometimes residents in the same neighborhood have very different interests or needs at the same time.
How it works: While one group might be engaged in a card-making activity, another resident who doesn’t want to participate in that particular craft might prefer something else entirely. Our associates offer parallel programming – whether that’s a sorting activity, a one-on-one conversation, or a different hands-on engagement.
Why it’s valuable: This approach recognizes that not everyone will love every activity, and that’s okay. A well-curated day honors both group dynamics and individual preferences. Some residents want to participate in multiple group activities from morning to bedtime. Others prefer more solitude with just one group engagement per day. Our team assesses what’s standard for each person and helps them achieve the level of social connection and stimulation that feels right to them.
When visiting memory care communities, pay attention to how engagements actually unfold.
The right memory care community will see your loved one as a whole person. We know that all of our residents have a rich history, specific interests, retained abilities, and an ongoing need for purpose, dignity, and connection. Engagements should reflect that understanding every single day.
The cognitive journey is hard. We won’t pretend otherwise. But at Kisco, we believe there’s so much we can do to help individuals feel more whole, more valued, and more engaged in lives that continue to matter. These engagements aren’t just activities – they’re expressions of that commitment, brought to life through the hands and hearts of our dedicated team members who walk alongside residents and families every step of the way.more engaged in lives that continue to matter. These engagements aren’t just activities—they’re expressions of that commitment, brought to life through the hands and hearts of our dedicated team members who walk alongside residents and families every step of the way.
Disclaimer: Information provided above may vary by community. We encourage you to speak directly with each Senior Living community to confirm specific details and ensure the community is the right fit for your individual needs and preferences.
