The Preston of Rockville has debuted a new memory care model for their memory care neighborhood, created by owner, Kisco Senior Living. The program is grounded in scientific research and Montessori-based principles.
The Carlsbad, California-based operator launched Heirloom Memory Care program in 2024, a program that is meant to take a personalized approach to memory care with increased staff training, employee retention and culture. The program also draws on brain health research and emphasizes building empathy among staff who care for people experiencing cognitive decline.
The program incorporates proven engagement methods and clinical interventions to align with brain health research, bringing intentionality to operations while fostering community and empowerment for residents to destigmatize memory care, according to Kisco Senior Living National Director of Memory Care Brenda Gurung.
While crafting the new program, Kisco leaders invited department heads from across operations to design and develop Heirloom, Gurung noted.
“Every part of this program is based on peer-reviewed research,” Gurung said. “Even though it was our innovative and interdisciplinary ideas that came forward, we also balanced that with proven brain health research.”
The overhaul includes Montessori-based principles, which focus on what the person can still do while offering programming that includes “meaningful tasks” tied to a resident’s identity, life experiences and skills. “We chose the Montessori approach because it works across all our teams—from engagement and care delivery to responding to behavioral needs—and it supports our goal of breaking stigma and reimagining the dementia journey,” Gurung said. “We want to focus on abilities rather than losses.”
This approach to changing memory care “equally uplifts” staff and residents, so Kisco invests in employees to improve retention and create leadership pipelines for experienced staff seeking careers in memory care. Across their memory care neighborhoods, Kisco features a significant investment in memory care leaders and key associates: certifying them as Montessori Dementia Care Professionals and VDT Facilitators, as well as training using Kisco’s own proprietary curriculum.
To enhance programming and lifestyle engagement for residents, Kisco leaders looked to over 100 peer-reviewed research articles on topics from purposeful engagement to behavioral expressions, environment, culinary practices, specific dementia diagnoses and personhood. Two of these studies provide good news about the positive impact of lifestyle changes: the U.S. Pointer study by the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Ornish study. The studies measured the impact of positive lifestyle changes, to reduce the risk of developing dementia, and to improve the lived experience of people with dementia.
“This was intentional within Heirloom: a core belief of ours is that individuals on a dementia journey are whole, not broken,” Gurung said.
The program includes a proprietary training curriculum based on science-backed research to help staff better serve residents and destigmatize memory care. It creates an “immersive training experience” with practical tools that staff learn alongside established Montessori courses, Gurung noted.
Inside the company’s memory care neighborhoods, Kisco expanded roles with dedicated life enrichment staff and specialized memory care leaders. Gurung said. “We invest in Life Enrichment associates and in our Heirloom Leaders, because engagement matters and because we value our associates so much.”
Gurung said the future of memory care requires a philosophical shift that prioritizes dignity, holistic support and meaningful daily experiences for residents, as well as investment in associates. To further improve services and care, she said operators must strengthen business management and associate retention to improve stability in memory care environments.
“One of our Heirloom leaders, Mariah Griffin, says, ’Memory Care is not just a job for me: it’s a calling.’ This is important work – I would call it sacred work,” Gurung said.
