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Our Communities That Shine Awards program celebrates senior living communities that use innovative strategies to help residents live with purpose, passion, and joy. Our winner spotlight series highlights one award winner at a time, sharing what makes their community shine.
In this spotlight, we’re featuring Esplanade of Woodmere, winner of the Brilliance in Person-Centered Care Award, for creating meaningful memory care experiences rooted in each resident’s interests, history, relationships, and emotional needs.
Key outcomes
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Greater visibility into resident preferences and participation helps staff provide more intentional, individualized engagement.
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Family involvement through shared photos and updates supports connection and a sense of fulfillment.
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Familiar music, trivia, puzzles, and reminiscence-based content help spark memories, conversations, and participation.
Congratulations on winning the Brilliance in Person-Centered Care Award! What does person-centered care look like at Esplanade of Woodmere?
For us, person-centered care begins with seeing the individual beyond their diagnosis.
Every resident comes to us with their own story, interests, relationships, and ways of connecting. Our role is to learn what brings each person comfort and joy, then use that understanding throughout the day—not just during scheduled activities.
Sometimes that means gathering a group around familiar music or a lively trivia game. Other times, it means sitting quietly with one resident and looking through family photos. What matters is taking time to make sure each resident feels known, valued, and included.
How do you personalize engagement for residents living with memory loss?
We use a mix of trivia, brain games, puzzles, nostalgic music, and reminiscence-based content, then pay attention to what resonates with each resident.
One person might light up when they hear a familiar song from their era. Another might respond to a word game or a question that invites them to share a story from earlier in life. These moments can spark long-term memories and open the door to conversation, even for residents who don’t always respond to traditional programming.
We also look at residents’ preferences and participation patterns so we can invite them into experiences that align with their interests and engage them more intentionally.
Family photos seem to play an important role in that approach. Can you tell us more?
One of the most impactful pieces of technology we’ve added is the Connection Portal in LifeLoop, where families upload photos of themselves, meaningful moments, and even family pets.
We use these photos during one-on-one engagement to help residents feel grounded and emotionally connected. Showing a resident a photo of their child, grandchild, or dog often brings comfort, recognition, and a sense of familiarity, especially during moments of anxiety or confusion.
Those photos help us bring each resident’s life and relationships into the community. It's simple, but the emotional connection they create through photo sharing can be incredibly meaningful.
How does sharing residents’ daily experiences help their families feel more connected?
Families often tell us how meaningful it is to see their loved one smiling, participating, and spending time with others. Those glimpses into daily life provide reassurance that their loved one is not isolated and is being thoughtfully engaged.
Updates also help families have better conversations during calls and visits. Instead of wondering what to talk about, they can ask about a recent program, photo, or moment they saw. Staff can reference those experiences too, helping families begin visits with something familiar and positive.
This can be especially helpful in memory care, where family members may sometimes feel uncertain about how to connect. A recent photo, activity, or shared memory gives everyone a natural place to start.
You’ve said engagement at Esplanade isn’t treated as just a scheduled activity. What does that mean in practice?
Engagement is part of how we approach the entire day.
It can be a group program, but it can also be a quiet conversation, a shared laugh, a familiar song, or taking the time to redirect and reassure someone during a difficult moment. Those interactions may not appear on an activity calendar, but they are often the moments that make residents feel most seen.
Our staff members take the time to listen and connect in ways that honor each resident’s story. LifeLoop helps us capture and share those moments, but it’s the people behind the technology who make them meaningful.
How has this approach affected residents’ sense of purpose and belonging?
Residents love seeing themselves and their peers in photos and activity recaps, and we’ve found that this recognition often encourages them to participate again.
Planning engagement programming based on residents’ unique histories also gives residents opportunities to reconnect with lifelong interests and skills. A discussion or familiar piece of music may inspire someone to share a story, guide the conversation, or take on an informal leadership role within the group.
These moments reinforce that residents have lots of experiences, knowledge, and ideas to contribute to their community. And that sense of contribution is a critical part of their purpose and emotional well-being.
What makes Esplanade of Woodmere shine?
Compassion, intention, and the belief that every resident deserves to feel known.
Our team is intentional about creating moments of joy, purpose, and dignity, especially for residents living with memory loss.
Overall, our community shines because we combine compassionate staff, thoughtful engagement, and supportive technology to create a place where residents feel valued, families feel connected, and care is truly person-centered.
Love hearing these community stories? Visit Senior Living Heroes for more stories from passionate life enrichment professionals about how they help residents rediscover purpose, connect with their community, and live with joy.
