The Memory Care Innovation program is designed to recognize passionate and innovative industry members who are shaping the future of cognitive care across behavioral health, home health and home care, hospice and palliative care, senior housing, and skilled nursing. To see this year’s inaugural Memory Care Innovation Award winners, visit https://innovation.memorycarebusiness.com/.

To become a Memory Care Innovation Award winner, an individual is nominated by their peers. The candidate must be a high-performing employee who knows how to put vision into action, and serve as an advocate for those living with memory-related disorders, and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.

This week, Memory Care Business corresponded with Kaitlin Reilly, who is the corporate director of cognitive wellbeing at Acts Retirement-Life Communities. She spoke about how important education is for workers in the industry, and balancing safety versus innovation in memory care.

What drew you to working in memory care?

Working with older adults has always been one of my biggest passions; especially working with people living with cognitive change. I couldn’t really imagine doing anything else. I find working in memory care to be very meaningful and fulfilling work. What draws me to memory care is helping people living with cognitive change continue to find joy and meaning in their lives, learning from them, and sharing meaningful moments and recognizing how valuable these moments are.

People living with cognitive change are often written off by society, advocating and caring for this population has become even more of a passion for me because of this. And also helping to educate their families and caregivers that their loved one is still there, living with cognitive change and helping them to look for and embrace this new reality. This is really what drew and continues to draw me to work in memory care.

What’s your biggest lesson learned since starting to work in memory care?

My biggest lesson learned since starting to work in memory care is how critical continuous education is for our care teams, our caregivers/families, and for society at large.

Education regarding memory care cannot be a once-and-done thing — we need ongoing training and education to effectively and empathetically support individuals living with cognitive change and dispel stigma and bias about dementia. I’ve also learned how quality memory care education can positively impact our perceptions and interactions with individuals living with cognitive change in meaningful ways.

If you could change one thing with an eye toward the future of memory care, what would it be?

Creating a completely inclusive experience for people living with cognitive change in an effort to break down the stigma often associated with dementia/memory care. Additionally, finding creative and innovative ways to help support people living with cognitive change in their current environment where they feel most comfortable and can live their most authentic and fulfilled lives.

What is the biggest obstacle to being innovative in memory care, and how do you try to overcome that obstacle?

I think the biggest obstacle is balancing safety versus innovation in memory care. Historically, we have always focused on keeping people living with dementia safe and protected (which is certainly a valid concern).

However, we often focus more on safety and less on thinking outside the box and exploring new and innovative ways to provide memory care services to individuals living with cognitive change. I think overcoming this obstacle involves a balancing act between safety and innovation, acknowledging that there may be some risk, and truly exploring how we can deliver innovative, person-centered, meaningful memory care to individuals living with cognitive change.

In a word, how would you describe the future of memory care?

While not one word, I would describe the future of memory care as embracing joy, meaning, and possibility.

What quality must all Memory Care Innovation Award winners possess?

I think we must all possess genuine empathy, to truly be able to step into both the shoes and the world of people living with cognitive change as well as their families and caregivers. There is a lot of joy in memory care but there are also challenges and difficulties that individuals living with cognitive change and their families experience and having that empathetic and compassionate awareness is so critical.

If you could give advice to yourself looking back to your first day in the industry, what would it be and why?

Something that I think about every day is that my work should always be about (and for) the residents. We often get caught up in our roles, responsibilities, challenges, and various stressors within the industry. However, if we continuously focus our meaning and purpose on making life better for residents living with cognitive change, we will always find meaning and purpose in our work.