Juniper Communities is making progress in its goal to have all staff within the company’s Wellspring memory care program this year trained as certified dementia practitioners (CDP).
Bloomfield, New Jersey-based Juniper manages 15 memory care communities with its Wellspring program focusing on brain health, wellness and support for older adults living with dementia and cognitive change. The program is built on three pillars, staff training, environment and programs with personalized services, according to Regional Director Liz Plozner-Chalfa.
In September, Lisa Hakenberg, who serves as the staff development coordinator at the company’s Juniper Village at Brookline Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing community, earned a certified dementia practitioner (CDP) “Train-the-Trainer” certification that will pave the way for Juniper to train all memory care staff with expanded dementia education and on-the-job training.
The new CDP program is offered to all staff and includes an eight-hour, 13-module training focused on person-centered dementia care. The program aims to improve care quality, safety and support for families as the company reacts to a shift in memory care operations that includes early detection and personalized dementia care, Plozner-Chalfa told Senior Housing News.
“They will train, they will mentor, they will promote consistent approaches to build confidence for working with individuals living with dementia and their families. So obviously, we’re going to be looking at increasing care needs, but also improving safety, dignity and quality of life,” Plozner-Chalfa added.
The renewed focus on training in memory care will help create continuity of care, along with adding consistency in ongoing staff education amid strong demand for memory care services today, she said. It was important to expand the program to all memory care staff to give all employees the confidence and skills needed to support older adults living with dementia and cognitive change, Plozner-Chalfa said.
“It’s intensive to make everyone have that CDP certification in memory care, but it’s a great opportunity for consistency to walk the walk and talk the talk, making sure that we have the entire team have the knowledge and understanding of working with individuals with dementia and their families,” Plozner-Chalfa said. “They feel more confident as well, and it’s very empowering for them to know that they are handling those situations and what to do in those types of situations as well.”
This “holistic approach” to staff training in memory care will help improve communication, support and give staff confidence for handling the situations they face working in memory care communities today, she added.
As memory care demand grows, Plozner-Chalfa sees memory care operations evolving to focus on personalizing services for older adults living with dementia and taking an approach to resident engagement that focuses on autonomy, purpose and choice.
Finding the “right staff” in memory care remains difficult in 2026, requiring empathy, passion and patience, she added.
“We want to make sure we’re hiring the right individuals and then training them properly,” Plozner-Chalfa said. “We’re viewing the CDP program as career growth as well, and we want it to be a specialty.”
The company’s Juniper Future Leaders program is open to staff to grow their role within the organization and advance up the organizational chart, and including memory care within that framework is important to finding the next generation of memory care leaders, Plozner-Chalfa noted.
In the past, the “old model” of memory care focused on secure and clinical-based environments, but the memory care sector is evolving to emphasize personalization, evidence-based care practices and incorporating multifaceted lifestyle choices that influence brain health, including exercise, nutrition, cognitive engagement and social interaction, Plozner-Chalfa said.
To destigmatize memory care, Juniper created memory care cafes and support groups for families of older adults navigating the emotional and challenging time of supporting a loved one with dementia. In the last few years, Juniper and other providers have noted seeing younger older adults enter memory care with early-onset dementia or signs of cognitive change, making caregiver and family support important components to the company’s ongoing emphasis on staff training, Plozner-Chalfa said.
“In my opinion, the strongest memory care providers will be the ones that combine wellness with humanity and return to true person-centered care, grounded in dignity and respect,” she added. “That means using approaches that are never infantilizing, always honoring residents as adults with their own interests and abilities, and preserving their autonomy as much as possible instead of reflexively taking things away out of fear of what might happen.”
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