Memory Care in Reston Designed Around Your Loved One

Quick Answer: The Kensington Reston provides memory care in Reston, Virginia, for every stage of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Three neighborhoods, The Kensington Club, Connections, and Haven, offer specialized support as needs change. With licensed nurses on-site 24 hours a day and an enhanced license, residents can age in place without moving again.

“To make a difference in someone’s life you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect. You have to care.” – Mandy Hale

A caring, differentiated community designed to enrich seniors’ lives facing memory loss as a result of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

If you’re just beginning this search, you don’t have to sort it out alone. You can talk with our team about your loved one’s needs, with no pressure and no obligation.

Three Neighborhoods of Memory Care at The Kensington Reston

Few things are more challenging than watching a loved one deal with memory loss due to Alzheimer’s or dementia. We find that the effects of memory loss typically reach far beyond your loved one, impacting the lives of family, friends, and caregivers. However, there are still many beautiful moments ahead for you and your loved one.

Our goal is to help residents and families treasure those moments and get the most from them while providing a safe, enriching, and peaceful home for your loved one. Families come to us from across Fairfax County and Northern Virginia, including Herndon, Vienna, Oakton, McLean, Great Falls, and Sterling.

Specialized Care for a Very Special Person, Your Loved One

Since Alzheimer’s and dementia affect every individual differently, we specialize in customized care that emphasizes independence and self-sufficiency as much as possible. While we’re always there, ready to assist as needed, we strive to ensure that each resident can live as independently as their circumstances allow.

To enable this goal, we offer on-site rehabilitation services aimed at fostering independent living. You can have the peace of mind and confidence of knowing that your loved one is in capable, professional hands at all times.

The care we provide also extends to clinical services with full-time registered nurses who coordinate comprehensive nursing and medical care for each resident. Our team of licensed nurses also provides medication administration 24 hours a day.

But the best therapy of all is keeping families close at hand. We encourage family and friends to be as involved and present as possible and to lean on us for support whenever necessary. We know that by sharing caregiving responsibility, families are freer to enjoy the time they spend with their loved ones.

We also offer The Kensington Club, available to loved ones prior to joining us in one of our memory care neighborhoods. It’s a bridge to the next level of care, designed especially for assisted living residents when mild forgetfulness has begun to interfere with a resident’s daily life.

When Home Care May No Longer Be Enough

As dementia progresses, there often comes a point when love alone can’t cover every need. It may be time to consider memory care if you notice:

• Wandering, or getting lost in once-familiar places
• Missed, doubled, or mismanaged medications
• Agitation or confusion in the late afternoon, often called sundowning
• Changes in hygiene, eating, or weight
• Safety scares involving the stove, driving, or falls
• Your own exhaustion, sleepless nights, or declining health

Recognizing these signs isn’t a failure. It’s often the most loving decision a family can make. If you’re the one providing care right now, this guide to caregiver support in Reston can lighten the load while you weigh next steps.

How Memory Care Differs from Assisted Living

Families ask us this question every week, and the answer depends on your loved one’s daily needs.

• Assisted living supports seniors who need help with daily tasks but remain cognitively steady
• Memory care adds secure neighborhoods, dementia-trained team members, and structured programming built for cognitive change
• At The Kensington Reston, both live under one roof, so care deepens without another move

Not sure where your loved one lands? Call us at (571) 494-8100 and we’ll help you think it through together.

Additional Online Memory Care Resources for Family Members

Memory loss is a complex condition that not only affects your loved one, but also impacts the entire family. There are extensive resources and support available to help you better understand the progression of this disease.

The Kensington Reston wants to help support you as you research how to provide the best care and environment for your loved one experiencing memory loss.

Here are a few resources we recommend:

• Alzheimer’s Association
• Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center (1-800-438-4380)
• Alzheimer’s “Online Community”
• Caregiver Action Network
• National Alliance for Caregiving
• National Family Caregivers Association

For families navigating a new diagnosis closer to home, these local dementia resources in Reston can be a steady starting point.

Customized Levels of Care

Memory care is most effective when the resident’s degree of memory loss is considered in designing their unique memory care program. To further enhance this experience, The Kensington Reston also considers the needs and preferences of the entire family.

Differentiated memory care is achieved through our three distinct “neighborhoods,” where our residents call home.

Regardless of which neighborhood becomes the best fit for your loved one, all three are cozy, intimate, and secure. Each neighborhood has a professionally trained team ready to meet your loved ones where they are. We help residents and families find ways to enjoy the beauty of their precious times, even if only moments. We honor the past, savor the present while looking towards a manageable, engaging, and comfortable future.

The Kensington Club

Our experience has shown that memory loss is as unique as each resident we serve. Although the progression of decline is often predictable, its pace and how it affects individuals are not. So, we strive to “catch” telltale symptoms as early as possible and then take immediate, personalized steps to preserve existing cognitive ability.

Our unique early-stage memory care program for new and current assisted living residents experiencing mild changes in cognition. It features a strong relationship-based focus, peer support, sensory movement and family participation. Our professionally trained team provides individualized support that increases resident confidence, comfort and trust.

The Kensington Club provides an environment where residents can interact and engage together through activities and specialized programming. With this loving and supporting group, this approach allows seniors to make new connections in a positive setting. This is an opportunity for caregivers to recharge and refresh as it provides them peace of mind knowing that their loved ones are in caring, capable hands.

The Kensington Club Resident

• Is in the early stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s
• May be experiencing increased anxiety, fear of getting lost, and lapses in memory
• May be having difficulty with daily tasks without cueing and reminders
• May wander and become easily confused with familiar places and tasks

The Kensington Club Neighborhood

• Is a cozy small-group environment, allowing seniors to make new connections in a positive setting
• Is filled with expressive arts, music therapies, brain wellness, cognitive exercises, and learning experiences
• Body movement programs, such as yoga, tai chi and dance
• Outings to local museums, restaurants and parks
• Discussions, educational workshops, guest lectures, as well as resident and family caregiver support groups

To learn more about this specialized programming, explore The Kensington Club and inquire for more information.

Connections

Connections is our neighborhood for early to middle-stage Alzheimer’s and dementia care. It’s designed specifically for residents who show increasing signs of memory loss but still retain a significant degree of independence. Our goal is to help residents remain engaged in activities that give meaning and purpose to their lives.

Your loved one may be experiencing increased anxiety, fear of getting lost, isolation, and even depression before transitioning to assisted living. They may be having difficulty with daily tasks without reminders, causing them to become frustrated and lose confidence. They may also wander and become agitated in the late afternoon or early evening, as the sun goes down.

Connections provides a fully-secured environment to maximize safety, in an intimate, elegant, yet comfortable living space that fosters calm and comfort. The neighborhood has porches, a patio, and garden areas to enable residents to enjoy fresh air and sunshine freely. In our memory care neighborhoods, we also offer state-of-the-art wander management technology to manage residents’ whereabouts while allowing them to move freely.

The Connections Resident

• Is in the early to middle stages of dementia
• May be experiencing increased anxiety, fear of getting lost, isolation, and depression
• May be having difficulty with daily tasks without cueing and reminders, resulting in frustration and lack of confidence
• May wander and become agitated in late afternoon or early evening due to sundowning

The Connections Neighborhood

• Is cozy, intimate, and fully secured, with direct outdoor terrace access
• Is filled with the happy sounds and smells of home such as bread baking, music, laughter, and pets
• Has separate living, dining, café, entertainment, and program spaces

Haven

In our neighborhood for middle to late-stage Alzheimer’s and dementia, residents may be experiencing difficulty recognizing family and friends, organizing thoughts, and managing the activities of daily living. They may require assistance to maintain their appearance and good hygiene, as well as managing incontinence. Wandering and agitation may become more pronounced. Residents in this neighborhood receive a higher level of assistance and care.

Our goal is to maximize comfort, minimize agitation, and soothe compassionately. We also strive to offer residents opportunities to become involved in tailored activities in ways that are enriching and meaningful. The Haven neighborhood provides cozy and intimate living spaces that enable residents to explore safely and freely. There’s lots of natural light and a fully secure outdoor terrace to create a cheerful environment.

The neighborhood features an adaptive design, including painted walls and doors, motion sensors, specially designed carpet, and memory boxes, to help recognize and minimize confusion. We also make sure the kitchen is filled with happy sounds and smells of home, such as bread baking, music, laughter, and soft voices to soothe and please the senses. Many families find it helpful to understand what late-stage dementia care in Reston looks like day to day.

The Haven Resident

• Is in the middle to late stages of dementia
• Has difficulty recognizing family and friends, organizing thoughts and managing the activities of daily living
• Requires assistance to maintain appearance and good hygiene and to prevent incontinence
• May wander and become agitated in late afternoon or early evening due to sundowning
• May exhibit challenging behaviors

The Haven Neighborhood

• Offers a fully secured environment with lots of natural light
• Is cozy and intimate with living spaces that enable residents to wander safely and freely
• Has secured and dedicated outdoor space that residents can freely access
• Is filled with the happy sounds and smells of home such as bread baking, music, laughter and pets

If you have questions about the care our team at The Kensington Reston can provide, please don’t wait to get in touch with us.

Four Floor Plans for You to Choose From

You and your loved one can select one of four luxury suite floor plans available in our memory care neighborhoods, that will work best for your loved one’s needs and preferences. You can choose single or companion living, and pets are always welcome as members of The Kensington family.

Life Enrichment Programs

The Kensington Reston offers an ever-changing calendar of events to residents seven days a week, from morning till evening. An active social life is a great way to make the days interesting, but there are benefits to the companionship that reach far beyond keeping busy. We provide your loved one the following:

• The Kensington Reston care team specializes in memory care, in collaboration with a dedicated Director of Memory Care
• Individualized service plans built around personal wants and physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual needs
• Comprehensive and ongoing caregiver and team member training geared toward memory care
• Regular family nights and support groups
• Pocket Programming to enable each resident to participate in small-group activities based on their interests and abilities

Community Partnerships

The Kensington Reston upholds collaboration and partnership programs between our community and several exceptional outside organizations.

Our health and well-being philosophy for enriching the lives of all of our residents is to pursue the prevention of disease processes instead of merely reacting to decline. With our development of strong relationships with exceptional partners, we’ve brought innovative wellness programs, the latest industry research, and advanced support services to our residents.

Our life enrichment programming is made even stronger with various local partnerships with outside organizations. By developing meaningful relationships with local partners, we are able to offer extensive music, art, and wellness programs to our residents.

• Insight Memory Care Center. A non-profit adult day health and resource center providing specialized care, support, and education for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other memory impairments, their families, caregivers, and the community. Through this collaboration, the Kensington Reston is able to offer a wide range of social, educational, and supportive programs to our residents and their families.
• Arts Herndon: Arts Herndon is a Community Arts Centre, a gallery and performance venue created and supported by art lovers in the greater Herndon area. Their classes and other creative programming are taught by artists and performers and include sketching and painting, photography, and storytelling. We are excited to partner with Arts Herndon and incorporate a variety of creative programs for our residents to enjoy.
• The Reston Historic Trust & Museum: This community organization works to preserve the past, inform the present, and influence the future of Reston through its many public programs, events, and exhibits. Our residents will enjoy learning about the history of Reston and participating in their annual events such as the Reston Home Tour, Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta, and Founder’s Day.

Dedicated Life Enrichment Team

Our activities team is attentive to resident interests and draws from a wide range of preferences in an effort to appeal to all. From creative arts therapies to a passion for cooking, we celebrate the uniqueness of all the personalities in our resident community.

In addition to our memory care services and our unique neighborhood concept, The Kensington Reston has a dedicated life enrichment team for each neighborhood to ensure that activities are individualized and built around needs and interests.

You don’t have to wait for a crisis to reach out. Our Promise is to love and care for your family as we do our own. If memory care in Reston is on your mind, even as a distant question, contact our team today to see and experience the higher level of personal care your loved one needs and deserves.

Frequently asked questions