Family in Every Step: How Aroha Honors the Ongoing Role of Families in Memory Care

At Aroha Memory Care we believe that dementia is a family journey. It reshapes relationships, roles, and routines, and it brings love, grief, resilience, frustration, tenderness, and change all at once. And while a move to memory care is often made for safety, wellbeing, and support, the role of the family caregiver doesn’t dissolve with a move into memory care.

The family caregiver role shouldn’t end with a move to memory care, it should evolve. Many families carry guilt or uncertainty when transitioning a loved one into memory care, worried that stepping back from the day to day hands-on caregiving means stepping away from an important role and connection to their person. But we see this transition differently. The move simply shifts the caregiver role from being the only support person to being an integral part of a larger team of care partners.

As the primary family caregiver, your history, insights, and love remain essential to your loved one’s happiness and wellbeing. You know your person best; their comforts, their triggers, their humor, their morning routines, the songs that make them smile, the foods they enjoy, the sounds that soothe them, the importance of the roles they once held, and the values that shaped their life. This knowledge is not supplemental, it’s foundational to building authentic, person centered dementia care.

Person-centered care begins with family input. At the root of Aroha’s care philosophy is our commitment to deeply knowing each Community Member. This cannot happen without you and the information you provide for us.

Family input guides…

• The creation of individual engagement plans (what brings joy, confidence, or comfort),
• Our behavioral understanding (what a behavioral reaction might mean based on lifelong patterns),
• How we structure daily routines (timing preferences, sleep cycles, cultural rhythms),
• Us as we adapt our communication styles (phrases they use, what calms them, how they express needs)
• The important life story work (photos, memories, talents, passions) we will do with each Community Member.

We honor families as the true experts in their loved ones’ lives, and we use your insight at every stage from move-in through ongoing care conferences and day-to-day connection.

Transitions into memory care are emotional for everyone involved. That’s why we have developed a seamless, supportive transition process that includes; guided steps for preparing your family emotionally and practically for move-in, clear communication throughout the process, many opportunities for family to shape the resident’s daily rhythms from day one, a soft-landing welcome experience that focuses on comfort, orientation, and familiarity from the first day, and ongoing check-ins after move-in to ensure the family feels secure, informed, and connected. Families should never feel “handed off.” Instead, they should feel held, supported, and included every step of the way.

Dementia is a family disease, and we know that families need care too. Dementia affects entire households, friendships, and extended networks. The emotional labor of caregiving can lead to burnout, stress, and isolation. Aroha’s philosophy acknowledges that families need support, education, and community as much as our residents do.

We provide: family support groups, educational workshops on dementia progression and communication, guided visits and family engagement programs, intergenerational and legacy-building opportunities, a “Family Connection Studio” for in-person and virtual engagement, and a true partnership model where family voice remains central in clinical and care decisions.

When families are supported, heard, and involved, everything for our Community Members from adjusting to the new surroundings to lasting wellness outcomes, improves. At Aroha, families are an integral part of our community, not visitors or outsiders. You will always have a seat at the table literally and figuratively. Because dementia care works best when we build it together, grounded in shared history, mutual respect, and a collective commitment to honoring the person living with dementia at the center of it all.

Your stories help us understand your loved one.
Your presence strengthens their sense of identity.
Your involvement deepens the personalization of our care.
Your love remains the constant in their life, no matter where care happens.

Family in Every Step isn’t a slogan—it’s our promise.