Physician-Led Wellness: Redefining Dementia Care at Aroha

At Aroha Memory Care, opening soon in Sonoma County, we believe that wellness doesn’t end with a diagnosis of dementia—it simply needs a more thoughtful, person-centered approach. Aroha is a new 22 suite memory care community that has been designed around one powerful idea: that every person, at every stage of dementia, deserves access to evidence-based wellness practices that preserve dignity, enhance daily functioning, and nurture joy and purpose.

The Problem: When Wellness Leaves Dementia Behind

In most senior living and healthcare environments, wellness programming—yoga, fitness, mindfulness, nutrition—is designed for independent older adults. Too often, people living with dementia are excluded, not because they can’t benefit, but because traditional wellness models have failed to adapt to their needs. Stigma, fear, and misunderstanding have created an invisible barrier, leaving individuals with dementia without access to the same health-promoting practices that others enjoy.

At Aroha, we see this as unacceptable. Dementia does not erase the human capacity for purpose, connection, growth, and wellness. It simply requires a new model of care—one rooted in science, empathy, and adaptability.

A Physician-Led Wellness Model for Memory Care

Aroha’s program is co-designed by Raj Kalra, MD a board-certified Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Lifestyle Medicine physician, and Juliet Holt Klinger, MA a nationally recognized gerontologist and leader with 40 years of dementia program design experience. Together, they are building a first-of-its-kind framework that integrates medical insight with evidence-based engagement.

Dr. Kalra brings a rehabilitation mindset to dementia care—focusing on what remains strong, rather than what has been lost. Through principles of neuroplasticity, physical activity, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and stress reduction, his physician-led approach ensures that each resident’s daily experience supports both brain and body wellness.

Our Tenets of Evidence-Based, Person-Centered Dementia Care

At Aroha, our wellness philosophy is grounded in evidence-based wellness and person-centered principles. Aroha Memory Care will redefine dementia care by extending healthspan (the number of years a person lives in good health), reducing health and behavioral crises, and empowering people living with dementia and their care partners through non-stigmatized, coordinated, evidence-based, and non-pharmacologic approaches.

Every practice—from movement and menu design to sensory engagement—is informed by current research in dementia, rehabilitation, and lifestyle medicine. Residents, known as Community Members, are not seen as a diagnosis and are never defined by their symptoms, but rather are viewed as people with unique life patterns, values, and capabilities. Our team crafts personalized engagement plans that preserve identity and autonomy while encouraging contribution to the Aroha community with remaining abilities.

We believe that social and emotional well-being are central to health and well-being. Our care partners truly know each person and are trained to engage through empathy and validation, ensuring every interaction supports trust, safety, and belonging.

Designing for Daily Success

Under the combined leadership of Dr. Kalra and Juliet Holt Klinger, Aroha’s model transforms everyday moments—meals, music, movement—into therapeutic opportunities. Community Members participate in Organized Daily Engagement programs that preserve functioning through structured, meaningful routines supported by their consistent care partners.

Our spaces are designed to promote independence and confidence, with environmental cues, adaptive household activities, and a biophilic connection that both boosts self-esteem and grounds our Community Members in nature.

A New Era for Memory Care

The Aroha model challenges outdated assumptions about dementia and wellness. Here, medical oversight meets human-centered care. Research meets rhythm. Science meets soul. By blending the expertise of a physician and a gerontologist, Aroha Memory Care is redefining what’s possible—ensuring that people living with dementia are not left behind, but instead, brought forward into a life of purpose, health, and connection.

Because wellness belongs to everyone.