Montessori Gold 2026
What is Montessori Senior Care?
The Montessori approach to senior care empowers people by providing choices, encouraging them to be as independent as possible, have a meaningful place in their community, have high self-esteem, and make real choices.
Montessori is about empowerment – and it's based on 12 principles
- The activity should have a purpose and capture interest.
- Invite the person to participate.
- Offer choice whenever possible.
- Demonstrate more. Talk less.
- Physical Skills—focus on what the person can do.
- Match your speed to theirs. Slow down!
7. Use visual hints, cues, or templates.
8. Give the person something to hold.
9. Go from simple to more complex.
10. Break a task down into steps.
11. To end, ask: "Did you enjoy doing this?" and "Would you like to do this again?"
12. There is no right and wrong. Think engagement!
Here are some examples of what these principles in practice look like at Loretto:
- Residents are invited to join a welcoming committee. Committee members create a welcome packet for new residents, show them around when they move in, and sit with them at mealtimes.
- Loretto employees showing residents how to fold towels and then giving them a stack of dish towels to fold to help their community.
- A resident who loves to crochet is leading a how-to activity for other residents.
- Residents decide how to arrange the dining room furniture and then help distribute trays during mealtimes.
- Assisted living residents helping make and serve a monthly breakfast for residents and staff.
- Residents are voting on paint colors for the lobby and making decisions about what artwork is being selected for the walls.
Loretto and Montessori Senior Care
Loretto is now one of only 42 facilities in the United States and 45 worldwide to offer a gold-level Montessori-inspired Lifestyle Community, and it is the only one to offer this care in Upstate New York. Montessori communities provide specialized, individualized care based on the residents' abilities, strengths, and expressed interests.
This unique approach to memory care is resident-led, giving Loretto residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia the control and independence they desire in a safe, secure environment to improve their quality of life.
Why Montessori Matters
Montessori-inspired care helps individuals with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease:
- Maintain independence longer
- Feel valued and useful
- Reduce agitation and wandering
- Improve mood, engagement, and dignity
- Experience more joy in daily life
Loretto Montessori Credential Status
Earned gold accreditation 9/24
Earned gold accreditation 11/25
Earned gold accreditation 12/25
working on bronze for staff engagement
working on cred. rec. therapists
currently bronze, silver interview 12/25
Why Montessori Matters
The word “Montessori” likely makes you think of young children in an education setting rather than seniors living with dementia in a local memory care facility.
In 1906, Maria Montessori developed a child-based learning approach that gives children the opportunity to identify and strengthen their natural skill sets by allowing choices and encouraging curiosity and independence.
While this learning approach has its roots in child-focused learning, research has shown the benefits of applying the same learning approach to those with dementia and Alzheimer’s
Montessori & Senior Care
The Montessori Method Approach to Senior Care was developed by Dr. Cameron Camp, a psychologist in applied gerontology who serves as the Director of Research & Development for the Center for Applied Research in Dementia. He discovered that the same Montessori principles that help young children learn could benefit those with dementia and Alzheimer's, creating a person-centered approach that focuses on the person's abilities and capacity to contribute to their community.
At Loretto we have seen how the Montessori Method has decreased agitation, provided purpose, and helped our residents live a happier, more socially connected life.
Resources
Loretto’s Aging Well Podcast is dedicated to empowering families with the tools, resources, and support you need to help your loved ones age well.
Each episode features expert advice on the financial, emotional and spiritual aspects of caring for older adults. As long-term care experts, we offer unique perspectives, practical tips, and links to helpful resources.
