Cara Skrypchuk, Vice President – Memory Care Center of Excellence at Trilogy Health Services, has been named a 2025 Memory Care Innovation Award winner by Senior Housing News.
The Memory Care Innovation Awards program is designed to recognize passionate and innovative industry members who are shaping the future of cognitive care across behavioral health, home health and home care, hospice and palliative care, senior housing and senior living, and skilled nursing. To become a Memory Care Innovation Award winner, an individual must be nominated by their peers. The candidate should be a high-performing employee who knows how to put vision into action, serving as an advocate for those living with memory-related disorders and the committed professionals who ensure their well-being.
Skrypchuk sat down with Senior Housing News to share her journey caring for patients and residents with cognitive care needs, her thoughts on the future of cognitive care in senior housing & senior living, and much more. To learn more about the Memory Care Innovation Awards program and view this year’s winners, visit https://innovation.memorycarebusiness.com/.
SHN: How long have you been a part of the memory care, senior housing & senior living industry?
Skrypchuk: I’ve worked in dementia care for over 30 years, spanning hospitals, Alzheimer’s day programs, independent and assisted living, and long-term care. Every role has centered on dementia — designing training, environments, and programs that help people live with connection, purpose, and confidence.
SHN: What drew you to caring for patients/residents with cognitive care needs?
Skrypchuk: I was drawn to dementia care by the chance to translate neuroscience into everyday dignity. When we design care around people’s retained abilities — music, long term memories, sensory cues, we see frustration turn into confidence and moments of real connection. That’s what keeps me in this work and fuels the Alois approach.
SHN: If you could change one thing about cognitive care in the memory care, senior housing & senior living industry, what would it be?
Skrypchuk: I’d replace task-driven routines with person-focused care that’s measured by resident well-being rather than only compliance metrics. That means investing in team training, reducing avoidable antipsychotic use, and designing daily routines that honor the person and focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.
SHN: If you had a crystal ball, what do you think will most impact your ability to provide cognitive care in the memory care, senior housing & senior living industry in the next five years?
Skrypchuk: The next five years hinge on people and the data that actually helps them: EHRs that talk to each other and simple sensors that highlight what matters in the moment.
With real training and career paths, staff can personalize support while honoring how each person wants to live — not in a world ruled by safety checklists and risk-aversion, but one where dignity, choice, and everyday life come first.
SHN: If you could describe cognitive care in the memory care, senior housing & senior living industry in one word, what would it be and why?
Skrypchuk: Human — because the heart of great dementia care is relationship. When we start with connection and design around people, and not the disease everything else improves.
SHN: What’s been the biggest lesson you have learned throughout your career?
Skrypchuk: Biggest lesson? Small, consistent, evidence-based changes – how we communicate, support, dine, and even light a space — quietly flip the script on outcomes. When teams feel confident and families feel included, people with dementia thrive…and the only thing “extra” is the smiles.
SHN: If you could give yourself advice on the first day in the memory care, senior housing & senior living industry, what would it be and why?
Skrypchuk: I’d tell myself, “Measure what matters from the start, anchor every decision in dignity, and build a coalition. Partnerships, training, and good data will carry you through the toughest days and accelerate what works.”
SHN: In your opinion, what qualities should all Memory Care Innovation Award winners possess?
Skrypchuk: Winners put the person first, ground decisions in evidence, and collaborate across disciplines and communities. They’re courageous enough to change what isn’t working and disciplined enough to measure impact and scale what does.
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