An Extended Family

Families evolve. They grow and change over time. But no matter how much the family branches out, the roots remain. Family is forever.

Family is also frequently made up of both people you are related to and people you choose to relate with. The latter is certainly the case with the leadership, staff, and residents at Kensington Senior Living Communities. With eight senior living communities, including four in the Washington, DC Metropolitan region, Kensington delivers high-quality independent living, assisted living, and memory care options based on one simple—yet profound—promise. Kensington promises to love and care for your family as they do their own. 

Kensington Senior Living communities were founded by passionate leaders in the industry who had the experience and knowledge to do something different. As former executives for a massive senior living provider, they knew they wanted smaller properties that could offer more individualized care. They also strived to build properties where they would want their family members to live. And they did. At one point, each partner has had a family member living in a Kensington community. 

When you walk into a Kensington community, it feels like a family—a loving, welcoming, extending family. Meet some of the family.

Keeping the Family Together

A mother of five, former part-time accountant, and active community volunteer, Millie Savage never had a problem staying busy. Even after retiring and moving from Silver Spring, Md. to Williamsburg, Va., she remained active and engaged: volunteering at a hospice and as an election official. When her husband, Albert, started to experience health issues, Millie knew it was time to move. She started searching for retirement communities in the DC region. 

Millie was drawn to Kensington Senior Living in Kensington, Md., because it was near her former home and provided different levels of care on one campus. The various care levels allowed Millie and her husband to remain together but still receive individualized care to meet their different needs. 

“When the Parkinson’s disease first started, I took care of him as best I could, but there came a point where I couldn’t do it anymore. I talked to my family, and we decided that this would be the best place for us,” she recalled. “He moved into memory care, and I moved into independent living, and I was able to visit him every day and spend time with him.”

Keeping her family together was important to Millie. At the time, she didn’t realize she was joining a bigger family. 

“Our mission at Kensington is all about family,” explained Managing Director Mary Mell. “We are focused on not only taking care of the residents but also their families. We also take it a step further to make sure our staff are included, and that they are treated like family too. It’s a feeling you get in our communities. We are all truly partners.”

A natural joiner, Millie quickly became involved in the active community. “I love it here. I’m such a people person, and I just love being involved here,” she said. “I can’t believe I’ve been here for seven years. I’m now the second oldest resident here. I am just so grateful that I moved here.”

Millie exercises every day and participates in many of Kensington’s daily activities and outings. She has also continued to volunteer at the community, first in the memory care neighborhood and then in the dining hall. Although she lost her husband five years ago, she has made lots of close friends in the community who are like a second family to her. 

“Millie is an excellent example of what I admire about this generation of people,” said Mell. “Their generosity is seemingly boundless, and they are always willing to do whatever it takes. For instance, even during the pandemic, they had less anxiety and more fortitude. They knew we would get through this.”

A Place that Feels like Home

Lieutenant Colonel John Derrick and his wife, Marjorie, have lived across the U.S. and in several countries. They know unequivocally when a place feels like home—and when it doesn’t. They are proud to call The Kensington Falls Church home. 

Throughout their marriage, the Derricks lived in locations ranging from New York to Alaska and Kansas to Florida. The family also lived in Germany. Along the way, they welcomed three children, two boys and a girl. 

After 25 years of military service and 20 years as a professor, John embarked on his third career as a volunteer. Marjorie spent her time focusing on the children, learning different languages, and reading and writing. The family also spent a lot of time outdoors together, especially in National Parks, where they frequently volunteered. 

John recalls his last volunteer appointment fondly. He worked as a driver for Emergency Medical Services. “I was not an EMT or a paramedic, but when the siren went off, I was the driver,” he said. “I loved that. She doesn’t let me drive like that.”

The couple had lived in Melbourne, Fl., for 29 years when they started to grow weary of home maintenance. After leaving their family home, the Derricks lived in a rental retirement community for 13 years before deciding to relocate again. 

When the Derricks started to experience some health issues, they thought it would be better to be near family. Their children were heavily involved in their search to find a place where they both felt comfortable. 

Unfortunately, the first community the Derricks moved to in the DC Metro area was not a good fit. “When we were choosing Kensington, we had the benefit of experience. We knew what the community in Florida was like and what the first community here was like. We knew exactly what we wanted,” explained Carl Derrick, the couple’s son. “The most important consideration was certainly the staff-to-resident ratio. We wanted a community that was more responsive to my parents’ needs and more receptive to our feedback as a family.”

Carl went on to note that the Kensington really lives up to their promise “to love and care for your family as we do our own.” “There is a sense of loving and care here that you can feel,” he explained. “You see it in all the staff—from the look on their faces to their positive attitudes. And no matter what your question or concern, someone always gets back to you.”

Kensington Falls Church Executive Director Amy Feather explained that the family atmosphere at the community is driven by involved residents like the Derricks. “They share and give feedback, and that is really helpful for us because feedback from the Derrick family makes us better and more effective for all the residents in the building,” she said.

Friends Become Family  

After living all over the world with her military family, Penny Johnson graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in Spanish. She used both her education and her first-hand experience living in Mexico City to become a middle school Spanish teacher.  

While at Vanderbilt, she married her husband who later completed medical school and became a neurosurgeon. His career took the couple to cities across the U.S. The couple had three children. They eventually settled in Savannah, Ga., and Penny continued to live there until her children were grown. 

“I lived in Savannah for 40 years, and I loved it,” she recalled. “For somebody who had lived in so many places by then, finally settling in one city was amazing.”

Penny ultimately decided to leave Savannah because she wanted to be closer to some of her family.  Her son and daughter-in-law who live on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, helped her find Independent Living at Kensington Park Senior Living, where she lived for several years before transitioning to assisted living at The Kensington Reston. At both communities, she enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere and found it easy to make friends who quickly felt like family. “I felt like I had built-in friends the moment I moved into both communities,” Penny said. “The people are so friendly and open. There are so many activities, and there is always someone to do them with.”

Penny has also enjoyed the fact that she never has to eat alone. In fact, she often has different dinner companions. “This is such an accepting community. Especially if you are a newcomer, other residents are particularly nice to you and invite you to join them. They strike up conversations, and they become your next best friend. It is really that easy,” she explained.

In addition to making new friends and enjoying activities, Penny is also using her skills to give back to the community. She volunteered to teach Spanish classes. However, after the first class, she realized that most of the people who came were staff members who knew Spanish and wanted to learn English. She is now practicing conversational English with them. 

“I never dreamed that I’d end up teaching English to Spanish-speaking people,” Penny said. “That’s so fun! I like to give back to the community because the community has given me so much—so many friends who feel like family.”

Amy Grossman, the Executive Director of The Kensington Reston, explained how important it is for the residents to make these vital connections. “For so many of them, this is a wonderful new beginning, in a time of their life when they weren’t expecting a new beginning,” she said. “They come to a community, and they start a new life, with new bonds and connections.”

All in the Family

From couples staying together as their care needs change to new friends that become family, residents at Kensington Senior Living communities quickly learn that everyone who moves in becomes a part of the family. Kensington has built an atmosphere where residents, staff, and family members are united in a common purpose—to build strong families that value their elders above all else. Kensington communities function as big extended families, and the families just keep extending. 

Breaking New Ground

Kensington Senior Living recently broke ground on a new community just miles from downtown Bethesda, Md. The 116-bed assisted living and memory care community will be part of a larger development that will include a grocery store, restaurants, retail, townhomes, apartments, and open gathering spaces. The space is expected to house up to 135 residents.

The Kensington Bethesda will feature 106,000 square feet of living space and serve seniors who need high-level assisted living care. The community will be equipped and staffed to handle residents with memory care challenges, as well as those who need help with medication management, dietary restrictions, mobility, or daily personal care. Couples are welcome even if care needs differ. In fact, spouses with different care needs will be able to reside in double occupancy units together. 

Festivus is the dog of Founding Partner Dave Faeder.  Kensington communities are all pet-friendly. They’re part of the extended family!The new community will feature four distinct dining options including a café, an open market, casual dining area, and formal dining room. Just like at all Kensington properties, families are always welcome to join residents for meals free of charge. 

The property is expected to be completed in April 2025 and prospective residents will be eligible to sign up about six months prior to opening.