November 13, 2025
Something remarkable happens in a quiet room filled with soft music and scattered LEGO® bricks; memories come alive. At Immanuel’s memory support communities, a hands-on enrichment program is helping residents with dementia reconnect with their memories, engage socially, and stimulate cognitive function.
The Brain Fitness Building Blocks Program, also known as Immanuel’s therapeutic LEGO® program, is a monthly activity for memory support and long-term care residents.
Facilitated by certified LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator James Patrick York and supported by Immanuel’s Life Enrichment team, the program encourages residents to build models that reflect personal and family memories. This includes childhood homes, farms, schools, and people. Building projects have included models of where people grew up, their favorite jobs, greatest achievements, dream houses, and what brings them joy.
“You can make interesting things happen with three or four bricks, or with 50 to 100, for one person,” James says. “That’s what I love about it, that it’s so personal.”
The program is built to adapt to residents with different stages of dementia and varying physical abilities, making it accessible and inclusive for everyone.
“We can level it to where the person is,” says Cameo Rogers, Immanuel’s Corporate Life Enrichment Manager. “We can meet them where they are. If someone is hesitant, we can have them take pieces apart or hand pieces to someone else. We can change the role based on the person’s strength.”
Residents have responded positively to the creative and social aspects. Carolyn Peterson, a memory support resident at Immanuel’s Lakeside community, says she enjoys the time spent with others.
“I like to laugh and be around people who don’t complain,” she says. “I’m not a complaining person. I like to have fun. If they’re not fun, I go the other way. If you quit being creative and quit doing things, you’re going to go downhill.”
Marilyn Headlee, a former teacher, enjoys helping other residents during the sessions. She and her husband, Jim, are memory support residents at Lakeside.
“Well, I think that’s the teacher in me,” Marilyn says. “Just the chance to be creative.”
The program also encourages family involvement. The Headlees’ son Brian joined them during one of the program sessions. Brian and his father, Jim, sit side by side, carefully placing LEGO® bricks together as they build models of where they each grew up. It’s a simple moment that carries profound meaning. It’s a father and son, sharing time, building not just a model, but reliving past memories.
For generations, LEGO® has been a bridge between parents and children, and here, it becomes a tool for connection in the face of memory loss. What began as a quick visit becomes something more: a reminder that quality time matters most in memory care.
“This is great,” Brian says of the program. “My parents enjoy it. I appreciate everything the staff here do for them.”
He notes that his parents have resided at Lakeside for years, beginning in independent living, before transitioning to assisted living, and now, memory care. He praised the safety and quality of care his parents receive at the community.
James says one of the LEGO® project’s biggest goals is to improve the experience for families.
“We want to provide ways for them to communicate, interact, and enjoy spending time with their person who may have lost some of those communication skills,” he says.
A highlight of the program is the battery-powered LEGO® train that travels between each resident’s creation. As the residents help start and stop the train with command bricks and hands, they are invited to share memories tied to their buildings.
“It gives them a chance to share who they are with the other members of their community, in a group where everyone can build, as equals,” he says.
The Immanuel Community Foundation funds the program and provides resources for equipment, training, and expert facilitation.
“Nobody really has a resource like our Foundation team at this level,” Cameo says. “The amount of programming we’ve been able to try due to their support … it’s incredible. It’s unique.”
Emily Tonniges, Executive Director of the Immanuel Community Foundation, praises the impact the program has had on older adults.
“James is an incredibly talented, patient instructor who worked closely with our Life Enrichment teams, sharing his passion and the impact this program has had on seniors nationwide,” Emily says. “Thanks to generous donors who believe in the power of community and creative care, we’ve seen heartfelt, meaningful stories emerge. Just as music can unlock memories, LEGO® Serious Play® brings to light stories residents have never shared before. That’s truly beautiful.”
By combining therapeutic LEGO® programming, creative memory support activities, and family engagement, Immanuel is offering a powerful tool for improving the quality of life for memory support residents. It’s not just about building with bricks; it’s about building connections, confidence, and community.
