The Kensington Bethesda will open in the summer of 2025, and we’re bringing with us Our Promise, which has already made a difference in communities across the country: to love and care for your family as we do our own.
Located in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland, our brand-new community will be the eighth Kensington location overall, joining a growing family that spans California to New York.
As we prepare to welcome our first residents, we’re building a passionate team to help shape the experience from day one.
One of the most important roles we’re hiring for is the life enrichment coordinator—a position that blends creativity, connection, and purpose to bring joy to everyday life.
If you love organizing engaging events, sparking meaningful conversations, and creating opportunities for seniors to stay mentally, physically, and emotionally active, this could be the career shift you’ve been waiting for.
A day in the life: What does a Life Enrichment Coordinator do?
As a life enrichment coordinator at The Kensington Bethesda, your days will be far from routine. Your mission? To make life fun, stimulating, and joyful for every resident.
A typical day might include:
- Leading a morning art class that helps residents tap into their creative sides
- Coordinating a brain fitness workshop, featuring trivia games and memory exercises
- Hosting a music therapy session that brings the entire room to life with rhythm and nostalgia
- Planning a group outing to a local museum, park, or café in the Bethesda area
- Partnering with local organizations—schools, choirs, nonprofits—for intergenerational programming
- Developing monthly event calendars based on resident feedback, interests, and seasonal themes
This role requires energy, empathy, organization, and a true love for working with older adults. You’ll be part program director, wellness advocate, and entertainer—and fully essential to our community’s heartbeat.
Why life enrichment matters in senior living
At our Kensington Senior Living communities, we don’t see life enrichment as a “nice to have” but as a core component of health and happiness. Our research-backed philosophy focuses on holistic care, where the mind, body, and spirit are equally nurtured.
Studies show that active, socially connected seniors experience better health outcomes, including lower rates of depression, improved cognitive function, and stronger immune systems. And let’s be honest—life is just more fun with friends, purpose, and daily engagement!
Here’s just a glimpse of what our life enrichment programs accomplish:
- Reduce loneliness and isolation by offering consistent opportunities for companionship
- Improve brain health with regular mental stimulation
- Promote physical activity through dance, stretching, or adapted exercise classes
- Celebrate individuality with activities tailored to residents’ interests, like painting, cooking, or playing chess
- Create cross-generational connections through partnerships with local schools and organizations
It takes a village: Life enrichment at The Kensington Bethesda
The Kensington Bethesda team will include life enrichment assistants, care partners, a wellness team, and support from national Kensington programming leadership.
As a coordinator, you’ll have the freedom to be creative and the resources to make ideas happen.
If you love brainstorming themed events (like a Mardi Gras celebration or 1950s sock hop), working closely with residents, and fostering a sense of family, this is your stage!
Resume and interview best practices for life enrichment careers
Now, let’s get practical. If you’re thinking, “This job sounds like me,” here’s how to stand out in your application.
Don’t stress over the perfect resumé
We’re more interested in your passion and creativity than a perfect healthcare resume.
Of course, experience in senior living, recreation, education, or the arts is a plus—but what really matters is how you connect with people and manage meaningful programming.
If you have a gap in your resume, don’t let that stop you. Life happens. Maybe you were caregiving for a family member, teaching part-time, or exploring other career paths. Just include a short note to explain:
“2020–2023: Took time away from the workforce to care for a parent with dementia. This experience inspired my interest in senior life enrichment.”
That context helps us understand your journey—and might even make you a stronger candidate!
Highlight relevant (and unexpected) experience
Think about your transferable skills. Have you:
- Planned events at a school, church, or community center?
- Led group activities like yoga, book clubs, or crafting sessions?
- Worked in hospitality or customer service?
These are excellent foundations for life enrichment. Be sure to highlight your ability to communicate, coordinate, and engage with groups.
Get ready for a meaningful interview
Here’s how to prepare:
- Bring several copies of your resume, even if you applied online.
- Come with ideas! We love hearing your vision for a month of programming or a new resident club.
- Dress professionally but let your personality shine. We want to get a feel for how you’ll interact with residents
- Arrive early, but not too early—5–10 minutes is just right.
- Do your homework. Visit The Kensington Bethesda website, check out what our sister communities are doing, and read our blog posts about life enrichment.
We may also ask you about real-life scenarios, like how you’d adapt a planned event for a resident with mobility challenges or approach a resident who prefers to stay in their suite.
There’s no “right” answer—we just want to hear your thoughtful, resident-centered approach.
Why join The Kensington family?
As we prepare to open our doors this summer, The Kensington Bethesda offers a rare chance to get in on the ground floor of something special. You’ll help shape our culture, create foundational programming, and form the first connections with our residents.
And you won’t be alone. You’ll be part of The Kensington family, a growing community network that supports each other, shares ideas, and works together to raise the standard of senior living.
Our benefits include:
- Competitive salary and full-time benefits
- Opportunities for growth and advancement such as our Kensington Care program, offering tuition assistance and emergency support
- A workplace culture that values creativity, compassion, and collaboration
- A chance to truly make an impact—every single day
If you’re looking for a career in senior living that combines heart and imagination, the life enrichment coordinator role at The Kensington Bethesda could be the perfect fit.
Your new chapter starts here at The Kensington Bethesda
We’re building something beautiful at The Kensington Bethesda—and we’re looking for a Life Enrichment Coordinator ready to lead with heart, think outside the box, and bring joy to our future residents.
Whether you’ve worked in senior living before or just discovered the possibilities of this career path, we encourage you to apply. Bring your ideas, your story, and your passion.
Let’s create something extraordinary—together. For questions, reach out to Ava Barberena, Team Member Services Manager, at abarberena@kensingtonsl.com.