NIC Spring Conference
Network with the LifeLoop team at the NIC Spring Conference. We’re excited for the opportunity to meet with other industry leaders and discuss emerging trends in addressing the health, personal care, and supportive service needs of older adults.
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12:00 PM CTLiving Longer, Better | Reimagining well-being across the spectrum of cognitive change
Longevity without well-being is simply extended time. In this dynamic conversation, Michelle Daniel, CEO of the Eden Alternative, and Dr. Jennifer Carson, dementia inclusion advocate and researcher, explore how we can design communities, technologies, and cultures that support thriving across the full spectrum of life—including cognitive change.
Grounded in the Eden Alternative Domains of Well-being and informed by Dr. Carson’s pioneering work in dementia inclusion, this session reframes cognitive change not as a deficit to manage, but as a dimension of human diversity from which we can all learn.
Together, we will examine how person-directed living, meaningful engagement, and inclusive design strengthen not only those living with cognitive change, but entire communities. When we listen more deeply, design more intentionally, and measure what truly matters, wellness becomes a shared outcome.
This session will offer practical insights for senior living leaders seeking to move from program delivery to cultural transformation. Because when we create environments where people with cognitive change can thrive, everyone thrives.
Learning objectives:
- Apply the Eden Alternative Domains of Well-being: Identify how the Domains of Well-being can be operationalized to support people living with cognitive change, and how these domains elevate culture, care, and connection across the entire community.
- Integrate dementia inclusion into organizational culture: Explore Dr. Jennifer Carson’s dementia inclusion framework and discover practical strategies for shifting from protection-based models to empowerment-based models that honor identity, agency, and belonging.
- Redefine wellness across the lifespan: Reframe longevity and wellness as universal human experiences and learn how insights from individuals living with cognitive change can inform inclusive design, engagement strategies, and measurable well-being outcomes for all.
Speakers:
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Michelle Daniel, CEO, Eden Alternative
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Jennifer Carson, Clinical Assoc. Prof., Public Health & Director, Dementia Engagement, Education, & Research Program, University of Nevada
Attendees can earn up to 1 free CEU.
Register now to secure your spot!
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12:00 PM CTLiving Longer, Better | Myth-busting resident engagement: Translating programming into evidence-backed health interventions
Life enrichment professionals are at the center of fostering connection, purpose, and belonging in senior living communities, yet engagement programming is often viewed as “activities” rather than as meaningful health interventions. Research tells a different story.
This session will reframe life enrichment through a research lens, drawing on current research linking social wellness to cognitive health, emotional well-being, health outcomes, and even longevity. In this myth-busting session, the presenters will highlight the measurable relationship between social wellness and loneliness, dementia risk, emotional health, and overall health outcomes. A senior living life enrichment leader will translate these research insights into everyday practice, sharing how intentional engagement strategies influence resident well-being and how teams can recognize engagement patterns as early indicators of risk.
The session will close with a practical overview of how communities can operationalize and measure social wellness, including examples of tracking engagement trends and identifying meaningful risk signals over time. Attendees will leave with research-backed validation, actionable strategies, language to advocate for the impact of life enrichment within their organizations, and a stronger understanding of how life enrichment supports whole-person wellness.
Learning objectives:
- Attendees will be able to describe the evidence linking social wellness to cognitive health, emotional well-being, loneliness, and overall health outcomes, and articulate how life enrichment programming contributes to whole-person wellness.
- Attendees will be able to apply strategies for designing and delivering intentional engagement that supports resident well-being.
- Attendees will be able to explain practical methods for tracking engagement trends, identifying meaningful signals over time, and using data to advocate for the value of life enrichment within their communities.
Speakers:
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Lydia Nguyen, PhD, Principal Researcher, LifeLoop
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Simona Zappas, Director of Engagement, Merrill Gardens
Attendees can earn up to 1 free CEU.
Register now to secure your spot!