Reimagining well-being across the spectrum of cognitive change

Longevity alone is not the goal. Thriving is. In this thought-provoking conversation, Michelle Daniel, CEO of the Eden Alternative, Dr. Jennifer Carson, dementia inclusion advocate and researcher, and Kim Schmidt, CEO of Sherbrooke Community Centre, explore how we can design communities where well-being, dignity, and belonging extend across the full spectrum of life, including cognitive change.

Grounded in the Eden Alternative Domains of Well-being and informed by Dr. Carson’s work on dementia inclusion, this session challenges long-standing assumptions about safety, autonomy, and engagement in senior living.

At Sherbrooke Community Centre, Kim Schmidt and her team have brought these ideas to life by creating a truly dementia-inclusive community, including the bold decision to remove traditional locked doors and redesign the environment around trust, relationships, and shared responsibility.

Together, the panel will explore how person-directed living, inclusive design, and meaningful engagement can transform culture across senior living organizations. When we listen more deeply to people living with cognitive change, we discover insights that improve well-being for everyone.

Learning objectives:

1. Apply the Eden Alternative Domains of Well-being in Dementia-Inclusive Communities
   Understand how the Domains of Well-being can guide culture, programming, and care practices that support people living with cognitive change while strengthening well-being across the entire community.

2. Implement Dementia Inclusion in Real-World Operations
   Learn from Sherbrooke Community Society’s experience building a dementia-inclusive environment, including the removal of locked doors and the operational, cultural, and leadership shifts required to make inclusion possible.

3. Leverage Insights from Cognitive Change to Improve Wellness for All
   Explore Dr. Jennifer Carson’s dementia inclusion work and discover how insights from people living with cognitive change can shape more human-centered design, engagement strategies, and well-being outcomes across the lifespan.

Michelle Daniel CEO Eden Alternative

Jennifer Carson Clinical Assoc. Prof., Public Health & Director, Dementia Engagement, Education, & Research Program University of Nevada

Kim Schmidt CEO Sherbrooke Community Centre