During my summer 2025 co-op term at Optima Living, I supported both program development and organizational operations within community-based senior living settings. My primary contribution was designing a dementia-related care pilot program; a brain health promotion initiative aimed at reducing modifiable lifestyle risk factors for cognitive decline. Grounded in evidence-based research, the biopsychosocial model, and person-centred care, I conducted a comprehensive literature review with a jurisdictional scan and translated findings into a practical program framework, implementation plan, and foundational evaluation strategy suitable for scaling across communities. In parallel, I supported the rollout of the annual satisfaction surveys for residents across all their communities by facilitating coordinator training sessions, reviewing survey accessibility, and developing automated Excel tracking resources that improved efficiency, accuracy, and communication across teams.

This co-op experience was impactful in strengthening my ability to bridge public health theory with real-world application. Developing a program from inception challenged me to think critically, iterate frequently, and collaborate across teams while balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced corporate healthcare environment. Through this process, I gained confidence in program design, stakeholder engagement, data management, and systems thinking, while learning to communicate clearly and prioritizing effectively. Overall, the experience reinforced my commitment to designing evidence-informed, person-centred, and sustainable health programs, and solidified my interest in pursuing future roles focused on program planning, evaluation, and innovation within healthcare and public service sectors in correspondence to my interests in health and social policy.

- Ekamjot Cheema