1-A. Let’s Get Technical!

No matter what cutting-edge technology innovations you plan to implement in your organization, your chances for success will come down to one word: infrastructure. Does your organization have the building blocks in place to use technology? Does your technology infrastructure work smoothly on a day-to-day basis? This technical session will explore best practices for creating and sustaining a modern aging services community by ensuring the integrity and reliability of your network and telecommunications infrastructure, data management, and environmental monitoring. Presenters will prepare you to use these best practices to meet the technology needs of your residents and staff while protecting your systems from cyber threats.

• David Finkelstein, CIO, RiverSpring Living
• Kurt Rahner, VP of Information Technology, The Kendal Corporation
• Scott Code, Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge

15-A. Redeveloping for the Middle Market: The Secret to Success

Imagining, planning, and implementing a 10-year, $250 million campus redevelopment is not for the faint of heart. But such a project can succeed with the right partners, engaged residents, meticulous planning, and cost-control strategies. This session will feature the inspiring story of Wesley Des Moines, a 70-year-old senior living community in Washington state that redeveloped its campus to meet the needs of a younger, middle-income market. Presenters will outline key steps in the redevelopment process, including their decision to add 100 independent apartments to the campus while reducing skilled nursing care beds by half. Learn the financial benefits of transitioning from health care to independent living and gain tips for reaching your middle-income market by converting residency contracts from life care to market rate rental.

• Christine Tremain, Vice President of Marketing and Development, Wesley
• Jill Krance, Principal and Partner, Insite Architects
• Marc Streleski, Senior Project Manager, Walsh Construction Co./WA
• Stephen Nornes, Senior Project Development Manager, Senior Housing Partners

28-A. Providing Equitable, Person-Centered Care for Veterans

Understanding the unique experiences and needs of military Veterans is critical to providing them with equitable and quality care across all care settings. During this session, leaders from the Veterans Health Administration will outline how their agency is prioritizing the delivery of quality, person-centered care for all Veterans. Presenters will explore the unique needs of older adult Veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, those living with dementia, and suicide risks. They will also present strategies for creating affirming and welcoming environments for the growing number of older Veterans who identify as LGBTQ+. Participants will learn how to implement policies and procedures to help their organizations prepare for and provide inclusive, age-friendly care for our growing and changing older adult population, both Veteran and civilian.

• Kimberly Church, Age-Friendly Systems National Lead, United States Department of Veterans Affairs
• Amanda Merski, National Program Manager, Community Nursing Home Quality & Oversight, United States Department of Veterans Affairs

40-A. Helping Your Board Change Before It Must

It’s not always easy to understand the changing and complex environment in which aging services organizations operate. As a result, an increasing number of organizations wait too long to hold critical discussions about their future, acting only when serious issues can no longer be ignored. To ensure organizations “change before they must,” aging services CEOs must provide board members with the information they need to engage in critical discussions and make decisions about organizational change. This session will highlight the techniques several LeadingAge member organizations use to help their boards embrace change. Participants will take home tools to help their boards evaluate current trends and review future scenarios for financial and organizational health. Don’t miss this chance to help your board move from understanding to action.

• Stephen Fleming, President & CEO, The Well-Spring Group
• Tim Webster, President and CEO, Brightspire
• Diane Burfeindt, Managing Principal, Trilogy Connect

54-A. PACE and the Power of Partnerships

Nearly 26 million Americans aged 50 and older live alone, up from 15 million in 2000. This demographic trend points to the need for a new approach to supporting a growing population of older adults who are aging in the community. The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) provides a viable way to support these older adults, especially when PACE providers work with community partners to ensure that PACE participants have access to quality housing and healthcare. This session will highlight the integral role that organizations providing housing support and assistance play in the success of PACE programs. You’ll also learn how PACE programs work with healthcare providers to coordinate participant care, prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, and ensure that participants receive the support they need.

• Stephen Gordon, CEO, Edenbridge PACE
• Aileen Tinney, CEO/President, Keswick Multi-Care

55-A. Strategies for Securing Your Market Share and Your Future

Is your organization striving to maintain its market share and remain relevant to consumers? Then it must undertake new developments, implement significant expansions, and grow its home and community-based services. This session will highlight growth trends expected to affect the next generation of senior living communities. Presenters, including representatives of LeadingAge Gold Partner Greystone, will explore how providers are repositioning and expanding existing assets so they can respond to the changing consumer mindset. Don’t miss this opportunity to identify a path to growth that will help ensure your organization can continue making a difference in the lives of older adults well into the future.

• Stuart Jackson, Executive Vice President, Greystone
• Brad Straub, Executive Vice President, Greystone

74-A. Turn Your Dining Program into Your Best Marketing Tool

Never underestimate the power of food in your senior living community. Your dining program—what you serve, how you serve it, and how you tell your culinary story—says a lot about your entire organization. It can differentiate your community from the competition, elevate resident satisfaction levels, and build a good workplace culture for your team. In addition, putting cultural dishes on the menu can help reinforce your community’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. This session will present ways to develop your dining brand and choose menu items that will enhance your organization’s overall dining experience. Discover how you can turn your dining program into your best marketing tool.

• Amanda Goldman, Healthcare Industry Sales Strategist, Gordon Food Service
• Matt Tremblay, Senior Culinary Director of Procurement, Northbridge Companies
• Wendy LaBate, SVP Operations, AbleHearts
• Dana Fillmore, RD, Healthcare Marketing Manager, Gordon Food Service

75-A. Learn How to Shine in the Media Spotlight

CEOs of aging services organizations carry out many tasks for which they’ve been well-trained. But in recent years, CEOs have found themselves saddled with a new responsibility that tests their comfort levels and their self-confidence. They must regularly represent their organizations—and, by extension, the field of aging services—in the news media. Establishing good media relations is critical for your organization’s future, but it’s not easy, even for the most seasoned executives. This session will introduce you to the skills you need to give good interviews, speak in public, and deliver your messages with maximum impact. Presenters will use role-playing to help you put what you learn into practice. Take home tips to help you shine in the media spotlight.

• Lisa Sanders, Sr. Director, Media Relations & Editorial, LeadingAge
• Gwen Fitzgerald, Director, Public Messaging, LeadingAge
• Colleen Knudsen, Media Relations Manager, LeadingAge

89-A. Building a Sustainable Service Coordinator Budget

Research shows that service coordinators working in affordable senior housing communities help improve the wellness and resiliency of residents. But securing funding to employ a service coordinator isn’t always easy. This session will provide an overview of the service coordinator workforce landscape, policies that determine funding availability for service coordinators, and processes involved in securing that funding. In addition, learn best practices for building and submitting service coordinator budgets that are more likely to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and understand how you can meet HUD expectations for service coordinator funding and financial reporting.

• Jennifer Truppa, Director of Social Services and Quality Assurance, Embrace Living Communities
• Melissa Harris, Director of Government Affairs, American Association of Service Coordinators

90-A. Enhancing Diversity While Outsourcing Facilities Management

Executives of single-site life plan communities are experts at providing care and services to older adults but not necessarily experts at providing care for community buildings. For this reason, it made sense for Bayview, a life plan community in Seattle, to outsource the management of its facilities department to Northwest Center, a nonprofit organization serving people with disabilities. This session will highlight the partnership between Bayview and Northwest Center, which supports its work by operating a portfolio of businesses, including one offering comprehensive building services. Presenters will describe how Northwest Center’s management increased the efficiency of Bayview’s facilities department, improved staff and resident satisfaction, reduced turnover, and enhanced Bayview initiatives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Nancy Weinbeck, CEO, Bayview
• Phillip Smith, Facilities Director, Bayview
• Gene Boes, President and CEO, Northwest Center
• Volker Wellmann, Senior Vice President, Northwest Center

107-A. SAIDO: How a Cognitive Intervention Influences Caregiver Satisfaction

An evidence-based intervention called SAIDO Learning engages individuals with memory impairment in structured mental exercises designed to disrupt their dementia symptoms. During this session, two providers and a researcher will describe their recent study of how the SAIDO Learning program affects caregivers who help individuals complete their daily exercises. Presenters will share findings from caregiver interviews they conducted to determine whether SAIDO Learning contributes to caregiver job satisfaction, gives caregivers a deeper knowledge of the individuals with whom they are working, and impacts the services caregivers provide. Find out how to raise the level of staff engagement in memory care programming using a widely available engagement tool.

• Jill Ricker, Director of Operations, SAIDO, Covenant Living Communities and Services
• Michele Shropshire, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Illinois State University, Mennonite College of Nursing
• Christina Matzke, President & CEO, Sunset Retirement Communities & Services

122-A. A Leader’s Guide to Compliance and Process Improvement

Now that the updated Requirements of Participation are in place, it’s time for your organization’s nursing home administrator and director of nursing to work together on a system-by-system review of critical processes relating to your organization’s compliance and quality outcomes. During this session, compliance experts will educate you about key strategies and tools for compliance and process improvement. They’ll present three compliance systems for your review and discuss key leadership strategies for successful compliance outcomes. In addition, participants will take home a streamlined resource that includes leadership guidance for achieving compliance, a system implementation checklist, policies and procedures, and a training plan to help your team carry out compliance activities. Join this interactive session to learn key strategies for compliance and process improvement.

• Susan LaGrange, Chief Nursing Officer, Pathway Health Services Inc.
• Lisa Thomson, Chief Operating Officer, Pathway Health Services Inc.

123-A. Policy Update: Providing Care at Home Through Medicare

According to AARP, nearly 90% of adults over 65 want to remain in their homes as they age. Much has been written about the strategies needed to address this preference. But are those strategies reflected in current federal policy? This session will answer that question by providing an update on Medicare payment and regulatory policies that shape the ability of home and community-based service agencies to care for older adults at home. Let the LeadingAge Policy Team brief you on their advocacy activities around home health, hospice program integrity, payment rules, and other opportunities to reform and expand the home health and hospice sectors. Listen while team members update you on what’s happening in Congress and at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

• Mollie Gurian, Vice President, Home Based and HCBS Policy, LeadingAge
• Katy Barnett, Director, Home Care & Hospice Operations and Policy, LeadingAge

138-A. Tools to Help You Adapt to a Changing Labor Environment

Do you sometimes feel powerless to solve the labor crisis in your community? Then you’ll be interested in this session, which will offer proven solutions for improving recruitment and retention and strengthening your workforce. Presenters will include representatives of two LeadingAge provider organizations and an executive at KARE, a LeadingAge Gold Partner that connects caregivers, nurses, and staff with senior care communities and nursing homes. Don’t miss this opportunity to review data on what drives the career decisions of frontline professional caregivers and gain tips and tools to help you adapt to the changing labor environment and stabilize the workforce in your community. You’ll soon be ready to translate great ideas into decisive action.

• Laura Cambria, Senior Vice President, Operations, KARE

2-B. Bringing Broadband to Affordable Housing: Challenges and Solutions

Affordable senior housing communities have long recognized the value of providing internet access to their residents. Unfortunately, these communities face significant infrastructure and financial barriers as they try to give residents access to affordable and robust broadband service, internet-enabled devices, digital literacy training, quality technical support, and interactive, web-based content. This session will offer solutions that housing communities can use to overcome these barriers. Presenters will share details about two federal programs providing $44 billion in funding to enhance connectivity and digital inclusion efforts across housing portfolios and communities. They will also explore steps for building a coalition of cross-sector stakeholders that could develop long-term approaches to increasing connectivity by removing regulatory and operational barriers.

• Ginna Baik, Senior Business Development Manager for Senior Living, Alexa for Senior Living
• Sean Gerner, Senior Program Director, EducationSuperHighway
• Michelle Norris, Exec. VP External Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, National Church Residences

16-B. How Buildings Can Foster Inclusion for People with Dementia

Removing stigma and fostering inclusion can help people with dementia live well in a senior living community. The design of community buildings must play a critical role in advancing this vision. This session will highlight two innovative building designs that support people living with dementia, their care partners, families, and the broader community. One design promotes freedom of movement and individual choice through free-flowing indoor and outdoor spaces. Another design places a memory care neighborhood at the heart of an independent living expansion, allowing all residents to use campus amenities, participate in campus programs, and engage with one another. Presenters will offer strategies for conducting an inclusive design process and discuss the value of sharing memory care resources with the broader community.

• Josh Van Den Berg, Chief Strategy Officer, Wisconsin Masonic Home, Inc.
• Dustin Julius, Designer, RLPS Architects
• Maley Hunt, COO & Residential Services Administrator, LiveWell

17-B. Harness the Power of Personalization in Life Plan Communities

Like any new homeowner, older adults moving into a newly constructed or renovated life plan community want to personalize their new residences to fit their unique tastes and preferences. The ability to customize a new home is an important selling point that can accelerate a life plan community’s occupancy. But personalization can also present challenges to team members responsible for managing thousands of resident selections and customizations while also working to honor project timelines and control administrative costs. This session will offer clear guidance to help you enhance the resident buying experience through personalization without causing project delays or risking budget overruns. Take home actionable steps to help you strengthen the competitive advantage of your next new construction or renovation project.

• Brendan Baloh, Vice President, The Whiting – Turner Contracting Company
• Michelle Montroy, AVP, Development, Mather
• Suzanne Allen, Managing Partner, BlueFingerprint

29-B. Addressing Disparities Through COVID Vaccination

Older adults of racial and ethnic communities experienced disproportionately higher rates of morbidity and mortality during the COVID pandemic than did their white counterparts. Further, this population of older adults was less likely to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to physical, language and economic barriers, lack of insurance and limited access to healthcare. To address this vaccine disparity, Community Catalyst, a health advocacy organization, partnered with LeadingAge and community-based organizations to address vaccine hesitancy and support national efforts to increase rates of COVID vaccination among vulnerable older adults. Presenters at this session will describe their role in the federal Partnering for Vaccine Equity Program, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the program’s impact on racial and ethnic communities across the United States. They will also outline their methods for addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in older adults and raising awareness about COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations among direct care professionals working with older adult populations.

• Nicholle Cross, Strategic Manager, Vaccine Equity and Access Program, Community Catalyst
• Tiffany Young, Senior Research & Evaluation Scientist, Lenell and Lillie Consulting

41-B. Support Your Leadership Team During Executive Transitions

The field of aging services will soon have the largest cadre of newly minted C-level executives and leadership teams in its history. Integrating these new executives into well-established teams requires a support system that helps team members grow and develop as leaders who can drive organizational success. This session will highlight new approaches to creating well-developed transition and coaching plans for leaders throughout your organization. Participants will discover how to build higher-functioning teams, improve retention of new executives and existing team members, and facilitate individual and organizational growth. Listen as speakers describe their personal experiences with transition and leadership support initiatives, identify best practices in executive onboarding, and share resources to help your leadership team grow and develop.

• Ann Gillespie, CEO, Collington – A Kendal Affiliate
• Elizabeth Feltner, Chief Executive Officer, Deffet Group, Inc.
• Erica Thrash-Sall, CEO, Horizon House
• Nancy King, Strategic Advisor, NKK, LLC

42-B. Support, Elevate, and Inspire Your Frontline Caregivers

Frontline professional caregivers are resilient, innovative, and hardworking. Yet, many of these caregivers have complex and challenging lives outside of work and need individual encouragement and support to envision and attain their goals. Unfortunately, few organizations in the field of aging services have clear and equitable systems to provide this support. During this session, staff from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and executives of two Minnesota-based provider organizations will help you discover how peer mentors, workforce development experts, and quality improvement models can help you support, elevate, and inspire every team member in your community.

• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Jenna Kellerman, Director of Workforce Strategy & Development, LeadingAge
• Christy Brinkman, Senior Administrative Leader, Essentia Health Oak Crossing
• Amanda Gruber, Director of Life Enrichment, Three Links Care Center

56-B. There’s More Than One Way to Serve the Middle Market

There’s more than one way to provide housing and services to middle-income older adults who can’t afford to live in life plan communities but don’t qualify for subsidized housing. During this session, representatives of United Church Homes in Marion, OH, will share how they brought three types of middle-market projects to life through an acquisition, a joint-venture collaboration, and a ground-up development. Presenters will discuss the features of successful middle-market projects and offer tips for creating an “a la carte” menu of services that might feature service coordination, meals, transportation, social engagement activities, technology, or emergency response systems. Participants will view clips from a documentary about a middle-market project for the 55+ LGBTQ population that was designed by the community it will serve.

• Kenneth Young, Sr. Exec. V.P. Chief Development & Legal Officer, United Church Homes
• Terry Spitznagel, Senior Vice President, Chief Growth Officer, United Church Homes
• Nathan Bollinger, Director of Asset Development, United Church Homes

57-B. Stay or Go: What Should You Do with Your SNF?

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) are struggling to remain viable after the COVID-19 emergency, and many organizations wonder if they should even stay in the nursing home business. If you’re looking for a way to avoid making this difficult decision, consider attending this session. Presenters will inspire you to rethink your nursing home component through resizing or creative repositioning. Hear directly from providers that faced this challenge head-on. They’ll show you how to consider available options, engage your board and staff, define a path forward, and deploy your strategy. Learn the pros and cons of downsizing, repositioning, or exiting a SNF. Head home with a framework to help you assess the current state of your SNF and explore a path forward.

• Andy Edeburn, Managing Partner, Elder Dynamics
• Jerry Griffing, CEO, Lutheran Haven
• Ron Walvoort, Chief Executive Officer, Pine Haven Christian Home

76-B. Reframing Aging and Nursing Home Care

Nursing homes provide critical support and services. Yet, ageism and implicit biases toward nursing homes often impede public support for policy changes that could bring about needed reforms. Effectively communicating about aging and nursing homes is a critical step in changing these attitudes. But first, we need to understand how the public thinks about nursing homes. Using proven framing techniques from the National Center to Reframe Aging, and a recent brief from the Frameworks Institute, this session will explore how framing aging-related issues and solutions more effectively can help us better understand and counteract ageism and bias and garner support for age-friendly policies and programs. Let presenters show you how you can change perceptions of aging and older adults through effective communication.

• Hannah Albers, Program Director, National Center to Reframe Aging, Gerontological Society of America
• Trish D’Antonio, Senior Director of Professional Affairs and Membership, The Gerontological Society of America
• Moira O’neil, Senior Vice President of Research Interpretation, FrameWorks Institute

91-B. Why HCBS Providers Need a Performance Management System

Reimbursement for home and community-based services (HCBS) is shifting rapidly from a fee-for-service to a value-based care model. Given this sea change, HCBS providers must learn how to tell their stories to funders, consumers, payers, team members, and other stakeholders—and back up those stories with impactful, supporting data. This session will show you how to carry out data-informed performance improvement efforts. Learn the critical steps involved in building and implementing a successful performance management system. You’ll quickly appreciate how tracking key benchmarks and identifying relevant outcomes and trends can help your organization manage its strategic planning, marketing, advocacy, clinical performance, and business operations. This session will focus on adult day services, but the information will also apply to other HCBS service lines.

• Jed Johnson, Managing Director – Aging Services, CARF International

92-B. Renewable Energy Solutions for Life Plan Communities

Imagine if your life plan community generated 2.3 million kilowatts of clean energy annually—the equivalent of 364 cars off the road, 2,002 acres of forest preserved, and 190,328 gallons of gasoline unused. That’s what The Village at Orchard Ridge, a National Lutheran Community in Winchester, VA, hopes to achieve through the solar panels and electronic vehicle charging stations it is installing on its campus. This session will provide details about the commitment of National Lutheran Communities & Services to pursue 100% clean, renewable energy solutions. Explore the financial benefits that solar projects can offer life plan communities and residents. Let presenters tell you how to plan, build, and finance a solar project with minimal disruption to community operations and resident life.

• Richard Mazza, President, Coach Lane Advisors, LLC
• Susan Dailey, Resident Board Member, National Lutheran Communities & Services
• Cyndi Walters, CEO/President, National Lutheran Communities & Services
• David Eisenbud, Senior Director of Business Development, Distributed Solar Development (DSD) Renewables

108-B. Ensuring Behavioral and Mental Health Across the Continuum

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports that 20% of older adults will experience mental health issues, and up to 4.8% will have a serious mental illness diagnosis during their lifetimes. Clearly, behavioral and mental health must be a part of the conversation as we think about the future of aging services. During this session, you’ll hear from providers across the continuum who have implemented interventions to serve older adults with behavioral and mental health needs, whether they live in the community, in residential care settings, or in affordable housing.

• Alex Piriz Mookerjee, Executive Director, Westminster Communities of Florida, Inc.
• Deidre DeLeo, Director Behavioral Health, Crisis and Assessment Programs, VNS Health
• Mollie Gurian, Vice President, Home Based and HCBS Policy, LeadingAge

124-B. Attorney General Interventions in Senior Care Transactions

In recent years, state attorneys general have increased their oversight of business transactions involving aging services providers. While legal and regulatory issues and solutions vary from state to state, attorneys general are applying greater scrutiny and often imposing restrictions on mergers, affiliations, leases, and other changes in control. The process can be protracted, and the conditions imposed by attorneys general can narrow the market of eligible buyers or affiliates. During this session, seasoned attorneys from multiple states will offer their perspectives on this national trend, analyze the underlying policy issues motivating state officials, and discuss the potential uncertainties and procedural challenges that providers will encounter when seeking to transfer control or ownership of care settings.

• Pamela Kaufmann, Partner, Hanson Bridgett, LLP
• Glenn Fox, Exec VP and General Counsel, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
• Paula Sanders, Principal, Post & Schell, P.C.

139-B. What Are You Getting Wrong about Employee Retention?

Providers of aging services agree that they have workforce retention problems, but they are uncertain about the underlying causes of those problems. This uncertainty stems from the fact that leaders in the field of aging services view the workforce crisis differently than professional caregivers do. This session will identify what senior living leaders get right when trying to attract and retain top talent—and what they get wrong. Presenters will examine provider misconceptions about why professional caregivers make the employment decisions they do. You’ll take home tips to help you go beyond your own misconceptions so you can focus on the key issues driving retention challenges.

• Charles Turner, CEO, KARE

3-C. The Future of Business: Transformation in the Digital Era

To remain competitive in a rapidly evolving business environment, organizations in the field of aging services must transform themselves by embracing new technologies, implementing new processes, and adopting new business models. This session will transport you to the future. Presenters will discuss emerging digital transformation trends and examine how organizations can leverage technology to drive efficiencies and innovation. They’ll also explore the challenges and opportunities associated with digital transformation and provide insights into best practices for navigating this complex landscape. Whether you’re a CEO, a manager, or an IT professional, you’ll walk away with valuable insights about the future of business and what it takes to succeed in a digital era.

• Dusanka Delovska-Trajkova, CIO, Ingleside
• Scott Code, Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge
• Travis Gleinig, VP of Innovation & CIO, United Methodist Communities
• Ravindar Chockalingam, VP Project Management and Process Transformation, ArchCare

4-C. Sustainability in Aging Services: A New Framework for Delivering Care- CANCELED

More than 80% of nursing homes face clinician shortages, and 90% of nurses believe these shortages can negatively affect the quality of care. This session will offer various perspectives on workforce challenges, and unique solutions to improve aging services and care delivery. Ted Jeanloz, CEO of LeadingAge Gold Partner, connectRN will host leaders and partners in a discussion of the challenges associated with clinician quality and well-being, continuity of care, pay and benefits, risk assessment, and technology. Panelists will outline the benefits of implementing a sustainable staffing model and explore the role and importance that innovation will play in securing the future of aging services.

18-C. Making Private Rooms Work Everywhere

Nursing home residents have long expressed their preference to live in private rooms. Now, as more regulators and payers endorse this preference, many providers are making private-room options work operationally, financially, and clinically. This session will explore providers’ growing interest in private rooms and will highlight organizations that have intentionally incorporated private rooms into a variety of care settings. Presenters will offer an in-depth case study of a new rehabilitation and health center in Manhattan featuring all private rooms and a focus on person-directed care. Don’t miss this opportunity to compare multiple types of private-room nursing home models, explore the financial and operational viability of these models, and evaluate your organization’s ability to implement private-room nursing services in urban cores, rural towns, and everywhere in between.

• Susan Ryan, Senior Director, The Green House Project
• Jeffrey Farber, President & CEO, The New Jewish Home

30-C. First Steps: How a Life Plan Community Began Its DEI Journey

In 2019, Trinity Woods, a faith-based, single-site life plan community in Tulsa, OK, faced a stark reality: not one person of color lived at Trinity Woods, and its board of directors and leadership team lacked diversity. A sequence of events, including the 2021 centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, created a heightened awareness of racial injustice that dramatically influenced the direction of Trinity Woods. This session will explore the community’s efforts to expand its commitment to diversity. Presenters will describe how the life plan community provided housing and support to Afghan refugees, increased the ethnic diversity of its board, trained team members to recognize their implicit bias, and took steps to increase the diversity of the people it serves.

• Steve Dickie, CEO, Trinity Woods
• Weldon Tisdale, Chaplain, Trinity Woods
• Jerome Steele, CFO and VP of Finance, Trinity Woods

43-C. LeadingAge and UNCF: Creating the Next Generation of Leaders- CANCELED

In 2020, LeadingAge and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) formed a partnership aimed at increasing awareness of careers in the field of long-term services and supports (LTSS) among underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. This session will explore the new LeadingAge/UNCF partnership and its efforts to improve the racial and ethnic diversity of mid- and senior-level management teams in the LTSS field. Presenters will give you details about an employer-based fellowship program the partners are piloting, describe the benefits of partnerships between historically Black colleges and universities and providers of aging services, and introduce you to the many ways you can participate in creating the next generation of senior leaders in aging services.

58-C. Building Your Pathway to Growth in Volatile Times

Providers of aging services must demonstrate perseverance and tenacity as they set and achieve growth goals for their organizations within a rapidly changing and sometimes volatile business environment. This session will explore the multifaceted pathways to growth available through new construction, affiliations, acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic partnerships. Two senior living providers will describe their strategic growth strategies; how their boards participated in selecting those strategies; the timelines associated with specific growth pathways; and the pitfalls, detours, and successes they encountered along the way. Discover the link between your growth pathway and your organization’s vision, mission, values, and culture. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the innovative and multifaceted growth opportunities available to your organization.

• Beverly Asper, Director, Baker Tilly
• Brian G. Lawrence, President & CEO, FellowshipLife Inc
• Mary Kay McMahon, President/CEO, Fellowship Community

59-C. A Resident-Driven Capital Campaign

Residents of your senior living community are also potential donors to your organization’s philanthropic efforts. But tapping the generosity of the people you serve can be challenging and requires a sensitive approach. During this session, members of the executive team of a single-site life plan community in Worcester, PA, will explain how they engaged members of the resident population, board, and management team in their organization’s first comprehensive capital campaign. You’ll meet the resident who made a multi-million-dollar gift to that campaign and the artist who developed recognition materials that honored the organization’s culture while building community excitement and increasing donations. Learn the basics of launching a capital campaign and assess whether such a campaign could be effective in your organization.

• Arlene McLean, Resident, Meadowood
• Jody LaVerdure, Director of Development and Community Relations, Meadowood
• Karen Singer, , Karen Singer Tileworks, Inc
• Paul Nordeman, President & CEO, Meadowood

77-C. Fostering a Positive Selling Culture in Your Organization

Your organization’s brand promise doesn’t live in its marketing materials. Instead, it is expressed through the actions of every team member. The hospitality industry already understands that everyone in the organization, regardless of their role, is ultimately “in sales.” This session will help providers of aging services adopt that philosophy and, in the process, foster a positive selling culture that comes alive through daily actions. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to ensure that your employees embody your brand promise, that residents are empowered to participate in referral programs, and that new hires and existing team members have a sales mindset. Hear about hiring, operational, customer service, and dining interventions that have been proven to boost sales.

• Don Warfield, Vice President Marketing & Culinary Coaching, 3rdPlus
• Scott Daniels, Vice President of Culinary and Operations, 3rdPlus
• Derek Dujardin, Creative Director, 3rdPlus
• Cynthia Thurlow Cruver, Principal, 3rdPlus
• Don Shulman, President/CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)

93-C. Prepare to Thrive in Accountable Care

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services wants to enroll 100% of original Medicare beneficiaries and most Medicaid beneficiaries in accountable care relationships by 2030. How will this goal impact your organization? This session will bring you up to speed on the changes we are likely to see as Medicare fee-for-service ceases to exist in its current form. Find out why you should pay attention to CMS pilot programs like the Value-Based Insurance Design Model for Hospice, the Medicare Shared Savings Program, and the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) model. Dig deeper into one innovation that uses end-of-life doulas to bridge the gap between hospice services and curative medical treatment. Take this opportunity to prepare to thrive in accountable care.

• Mary Hsieh, CEO, Consultant, Transpectus Health
• Dana McHugh, Executive Director – FAHA H&S, LeadingAge Florida

109-C. Helping Team Members and Clients Recover from Moral Injury

Moral injury, a profound form of suffering, reached epidemic proportions during the pandemic among first responders and those working in healthcare and aging services. First identified among veterans, moral injury occurs when individuals violate or witness violations of their deeply held values and beliefs. For example, caregivers might feel distressed over their roles in allocating limited resources during the pandemic. Drawing on an evidence-based program for veterans, this session will define moral injury, explain how it differs from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, and provide ways to determine if someone might be experiencing this condition. In addition, the presenter will offer strategies that social service providers can use to alleviate moral injury in their clients and themselves.

• Rita Nakashima Brock, Senior Vice-President & Director of Shay Moral Injury Center, Volunteers of America

125-C. Policy and Operations Update: Affordable Housing

More than 2.5 million older adults receive some form of housing assistance through a variety of federal programs. This session will focus on Congressional actions to fund affordable housing, expand the number of service coordinators working in federally assisted housing, and improve existing housing conditions. Members of the LeadingAge Policy Team will review the provisions of key housing bills supported by LeadingAge and evaluate the likelihood of their enactment. Presenters will share the latest regulatory and operational updates from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regarding inspections, new funding opportunities, fair housing, housing-based services, the internet, the Rental Assistance Demonstration, and implementation of the 2016 Housing Opportunity through Modernization Act. They will also explore hot topics in affordable housing and new housing-related research.

• Linda Couch, Vice President, Housing and Ageing Services Policy, LeadingAge
• Juliana Bilowich, Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge

140-C. Reducing Turnover Through Recognition and Appreciation

Lack of recognition and appreciation are among the top reasons for high turnover. This session will focus on the types of recognition and appreciation employees want and how these preferences can be incorporated into an organization’s culture. Presenters will review key labor statistics related to turnover in aging services and share cost-effective, proven retention strategies, including career ladders and professional development. Learn how to create a fun-filled work environment where team members are connected and their ideas are respected. Delve into generational differences in recruitment and retention so you’ll know how to involve each generation in a person-centered recognition program. Tap into your creativity and compassion so you can appreciate and recognize the unique skills of your clinical team.

• Dr. Kathleen Weissberg, Director of Education, Select Rehabilitation, LLC

141-C. Blame-Free Learning: How to Create a Culture of Safety

Researchers and safety experts emphasize the significant role that organizational culture plays in the success of resident and workforce safety initiatives. This session will share lessons learned from a multisite aging services organization that recently completed a “Culture of Safety Assessment” adapted from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The survey tool helps organizations identify opportunities for safety improvement and develop action plans to lift employee morale and improve the quality and outcomes of resident care. Presenters will describe how a safety culture creates a learning environment where all employees participate in problem-solving and learn from their mistakes. You’ll discover how to respond to team member involvement in unintended resident harm through nonjudgmental dialogue, genuine care for staff members, and a blame-free learning environment.

• Celena Romero, Senior Risk Management Analyst, ECRI Institute
• Tom Garberson, General Counsel, Eskaton

5-D. How End-Users Can Improve Your Technology Systems

Technology developers must consider the needs and preferences of end-users when designing their systems and solutions. That was the goal of a recent collaboration between the Cubigo technology company and Ingleside, a Washington, DC-based aging services organization. The two partners joined forces to improve accessibility within the Cubigo platform, which integrates software, hardware, and intelligence to improve life and work in senior living communities. This session will provide details about the collaboration, how Cubigo improved its system based on end-user feedback, and how those updates enhanced the resident, family, and team member experience. Learn the benefits of allowing end-users to join your next technology project. Take home tips for working with vendors to improve your organization’s technology systems.

• Geert Houben, CEO, Cubigo
• Liz Keller, Resident Technology Engagement Manager, Ingleside
• Dusanka Delovska-Trajkova, CIO, Ingleside

19-D. Biophilic Design: Connecting to the Outdoors and Others

A growing number of senior living communities are taking steps to address biophilia, the human instinct to connect with nature and other living beings. Communities practicing “biophilic design” ensure that residents have deep and meaningful connections to outdoor and architectural spaces that support and encourage enhanced socialization. This session will present multiple examples illustrating how biophilic design concepts can elevate daily life in senior living environments. Presenters will walk you through the design process and demonstrate how biophilic design decisions are influenced by residents’ everyday life, including their care needs, routines, paths of travel, and social activities. Find out how an environment enriched with biophilic features can improve your community’s marketability and provide an enhanced experience for residents, families, and staff.

• LuAnn Holec, Principal Owner, Thoma-Holec Design
• Andrew Alden, Senior Associate / Senior Project Designer, AG Architecture
• Clare Hahneman, Senior Business Development Project Manager, Ecumen
• Joe Sweitzer, Senior Project Manager, NAVIGATE Building Solutions

31-D. Culturally Responsive Person-Centered Practices

Person-centeredness has become a hallmark of state and federal policy governing aging services. Still, providers of aging services need more information about the direct impact person-centered practices can have on older adults receiving long-term services and supports. This session will fill that information gap. Presenters will cite recent research examining the connection between person-centered support and quality-of-life outcomes. In addition, they’ll explore the role that organizational culture plays in person-centered practices for older adults who identify as LGBTQ. Participants will gain a new appreciation for the need to honor an individual’s culture while providing person-centered services, and how state systems can advance person-centered approaches with an eye toward equity and diversity.

• Saska Rajcevic, Project Manager, Human Services Research Institute
• Stephanie Giordano, Co-Director National Core Indicators, Human Services Research Institute
• Rosa Plasencia, Director of National Core Indicators–Aging and Disbabilities, ADvancing States
• Elise Hernandez, Director, Research and Impact, SAGE | Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders

44-D. Intentional Leadership Development for Succession Planning

Succession planning in nonprofit senior living organizations has traditionally focused solely on replacing chief executives who are leaving the field of aging services due to retirement or burnout. This session will offer you a new, proactive way to manage executive transitions through a succession planning process that gives your organization’s existing leaders access to career ladders and allows you to create a diverse, intergenerational leadership team that is ready to work with a new CEO. LeadingAge members will describe the processes they used to identify and advance current leaders. A succession planning expert will share best practices for melding leaders from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience into a well-established leadership team ready to advance your organization’s priorities without disrupting its culture or mission.

• Kevin Schwab, Chief Executive Officer, Givens Communities
• Christian Grunder, HR Director, Givens Communities
• Elizabeth Feltner, Chief Executive Officer, Deffet Group, Inc.
• Dee Brown, SVP, Human Resources, Covenant Living Communities and Services

60-D. A Proactive Approach to Providing Supportive Services and Service Coordination

Affordable housing is a critical platform for providing supportive services and service coordination to help older residents remain healthy and independent for as long as possible. During this session, representatives of United Church Homes will provide an overview of how their organization grew its housing-based service coordination program to serve more than 4,000 residents in 15 states. Presenters will discuss their proactive approach to developing and implementing an outcomes-based service coordination model, including how they link residents with community supports, address social determinants of health that can negatively influence health outcomes, and develop partnerships with community-based providers to improve residents’ health and social experiences. Discover how to offer a variety of housing-based services, including service coordination, congregate meals, transportation, social engagement, technology, and emergency response systems.

• Terry Spitznagel, Senior Vice President, Chief Growth Officer, United Church Homes

78-D. Post-COVID: Repositioning to Secure New Revenue

Multi-site senior living organizations maintained a laser-like focus on the health and safety of residents and staff during the emergency phase of the coronavirus pandemic. But when COVID-19 finally began shifting toward endemic status, the most successful organizations shifted too. This session will highlight The Ohio Masonic Home’s efforts to recover from pandemic-related challenges and secure new revenue opportunities. Presenters will describe how the organization reached out to experts, conducted internal reviews, and created a customized repositioning plan to improve its sales, marketing, and development processes. Find out how your organization can create a similar repositioning plan that helps it balance its mission and margins, identify development opportunities, stay relevant in the marketplace, and quickly improve its bottom line.

• Amy LaGrant, Founder, BrandMETTLE, LLC
• Scott Buchanan, CEO, The Ohio Masonic Home
• John Mehrkens, Principal, Baile Senior Development

79-D. Meet Your Hidden Audience

Every provider of aging services has a “hidden audience” of older adults who, along with family members, spend hours researching senior living options but never call a sales director or arrange a tour. How can providers engage with these hidden consumers in a personal, unbiased, and respectful way? This session will answer that question. Presenters will share information about the demographics, habits, concerns, preferences, and readiness of hidden consumers and will offer guidance on how to reach those consumers through marketing messages and one-on-one outreach. You’ll discover how your hidden audience differs from traditional senior living consumers and how you can tailor sales strategies so hidden consumers reveal themselves. Take home simple, powerful tools and techniques for activating leads and nurturing relationships with your hidden audience.

• Nate O’Keefe, CEO & Founder, Roobrik, Inc.
• Nicole Pretre, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cedar Community

94-D. Monitoring Quality Outcomes to Protect Reimbursement

Reimbursement for post-acute care is more dependent on quality outcomes than ever before. What does that mean for providers? First, your quality outcomes will be closely scrutinized by accountable care organizations, Medicare managed care plans, consumers, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Second, that scrutiny will most certainly impact the reimbursements your organization receives. This session will offer a strategy to help you focus on quality outcomes related to reimbursement by maintaining clear communication between your reimbursement and quality teams. Leaders from Covenant Living Communities and Services, will share the collaborative program they use to monitor quality metrics and reimbursement data. Learn how they implemented their program so you can establish yours.

• Peggy Connorton, AVP, Healthcare Regulation, Compliance, Quality, Covenant Living Communities and Services
• Elizabeth McLaren, SVP Revenue Cycle ,Reimbursement and HCBS, Covenant Living Communities and Services

95-D. Fighting Inflation: A Guide for Life Plan Communities

News about inflation is dominating the media and the nation’s psyche. And no wonder! Rising costs are having a dramatic impact on every American, and senior living organizations are not exempt. This session will explore how inflation affects life plan communities and how they can mitigate its effects on their bottom lines. Financial experts will examine the inflation-related pain points that life plan communities are experiencing. Take a close look, for example, at how strategic growth initiatives are faring in the face of skyrocketing construction costs, rising wages, and high interest rates. Discover how some life plan communities are addressing inflation by reducing costs and adjusting revenue streams without jeopardizing their viability. Pinpoint which inflation-busting strategies are proving to be most effective.

• Dee Pekruhn, Director, Life Plan Communities Services & Policy, LeadingAge
• Stuart Jackson, Executive Vice President, Greystone
• Dana Anders, Principal, CLA
• Chad Sneed, CFO, Lutheran Senior Services
• Dan Hermann, President & CEO, Head of Investment Banking, Ziegler

110-D. Respect and Transparency: Communicating with Family Caregivers

Encouraging family members to advocate for the well-being of a relative is an important mission for providers of aging services, especially when residents cannot participate fully in their own care. However, some family members may have unrealistic expectations regarding the actions that staff members can take to resolve issues that arise. During this session, experts in family support services will share best practices for respectful and transparent communication with family care partners. Presenters will offer tips for working collaboratively with families to build trust, manage expectations, and create a team that is dedicated to the well-being of residents. Learn how to listen actively to families and respond to their concerns. Gain tips for coaching team members as they interact and work with family members.

• Hollie Glover, Director of Education, James L. West Presbyterian Special Care Center
• Jaime Cobb, V.P. Dementia & Caregiver Education, James L. West Presbyterian Special Care Center

111-D. Are You Ready to Implement an Evidence-Based Program?

Adopting evidence-based practices is essential to improving quality in senior living communities, but provider organizations are not always ready to implement these practices effectively. This session will highlight how a university and a multi-site senior living organization worked together to implement the Individualized Positive Psychosocial Intervention (IPPI). This evidence-based program has been shown to enhance the well-being of people living with dementia while reducing their negative emotional and behavioral responses. Presenters will explain how a university-based researcher engaged with staff, residents, and family members at nine nursing homes to ensure that IPPI would be implemented successfully. Discover the elements of organizational readiness to adopt an evidence-based program and learn how to improve program implementation by engaging with and soliciting input from people involved in the program.

• Katy Abbott, Executive Director, Scripps Gerontology Center and Professor of Gerontology, Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University
• Amy Kotterman, Director of Customer Experience, United Church Homes

126-D. HCBS and Aging Services: The New Medicaid Rules and You

It’s been a big year for providers of home and community-based services (HCBS). The home and community-based settings rule took effect, states began unwinding the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision, and the administration released proposals to improve the Medicaid system. This session will feature a conversation about Medicaid HCBS that centers on providers of aging services and why they should be treated differently under the HCBS settings rule. Members of the LeadingAge Policy team will offer updates on how the proposed Medicaid rules could impact your organization. They’ll describe the most recent activity around unwinding, and report on legislative efforts to expand HCBS, achieve integrated care for dually eligible individuals, and improve the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly.

• Georgia Goodman, Director, Medicaid, LeadingAge
• Mollie Gurian, Vice President, Home Based and HCBS Policy, LeadingAge

142-D. Build and Sustain an Inclusive Employee Wellness Program

Successful employee wellness programs have the potential to boost morale, increase retention and productivity, decrease health insurance costs, and promote inclusion in the workplace. But how do organizations build a sustainable wellness program that addresses each employee’s individualized wellness needs? Representatives of A.G. Rhodes in Atlanta will share how they created and branded their organization’s wellness program, which focuses on physical, financial, spiritual, social, nutritional, and mental well-being. Discover how the wellness program allows community leaders to discuss burnout and stress management and promote mental health awareness. Learn how to create, enhance, and sustain a wellness program to meet the demands of an increasingly diverse workforce.

• Mary Helton, Chief Human Resources Officer, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab
• Kim Beasley, Director of Communications and Outreach, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab
• Sonya Williams, Director of Life Enrichment and Culture Change, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab Cobb

143-D. Retention Roadmap for Senior Care Leaders

Employee turnover continues to burden senior living communities, affecting their bottom lines and, in some cases, threatening their quality of care. Fortunately, effective leaders have found ways to improve the situation. During this session, a workforce retention expert and a senior living leader will present strategies for extending the tenure of employees working in your community. Presenters will walk you through an audit to help you assess where to focus your retention efforts and to help you prioritize retention initiatives that can help you earn the greatest return on investment with the smallest commitment of time. You’ll leave this session energized to make retention a reality in your organization and equipped with a roadmap for implementing retention initiatives.

• Cara Silletto, President & CEO, Magnet Culture, formerly Crescendo Strategies
• Leigh Anna Compton, Director of HR, Still Hopes

6-E. Preserving Independence Through Remote Monitoring

Living independently for as long as possible is a clear preference for residents of life plan communities and participants in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). It is also the preference of providers seeking to help residents and clients avoid disruptive moves to more expensive levels of care. Remote monitoring solutions can address both preferences by increasing the safety, well-being, and independence of older adults. This session will explore how a remote monitoring solution positively affected health outcomes for participants in a Maryland-based PACE program. Presenters will describe their implementation process, offer an overview of the latest remote monitoring products, and detail the technology infrastructure needed to support them.

• Shaun Smith, President Integrated Services, Asbury Communities, Inc.
• Nick Patel, President, ThriveWell Tech
• Majd Alwan, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, ThriveWell Tech

20-E. Design Strategies to Address Staffing Shortages

As the baby boom generation ages, senior living providers feel increased pressure to maintain a high level of care and service, even as they watch their workforce shrink dramatically. The solution to these workforce-related challenges may be as simple as taking a second look at your building’s design and amenities. This session will showcase building design features that can help you attract and retain quality caregiving professionals, improve staff efficiency, and maintain a high level of service with fewer staff. Consider ways your building can help you support food service, care delivery, building maintenance, and operations staff. Review metrics on how many FTE hours can be saved by adopting robotics and other forms of technology—and how those savings can be used to increase staff compensation.

• Mark Beggs, President & CEO, Edenwald
• Matt Schuler, Dir. of culinary development, Scopos Hospitality Group
• Margaret Yu, Architectural Designer/Business Development, RLPS Architects

32-E. Long-Term Equality Index: How Welcoming Are You?

Most providers of aging services want LGBTQ older adults to feel welcome in their communities. However, many are unsure how to protect their LGBTQ residents from discrimination, develop gender-affirming policies for transgender residents, or create LGBTQ-inclusive marketing materials. This session will focus on the Long-Term Care Equality Index (LEI), a tool that promotes the adoption of LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices in senior living. LEI staff, and providers who are participating in LEI, will discuss the need for LGBTQ-inclusive senior living communities and use findings from the 2022 LEI survey to explore how senior housing communities are welcoming LGBTQ older adults and what gaps still exist. Presenters will also share resources to help you ensure LGBTQ residents feel at home in your community.

• Katie Fasullo, Corporate Director of Population Health and Health Equity, Chicagoland Methodist Senior Services
• Dan Stewart, Associate Director, Aging Equality Project, Human Rights Campaign Foundation

45-E. Let’s Talk About It: Conversations CEOs Should Be Having

What’s the most critical conversation in an aging services organization? It’s the one that should be taking place between CEOs and the employees who report directly to them. These candid conversations allow team members to tell the CEO how they really feel about their job, their organization, and their leaders. This session will explore why these life-changing conversations aren’t occurring nearly as often as they should be and why this situation could damage your organization’s culture and cause valuable employees to leave. Obtain insights and tools to help you remain open to hearing what your employees want to tell you. Listen as leaders who have participated in these conversations share what works, what doesn’t work, and what they have learned.

• Matt Garcia, Chief People and Central Iowa Operations Officer & Executive Director, WesleyLife
• Julie Thorson, President/CEO, Friendship Haven

61-E. Market Challenges: An Opportunity for Your Organization

Many senior living organizations have put expansion plans on hold as they weather the storms caused by astronomical construction costs, disruptive supply chain issues, historic labor shortages, and the lingering effects of COVID-19. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Current market challenges may actually create exciting opportunities for organizations to plan for the future by reflecting on their missions, working with new partners, and realigning and repositioning assets. During this session, representatives of Presbyterian Senior Living in Pennsylvania and Parker in New Jersey will describe how they launched master planning initiatives designed to lead them toward a sustainable future. Panelists will outline the critical components of their planning processes and explain how they are creating engaging living environments to match the expectations of future clients.

• Dan Davis, President & CEO, Presbyterian Senior Living
• Beth Sparling, COO, Parker Health Group, Inc.
• Steve Leone, Principal, Spiezle Architectural Group
• James Bodine, Executive Vice President, HJ Sims

62-E. Expanding Access to Aging Services in Rural America

A national collaborative led by Lutheran Services in America is working to make sustainable community-based services and supports more widely available to underserved older adults in rural communities of Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This session will provide an overview of the Rural Aging Action Network and how it builds partnerships with local organizations to connect low-income older adults with services and supports in their homes and communities of choice so they can age in place with dignity and respect. Join researchers from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and the director of aging initiatives at Lutheran Services in America for a close-up look at this grassroots initiative.

• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Molly Wylie, Research Associate, LeadingAge
• Ashley Washington, Director, Aging Initiatives, Lutheran Services in America

80-E. This Dynamic Duo Can Boost Recruitment and Consumer Confidence

What’s the secret to improving employee recruitment and earning consumer confidence? Often, it comes down to changing how these two groups perceive the field of aging services and the organizations that provide services and supports. This session will show you how a strong collaboration between your marketing and human resources teams can help change perceptions of our field among prospective employees and the general public. Presenters will explain how market research conducted by LeadingAge was used to develop communication strategies, messages, and tools to help bolster public perceptions of the critical work you do. Explore LeadingAge’s “Opening Doors to Aging Services” initiative and take home a roadmap for telling an authentic story about the quality care and meaningful careers available in our field.

• Gwen Fitzgerald, Director, Public Messaging, LeadingAge
• Courtney Barth, Vice President, Advancement & Marketing, Rogerson Communities
• Jenna Kellerman, Director of Workforce Strategy & Development, LeadingAge
• David Caudle, Executive Creative Director, Tandem Senior Living Advisors

96-E. Get NSPIREd about Meeting HUD’s New Inspection Standards

Providers of affordable housing and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are moving forward with the most significant property compliance overhaul in 20 years. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear about the new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). You’ll get the latest operational updates on the NSPIRE implementation, including inspection schedules, scoring, and online reporting. A housing provider will offer their perspective on the new NSPIRE standards and will describe the challenges their organization faced in meeting the new requirements. You’ll leave this session with more insight into HUD’s expectations and more confidence about the steps you can take to ensure a successful inspection.

• Ashley Sheriff, REAC Deputy Assistant Secretary, Real Estate Assessment Center, HUD
• Juliana Bilowich, Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge

97-E. How the Five-Star System Impacts Occupancy and Equity

It’s been 25 years since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services created the Five-Star Quality Rating System to help consumers, their families, and caregivers compare nursing homes more easily. This session will mark the system’s silver anniversary by assessing its impact on occupancy and equity in healthcare settings. Presenters will identify how they expect recent changes to the Minimum Data Set 3.0 to impact the Five-Star system. You’ll take home tips for developing a quality strategy that will help you achieve Five-Star success despite recent changes in inspection surveys, staffing, and quality measures.

• Steven Littlehale, Chief Innovation Officer, Zimmet Healthcare Services Group, LLC

112-E. Operating the Small House Model in 24-hour Care Settings

The small house model strives to create nursing home living spaces with a cozy, homey feel and a person-centered approach to caring for older adults who need long-term caregiving. During this session, representatives of Oregon-based Rose Villa Senior Living will describe their 10-year journey to apply the small house model to a 24-hour supportive living neighborhood. Presenters will share the benefits and challenges of transitioning to a brand-new supportive living environment, the lessons they learned, the surprises they encountered, and the design decisions they made to align with or depart from the traditional small house model. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain practical insights you can apply to your own planning as you strive to offer more options to residents who need 24-hour long-term caregiving.

• Vassar Byrd, President and CEO, Rose Villa Senior Living
• Erin Cornell, Director of Health Services, Rose Villa Senior Living

113-E. Prepare for Health Emergencies with Collaborative Research

COVID-19 may have moved out of its emergency phase, but the lockdowns imposed in long-term care settings during the height of the pandemic left a lasting impression. This session will share the results of an 18-month research project aimed at helping residents, family members, providers, and staff at four senior living communities work together to better understand the impact of COVID-related social isolation so they could prepare for future health emergencies. Presenters will discuss education and research topics that researchers identified in collaboration with residents, families, and other partners. The session will include a discussion of how leaders in the field of aging services can plan for health emergencies, safety initiatives, and quality improvement programs in partnership with residents and families.

• Sonya Williams, Director of Life Enrichment and Culture Change, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab Cobb
• Bev Johnson, President/CEO, Institute for Patient and Family Centered Care

127-E. Thriving in the New World of Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage programs enrolled 50% of all Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. This significant growth triggered troubling trends, including rising care denials for enrollees and declining payments for providers. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is trying to address issues related to Medicare Advantage coverage determinations, prior authorizations, and deceptive marketing and communication practices. But questions remain about the agency’s ability to turn the tide. This session will explore the impact of Medicare managed care on providers of aging services and Medicare beneficiaries. Presenters will explore regulatory and Congressional activity designed to address challenges within Medicare Advantage. Several providers will be on hand to share their strategies for combatting those challenges and thriving in the new world of Medicare Advantage.

• Nicole Fallon, VP, Integrated Services and Managed Care, LeadingAge
• Anthony Evans, President, Pure Healthcare

144-E. Evidence-Based Workforce Training: A Tool to Tackle Turnover

A well-trained team is a critical component of a healthy senior living community. Yet not all communities use evidence-based programs to train team members who interact with and support older adults throughout all stages and conditions associated with aging. This session will explore an interactive curriculum that gives trainees the skills they need to care for older adults living with behavioral health issues, dementia, and the adverse effects of ageism. Presenters will describe the skills training program, which teaches participants how to demonstrate respect, reduce the impact of stigma, and conduct purposeful communication. Hear results from three independent evaluations of the program and explore its impact on turnover, staff satisfaction, and older adults’ perceptions of their caregivers.

• Amanda Krisher, Senior Director, Engage withu00ae
• Coley Rainbolt, Nursing Home Administrator, Wind Crest

7-F. Driving Digital Transformation Through Stakeholder Engagement

Successful digital transformation in skilled nursing settings requires an interdisciplinary approach that ensures positive outcomes for residents and team members alike. This session will feature RiverSpring’s interdisciplinary approaches to implementing a variety of technologies, including interactive nurse call systems, fall reduction solutions, rehabilitation robots, and virtual reality headsets. You’ll hear about the steps involved in engaging all stakeholders—including frontline caregivers, managers, IT staff, and vendors—in technology projects from the beginning. Presenters will also address the use of artificial intelligence, the benefit of initiating small pilot programs, and the importance of measuring success.

• David Pomeranz, Chief Operating Officer, RiverSpring Living
• David Finkelstein, CIO, RiverSpring Living
• David Siegelman, Vice President, Rehabilitation Services, Hebrew Home at Riverdale – RiverSpring Living
• Angela Belfer, Clinical Project Manager, RiverSpring Living

21-F. Can Design Impact Social Health in Affordable Housing?

Awareness is growing about the power of social connections to improve the health and well-being of older adults living in affordable senior housing communities. But, until now, housing designers and owners have not had access to robust criteria and clear metrics to help them evaluate how specific design elements impact social health. This session will highlight findings from a six-month study designed to fill this gap. Members of the research team will explain how they worked with two affordable senior housing communities to develop a set of criteria for design elements that can support social connection while keeping residents safe during an infectious disease outbreak. Session participants will take home an actionable, evidence-based design framework they can apply to new or existing housing projects.

• Katrina Summersett, Director of Risk Management & Quality, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
• Maggie Calkins, President, IDEAS Institute
• Upali Nanda, Global Director of Research, CADRE

33-F. No Two Brains are Alike: Seeing Mental Health Through a DEI Lens

The term “neurodiversity” is not often mentioned during discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)—but it should be. Neurodiversity refers to the fact that individuals think, learn, process information, and behave in diverse ways because no two brains are alike. This session will explore why neurodiversity should play a central role in our conversations about workplace health. Presenters will discuss why organizations seeking to create an inclusive and welcoming work environment must promote the psychological safety of all team members, including those living with autism, ADHD, and mental health conditions. CEOs on the panel will speak candidly about the challenges they face as they navigate their neurodiversity while reassuring other team members that they are not alone.

• Carrie Shaw, CEO/President, Embodied Labs
• Marvell Adams Jr., Founder & CEO, Communities of Inclusion & Belonging, Inc.
• Allison Ciborowski, President & CEO, LeadingAge Maryland

46-F. Best Practices for Conducting a CEO Search – CANCELED

Filling a vacant CEO slot can be challenging and time-consuming for the board of directors of a life plan community. But following a structured approach can help your organization select the right person for the job while ensuring that all stakeholders feel included in and informed about the process. This session will provide a detailed overview of the critical steps in a CEO search, such as selecting a search committee and executive search partner; checking in with key stakeholders, including community residents, to ascertain what they are looking for in a new CEO; interviewing candidates and conducting a final discernment process; making an offer; announcing the new CEO; and implementing a transition and onboarding plan—all while keeping residents and staff in the loop.

47-F. Career Pathways for Frontline Caregivers in Aging Services

Most frontline professional caregivers in the field of aging services want to advance in their careers. But only some of these caregivers are interested in becoming registered nurses. Fortunately, there are alternative career pathways they can pursue. This session will explore those pathways. Team members from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, and a leader at Rush University Medical Center’s Social Work and Community Health department, will explore how providers of aging services can create career pathways to help frontline professional caregivers pursue jobs in social work or other social services roles, including care managers and service coordinators. You’ll hear from providers who created non-traditional career pathways and from direct care professionals who have followed those pathways.

• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Jenna Kellerman, Director of Workforce Strategy & Development, LeadingAge
• Bonnie Ewald, Managing Director, Center for Health and Social Care Integration, Rush University Medical Center

63-F. Philanthropy Benchmarks in Aging Services: What You Need to Know

Fundraising can enhance your organization’s ability to transform lives, fulfill its mission, and compete in the marketplace. But, in today’s market, fundraisers must work smarter to achieve success. This session will present the latest findings from the Philanthropy in Aging Services Study, designed to help leaders of organizations serving older adults make informed decisions about their fundraising strategies and approaches. Presenters will highlight key metrics for fundraising programs, summarize new research on transformative giving, and present case studies from philanthropy practitioners across multiple organizations. Find out how your organization’s fundraising compares with philanthropy programs in other aging services organizations, identify appropriate methods and measurements for fundraising, and evaluate the best next steps for fundraising at your organization.

• Irina Thompson, Consultant, Marts & Lundy
• Z. Allen Abbott, Vice President of Philanthropy, Baptist Senior Family
• JD Shuman, President & CEO Asbury Foundation, Asbury Communities, Inc.

64-F. Insights from Continuing Care at Home Pioneers

Older adults want to age in their own homes, and more organizations are interested in establishing continuing care at home (CCaH) programs to meet this need. What does it take for an organization to succeed in offering the 30-year-old CCaH model? During this session, CEOs from some of the first CCaH programs will answer that question. They’ll tell you about their experiences establishing, managing, and growing CCaH. They’ll share their insights about the key drivers of successful CCaH programs and their visions for the future of those programs. They’ll also discuss how technological advances can help accelerate the growth of continuing care at home and how CCaH programs complement traditional brick-and-mortar life plan communities rather than competing with them.

• Carol Barbour, CEO/President, VigR Health
• Lynne Giacobbe, Chief Executive Officer, Kendal at Home
• Scott Stevenson, President & CEO, Phoebe Ministries
• Jonathan Cook, President/CEO, LifeSpire of Virginia
• Lisa Hoffman, Executive Director, Pathstones by Phoebe
• Cecily Laidman, Executive Director, Springpoint Choice

81-F. How Sales and Marketing Can Influence Organizational Culture

How can you combine cutting-edge marketing techniques and culture change initiatives to transform your organization’s position in the marketplace? This session will answer that question. Hear how Trinity Woods in Tulsa, OK, used new marketing processes and a relationship-based sales training philosophy to address its census challenges. The organization began its transformation by teaching its sales team how to build a better rapport with prospective residents and shorten the sales cycle. In the process, Trinity Woods unintentionally discovered opportunities to change the culture of its organization. Presenters will help you understand how a relationship-based sales philosophy can affect your organization’s census and culture. Discover how sales and marketing can work together to support a healthy bottom line and a healthy organization.

• Bonnie Polak, Vice President of Philanthropy & Community Engagement, Trinity Woods
• Kimberly Hulett, President, Creating Results, Inc.

82-F. Speak with Confidence, Clarity, and Credibility in a Crisis

Providers of aging services are no strangers to scrutiny, but COVID-19 and its aftermath have brought them more attention than ever. Residents, families, staff, regulators, and the public are watching these providers closely, and demanding honest, proactive, and effective communication. This session will provide examples and practical tips to help you improve your communications, even if you don’t have someone on staff to handle public relations. Get the help you need to establish a consistent communication pattern, whether you are dealing with a large-scale crisis, releasing a routine operational update, or sharing an upbeat, feel-good story. Take home best practices and lessons to help you speak with confidence, clarity, and credibility, especially in times of uncertainty and confusion.

• Deke Cateau, Chief Executive Officer, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab
• Mary Newton, PR & Communications Consultant, M. Newton Communications

98-F. Understanding and Navigating RAD for PRAC

In September 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a notice updating the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program so owners of affordable housing communities could convert a Project Rental Assistance Contract (PRAC) to a 20-year Section 8 contract. This conversion process paves the way for a housing provider to take on new financing, keep surplus cash flow, and receive rent increases in exchange for providing additional support services. This session will explain the ins and outs of RAD for PRAC, including the program’s benefits and limitations, its rent-setting rules, and features that often confuse owners and complicate the conversion process. Learn how to navigate the RAD for PRAC program to your best advantage.

• Gates Kellett, Principal, Gates Development Group, LLC

114-F. Adult Day: Using Art to Reduce Boredom and Isolation

Looking for ways to enhance quality of life and spark joy for older adults living with cognitive and physical challenges? Check out this session, featuring an innovative program that significantly reduces isolation and boredom among clients of four “Day Clubs” managed by Oakwood Creative Care (OCC) in Mesa, AZ. Learn how visual artists, musicians, dancers, historians, storytellers, poets, and fitness instructors offer workshops, classes, and community engagement opportunities at OCC’s licensed adult day health programs. Presenters will explain how OCC’s Day Clubs have helped 65% of members increase their cognitive function in the first six months of attendance and how the program has helped 96% of family caregivers reduce their stress.

• Tara Krantzman, Chief Operations Officer, Oakwood Creative Care Town Center
• Sherri Friend, President and CEO, Oakwood Creative Care Town Center

128-F. Tax-Exempt Status: Errors, Risks, and Compliance

Aging services providers with tax-exempt status must comply with a complex set of laws and regulations governing their care delivery and business operations. Ensuring compliance with these rules is more critical than ever, as mistakes can cost a provider its entire operation. This session will explore some of the most common tax-exempt-status mistakes made by nonprofit aging services organizations and share strategies for limiting the liability exposure associated with those errors. Presenters will identify common mistakes related to bylaws and governance, explain how to use donor-designated and board-restricted funds appropriately, and explore how to maximize distributions from alternative funding sources like investments and trusts. Get tips for organizing your operations, governance structures, and insurance coverage to minimize liability exposure and satisfy public-support assessments.

• Terri Harris, Partner, Fox Rothschild
• Richard S. Caputo, Partner, Fox Rothschild

129-F. The Beginner’s Guide to Hiring Refugees

With 125,000 refugees expected to enter the U.S. next year, and over 1.1 million asylum-seekers awaiting adjudication of their claims, LeadingAge members are understandably interested in tapping into this rapidly growing pool of potential caregivers in the field of aging services. But how? This session will answer your questions about how resettlement programs work, the policy barriers that may interfere with your hiring plans, and the strategies that can help more refugees and asylees connect with jobs in aging services. Presenters will outline the steps providers must follow to employ refugees and asylees. They will also review recent policy developments that could affect the process.

• Ruth Katz, SVP of Public Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
• Lindsay Hutter, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Goodwin Living
• Robin Wolzenburg, Vice President of Housing & Clinical Services, LeadingAge Wisconsin
• Natasha Bryant, Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge

145-F. Improve Staff Retention through Creative Confidence

Retaining team members can be as simple as unlocking their creative potential and encouraging confident, innovative problem-solving. But how? This session will help you improve staff retention by fostering your team’s creative confidence. Representatives of Front Porch, a LeadingAge member in California, will show you how to create a co-learning culture where team members trust their own ideas, persevere when things don’t work out, see mistakes as learning opportunities, become great problem-solvers, and, ultimately, stay on the job longer. Presenters will use interactive tools and practical strategies to help you tap into your own creative confidence and promote that same confidence among team members. Discover the benefits of empowering staff to use their creative spirit within a co-learning workplace.

• Katie Wade, Social Call Director, Front Porch
• Jessica McCracken, Director, Creative Spark, Front Porch

8-G. Tackling Technology-Related Risks with Targeted Training

Technology can help you increase efficiency in your senior living community. But the proliferation of mobile and internet-connected devices, including telehealth, can also raise privacy and data security issues. This session will help you learn how to identify technology-related risks in your organization and how to mitigate those risks through staff training. Presenters will give you the tools you need to train employees so they can adopt and implement systems properly and reduce risks associated with security breaches and threats to systems and data. You’ll return home with a better understanding of how to develop engaging training methods to help your team members view technology as a benefit, not a chore.

• Jennifer Griveas, Chief Human Resources Officer & General Counsel, Eliza Jennings
• Michael Gray, Director of Information Technology, Eliza Jennings

22-G. Weathering the Storm: Design Strategies for Disasters

Weather-related events like hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods can disrupt the operations of senior living communities, compromise or destroy buildings in an instant, and turn residents’ lives upside down. This session will highlight strategies to help your buildings endure and recover from catastrophic events. Building professionals and organizational leaders will present examples of how senior living communities are addressing heat and drought in Texas, seismic and power challenges in California, and hurricane and flooding threats in Florida. Learn more about the natural and human-made disasters that could strike your community, review the basic principles of resilient building design, and take home advice to help protect your buildings from threats.

• Grant Warner, Principal, HKS Inc.
• Patrick Crump, President & CEO, Morningside Ministries
• Brent Bartell, Principal, Hart Gaugler + Associates

34-G. Getting Unstuck: A Guide for Sustaining Diversity Efforts

Are you concerned that your organization hasn’t done enough to implement a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiative? Frustrated that your DEIB council hasn’t been as active as you would like? Confused about how to restart your DEIB journey? You are not alone. DEIB initiatives take time and energy, and sometimes they get stuck. This session will present case studies of aging services organizations that have overcome barriers to move their DEIB initiatives forward. Presenters will use the Appreciative Inquiry 5-D Cycle framework to guide participants as they prepare to develop DEIB initiatives and measure their success in sustaining diversity efforts. Participants will take home strategies and techniques for integrating diversity efforts into organizational culture, structure, and strategic planning.

• Marsha Wesley Coleman, Dir of Leadership Development & Training, Friends Services Alliance
• Jennifer Jimenez Marana, CEO/Founder, Marana Consulting

48-G. Getting Your Board Ready for Oversight, Insight, and Foresight

Your aging services organization must stay one step ahead of changing circumstances if it’s going to succeed in a complex and often uncertain operating environment. But how? This session will explore practical strategies to help you give your governing board and executives the tools they need to work collaboratively as they plan and prepare for the future. Let experts in the field of aging services help you understand the difference between strategic and operational planning and why both are necessary. Find out how to equip board members and leaders to measure your organization’s impact, manage its risk and compliance, and navigate the ever-changing regulatory landscape. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of boardroom best practices and recommendations for improving board management.

• Dottie Schindlinger, VP, Thought Leadership, Diligent
• Jim Pieffer, CEO/President, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network

65-G. Wisconsin Wisdom: The Secret to Competitive Advantage

Are you looking for a process to help define your organization’s competitive advantage in today’s market and reposition your campus to maintain a competitive edge? Then you’ll want to hear from the four Wisconsin-based providers of aging services participating in this panel discussion. These organizational leaders will tell you about their vision for the future of their campuses; how they approached building renovation, repositioning, and new construction; the partnerships they created or pursued to enhance services; their creative solutions to address employee recruitment and retention; and how they foster effective relationships and communication to garner approval for new projects. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from leaders with diverse skills and backgrounds, including experience in sales and marketing, development, healthcare, fundraising, and hospitality.

• Jennifer Sodo, Senior Living Market Leader, Eppstein Uhen Architects
• Nicole Pretre, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cedar Community
• Teresa Gatto, COO, Clement Manor, Inc.
• Brian Robinson, Director of Leisure Services, Fairhaven Retirement Community

66-G. Your Accountable Care Future: Strategies for Success

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is making progress in pursuing its goal to enroll all Medicare beneficiaries in accountable care relationships by 2030. As of 2023, 22% of all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries—about 13.2 million people—have been assigned to an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). This session will provide an overview of the different types of ACOs and their varied waivers and expectations. Hear from providers of aging services who are taking unique and collaborative approaches to working with ACOs. Learn how to avoid potential ACO-related pitfalls and seize the opportunities ACOs can present.

• Andy Edeburn, Managing Partner, Elder Dynamics
• Andrea Osborne, SVP, ACO Operations & Delegated Services, VillageMD
• Nicole Fallon, VP, Integrated Services and Managed Care, LeadingAge

83-G. Authentic Stories Can Elevate Your Brand

Providers of aging services have many unique and creative opportunities to change public misconceptions about senior living and break down decades-old stereotypes about aging. The secret to bringing about this transformation is simple: providers must tell authentic stories about living and working in senior living. During this session, you’ll learn how the unique stories of current residents and staff can help you reach new customers, attract talented team members, and elevate your brand. Presenters will teach you how to select resident and staff stories that illustrate why your community or organization is a great place to live and work. They’ll also introduce you to new strategies for sharing your community’s stories in ways that support a variety of sales, marketing, and hiring needs.

• Kelly Stranburg, Account Executive, FullCount
• Chris Mohrman, Vice President Marketing, WelcomeHome Software

99-G. Energize Your Team by Connecting the Hospitality Dots

Are staff turnover and competing priorities causing your customer service to suffer? This session will help you energize team members to provide a better experience for your residents and revitalize your culture. Find out how Brightspire Senior Living in Colfax, NC, created a set of clear service standards that encouraged team members to establish positive first impressions, communicate compassionately, and deliver anticipatory service. Learn how to use adult learning principles to design an effective hospitality curriculum that connects the dots between service standards and employees’ daily activities on the job. Take home best practices to help you create a sustainable hospitality program that your team will deliver enthusiastically for years to come.

• Donna Cutting, Founder & CEO, Red-Carpet Learning Systems
• Mark Collins, Vice President of Human Resources, Brightspire
• Kelli Underhill, Director of Workforce Development, Brightspire

100-G. Moving Forward: An Update on Nursing Home Quality

During last year’s Annual Meeting, leaders of the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition reported on their early efforts to prioritize recommendations for improving nursing home quality from a 2022 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report. This year, Coalition leaders will return to the Annual Meeting to share their action plans to advance those recommendations and the work they’ve done to execute them. The Coalition’s 9 action plans include efforts to expand financing physical plant transformations, build robust CNA career pathways, develop new targeted survey approaches, and increase the person-centeredness of care through innovative tools, measures and processes. Learn more about specific Coalition action plans, catch up on the Coalition’s goals for 2024, and discover how you can get involved.

• Isaac Longobardi, Director, Nursing Home Coalition, LeadingAge
• Douglas Pace, Director – Mission Partnerships, Alzheimer’s Association
• Sumire Maki, Program Manager, Moving Forward Coalition, LeadingAge
• Marc Cohen, Co-Director, LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, University of Massachusetts; Boston Campus Gerontology Institute

115-G. IWISH: Delivering Support Services in Affordable Housing

The Integrating Wellness in Supportive Housing (IWISH) program was implemented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2017 through September 30, 2023. IWISH uses HUD-assisted housing communities as a platform for delivering supportive services to older residents. This session will share boots-on-the-ground information about how the IWISH pilot benefitted residents receiving services. Presenters will report on resident outcomes and evaluate additional data collected during the last years of the pilot. You’ll hear about the challenges and successes of implementing IWISH in diverse communities, program components that should be continued, and alternative sources for continued funding of an IWISH program.

• Brenda Carney, National Service Coordinator Manager, CSI Support & Development Services
• Alisha Sanders, Director of Program Design, Evaluation & Strategy, Volunteers of America National Services

130-G. Employee Benefits: How to Boost Recruitment and Avoid Fines

Recent legal and regulatory changes affecting employee benefits can burden providers of aging services by inflating operating costs, increasing fines and penalties, and distracting you from carrying out your organization’s mission. Presenters of this session will describe the regulatory hurdles providers have encountered while implementing their organizations’ employee benefits plans, and the tools your organization will need to overcome similar hurdles. Compliance experts will explain why they expect the COVID-19 pandemic to impact compliance for the foreseeable future. They’ll also review changes in Affordable Care Act regulations and new mandates from the Biden administration. Learn how to create an optimal benefits program that boosts recruitment and retention while helping you avoid costly pitfalls.

• Joanna Mayer, Benefits Director, National Church Residences
• Rory Akers, Associate Director, Sr. ERISA Compliance Attorney, Lockton Insurance Brokers
• Ron Patti, COO, United Methodist Homes – Hilltop Campus
• Aaron Marsden, Producer Partner, Lockton Insurance Brokers

146-G. Attracting Purpose-Driven People to Your Purpose-Driven Organization

Did you know that today’s employees, regardless of age, are focused on finding purpose and giving back? This workforce revolution puts providers of aging services in a great position to use their purpose-driven cultures to attract purpose-driven employees. During this session, a workforce consultant and two providers of aging services will use data, research, and case studies to describe and help you tap into the new purpose-driven economy. Learn how your community’s culture can help it stand out as a purpose-driven organization and attract a workforce similarly focused on purpose. You’ll think differently about the “staffing crisis” when you discover how to position your organization to attract and retain the best employees in this new era of purpose-driven work.

• Denise Boudreau, President, Drive
• Jayne Keller, Chief Operating Officer, Christian Living Communities
• Carol Silver-Elliott, President & CEO, Jewish Home Family

147-G. Introducing Aging Services Professionals to Their Aging Selves- CANCELED

Professional caregivers in the field of aging services spend their days working with or on behalf of older people. But they often don’t think about how they feel about their own aging or how those feelings impact their work. This session will explore how an awareness of ageism can help senior living organizations create workplaces built around positive feelings about growing older. Let presenters show you how to create workplaces that encourage person-centered practices and foster an understanding of the values, needs, and preferences of residents, clients, and employees. You’ll return home with a new appreciation for how we can be successful and healthy in later life, even while living with decline, disability, and loss.

9-H. Grow Revenues and Drive Efficiencies with Connected Data

Providers of aging services collect a treasure trove of data that could enhance their organizations’ operations, quality of care, and resident satisfaction scores. However, this data is often siloed and fragmented, making it less useful than it could be. This session will show you how to establish a connected information and analytics hub that can rapidly gather data from multiple internal and external sources, consolidate that data across functions, and provide insights to help improve your organization’s operations. Discover how a connected system can help you speed up the hiring process, increase retention rates, optimize staffing, improve clinical outcomes, expand your strategic planning capabilities, and improve compliance. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the benefits of unified data and learn how to help your organization achieve it.

• Nicholas Carr, Director of Finance, Parker Health Group, Inc.
• Venkat Pydimarri, Head, Healthcare, OwlHealth&Care Technologies Ltd.
• Jim Dellapa, CIO, Parker Health Group, Inc.
• Scott Code, Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge
• Judy Collett-Miller, Director of Technology Innovation, Parker Health Group, Inc.

23-H. Blueprints for the Future of Aging Services: Perspectives from CEOs

Does the senior living community where you work today align with your vision of the community where you’d like to live in the future? What would it take to bridge the gap between your aspirations and current realities in the field of aging services? During 2023, 10 visionary chief executives of LeadingAge member organizations pondered these and other questions during a series of conversations designed to create a blueprint for the future of our field. This session will feature a panel discussion among CEOs who participated in those dialogues. Panelists will summarize their previous conversations and discuss ways leaders in the field of aging services can spur innovation by developing new senior living models that balance cutting-edge visions with the realities of implementation.

• Ben Gilchrist, President & CEO, Southminster
• Gretchen Cobb, Chief Operating Officer, Royal Oaks Retirement Community
• Merintha Pinson, Senior Associate, Perkins Eastman Architects PC
• Timothy Johnson, Immediate Past CEO, Frasier
• Daniel Cinelli, Senior Principal, Perkins Eastman Architects PC

35-H. How to Address the Older Adult Housing and Homelessness Crisis

Many older adults are projected to enter their later years living on fixed incomes and relying on support from smaller family networks than previous generations. These projections suggest that older adults are living under a growing threat of homelessness as they age. This session will focus on the challenges facing older adults at risk for homelessness and how those challenges can be mitigated. Presenters from Serving Seniors, a nonprofit agency providing housing and case management to low-income older adults, will discuss policy and infrastructure-related solutions that can address and prevent the housing and homelessness crisis. In addition, presenters will review findings and recommendations from their 2021 Senior Homelessness Needs Assessment and discuss how community partners used those findings to address older adult homelessness in San Diego.

• Paul Downey, President & CEO, Serving Seniors
• Melinda Forstey, COO, Serving Seniors
• Christina Selder, Director of Community Engagement + Government Relations, Serving Seniors

49-H. What’s a Learning Organization—and How Can You Become One?- CANCELED

The New York State Veterans Home at Oxford, NY, recently adopted a Learning Organization Model to address multiple challenges, including declining census, staff shortages, and low staff morale. The model, which will be described during this session, offers organizations the ability to become more flexible and professional—and boost employee satisfaction—by building a culture in which individuals continually create, acquire, and transfer knowledge and become more engaged, adaptable, and competent. Presenters will explore three building blocks of a Learning Organization: a supportive environment, concrete learning processes, and leadership that reinforces learning. Explore how the New York State Veterans Home became a Learning Organization and discover how to assess your organization’s readiness to follow in its footsteps.

67-H. Growing One Organization by Rescuing Another

Rising development costs can make it challenging for a senior living organization to expand into new markets. But that’s no reason to put expansion plans on the back burner. Instead, consider following the example of Ohio Masonic Home (OMH), which expanded its operations into a new region by purchasing—and rescuing—a life plan community in bankruptcy. This session will highlight how OMH stabilized its new asset by launching a collaborative master planning process that corrected operational inefficiencies baked into the physical layout. Presenters will share the strategies they used to improve their new community’s occupancy and financial performance. They’ll also explain the logistical and cultural challenges they faced when they decided to replace a dysfunctional skilled nursing building while continuing to care for its residents.

• Jason French, President, Western Reserve Masonic Community
• Suzanne Meltzer, Senior Design Architect, RDL Architects, Inc.
• John Mehrkens, Principal, Baile Senior Development

68-H. Hospital at Home: Acute Care Reimagined

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and state health officials eased some regulatory restrictions to help healthcare organizations build their capacity, increase access to care, and reduce burdens on a strained workforce. These regulatory changes paved the way for a new program that provides acute-care services to patients in their homes. This session will present the story of Nascentia Health, a home care provider based in Syracuse, NY, which worked with a hospital partner to develop an Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCaH) program. Presenters will explain how the AHCaH program works and the steps necessary to create and execute the program. Learn how to weigh the benefits and risks of an AHCaH program, choose the right partners, and measure outcomes.

• Andrea Lazarek-LaQuay, Chief Clinical Officer, Nascentia Health

84-H. You Can Evolve from Media Naysayer to Expert News Source

Do you break out in a cold sweat when a reporter calls? Secretly wish you could dodge that interview with the local radio station? You’re not alone. Engaging with reporters is frequently viewed as unpleasant and even distasteful by many providers of aging services. But there’s no need to fret. Instead, learn to view your encounters with the press as worthwhile activities that can have positive outcomes. During this session, you’ll hear from LeadingAge members whose attitudes toward media engagement have evolved from negative or passive to positive and proactive. Presenters will tell you how they evolved from media naysayers to expert news sources—and how you can follow in their footsteps.

• Lisa Sanders, Sr. Director, Media Relations & Editorial, LeadingAge
• Stuart Almer, President and CEO, Gurwin Healthcare System
• Tina Sandri, CEO, Forest Hills of DC u2013 Inclusive Senior Living
• Dorothy Davis, CEO/President, Visiting Nurse Health System, Inc.
• Brian Gavin, SVP Communications & Marketing, Volunteers of America

101-H. Value-Based Care: Getting a Seat at the Table

Senior living communities are viewed as prime locations for delivering home-based healthcare through value-based care models. This session will explore why senior living is getting so much attention from payers participating in these models. Presenters from LeadingAge Gold Partner PointClickCare will suggest ways to take advantage of that attention, whether you are interested in partnering with payers, becoming a payer, or serving as a care coordination agent for your residents. They’ll also introduce you to the “Triple AIM,” which calls for improving the experience of care and the health of populations while reducing costs. Find out why you should care about this approach, how you can participate in value-based care, and how that participation can help support your organization’s mission.

• Murry Mercier, Senior Living Market Director, PointClickCare
• Steven Buslovich, MD, VP – Senior Care, VBC, PointClickCare
• Stephanie Boreale, National Director of Health Strategy, Watermark Retirement Communities

102-H. Managing Continuing Care at Home from Start-Up to Maturity

When organizations establish continuing care at home (CCaH) programs, they typically focus on the requirements for a successful start-up and pay less attention to the requirements for maintaining ongoing program viability. During this session, representatives from CCaH programs at different stages of development will help you focus on both sets of requirements. Presenters will discuss their challenges while establishing a CCaH program, such as complying with state regulations and educating consumers about a new concept. They’ll also discuss ways to reach and maintain sustained program viability, manage the changing desires of consumers, and help CCaH members transition from home to a life plan community when they are ready. Discover innovative ways to grow your CCaH program so it remains strong today and into the future.

• Nicole Holtsclaw, Executive Director, Sun Health
• Cecily Laidman, Executive Director, Springpoint Choice
• Brad Paulis, Partner, Continuing Care Actuaries

116-H. Fun and Engagement for All—Including Those with Mental Illness

Fun and engagement are the philosophies that drive Byron Wellness Community’s unique approach to serving residents with severe and chronic mental health issues, dementia, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries. During this session, the chief executive officers of this stand-alone community in Fort Wayne, IN, will explain how their organization creates a warm and inviting environment for residents through its innovative approach to language, activities, training, dress code, and community partnerships. Hear about Bryon’s philosophies of delivering care and meeting resident preferences. Discover how the community works to hire employees who are willing to step outside their preconceived notions of aging services and focus on creating positive days for residents. Take home tips for implementing Byron’s innovations in your organization.

• Sarah Starcher-Lane, COO/Executive Director, Byron Health Center
• Deb Lambert, CEO, Byron Health Center

131-H. Advocacy Messages: Telling Your Story to the Right People- CANCELED

Despite the global pandemic, nationwide staffing shortages, and legislative mandates, senior living organizations continue to provide high-quality care, offer meaningful employment opportunities, and meet vital community needs. That’s why providers of aging services must tell their stories to elected officials, policymakers, and community leaders who can help them continue offering high-quality services and supports to older residents and clients. This session will provide practical guidance for organizations seeking to build an effective advocacy program that reaches the right people with the right messages at the right time. Representatives of one LeadingAge member organization will share their approach to advocacy communication. Learn how to develop and deliver an effective advocacy messaging program that doesn’t require significant time and resources.

132-H. Policy Update: Nursing Homes

Nursing homes have spent more than three years fighting COVID-19. At the same time, nursing home executives have been navigating a severe workforce crisis, regulation changes, supply-chain challenges, and a variety of nursing home-related proposals on Capitol Hill. This session will help nursing home providers take a deep breath and consider how they will transition from “What We’ve Been Through” to “What Comes Next.” Presenters will review the policies and market forces shaping nursing home operations and explore the steps you can take to position your nursing home for the journey ahead. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of survey trends, regulatory changes, and how you can make a difference at the federal level.

• Janine Finck-Boyle, VP of Regulatory Affairs, LeadingAge
• Evan Shulman, Director, Division of Nursing Homes Survey and Certification Group, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• Jodi Eyigor, Director, Nursing Home Quality & Policy, LeadingAge

148-H. Find Academic Partners to Help You Attract and Retain Talent

Eaton Senior Communities (ESC) in Lakewood, CO, has been working with educational institutions for over 15 years to provide internship opportunities for undergraduate students. This session will describe how the initiative helped ESC attract and retain talent to work in its affordable housing community, which offers residents a multitude of supportive services. Explore ESC’s program from the perspectives of the organization, former interns, educational partners, and residents. Learn how ESC created a framework that allows students from a variety of disciplines to gain practical experience throughout the organization. Let presenters tell you about their successes and the lessons they learned. Take home ideas for developing academic partnerships and creating internship opportunities within your organization.

• Garrett Chism, Faculty, Metropolitan State University of Denver
• Sarah Schoeder, Director of Wellness Initiatives, Eaton Senior Communities, Inc.
• Diana Delgado, President & CEO, Eaton Senior Communities, Inc.
• Brianna Haskins, Director of Community Development, Eaton Senior Communities, Inc.

149-H. Looking to Improve Retention? Consider Onsite Staff Housing

Offering affordable, onsite housing to your community’s team members can improve staff retention, stabilize staffing levels, and support the people who work for you. This session will highlight the experience of Lake Minnetonka Shores, a Minnesota-based senior living community that has offered low-rent apartments to team members for many years with great success and some difficulty . Presenters will describe the benefits and challenges of providing staff housing and offer tips to help you start a housing initiative. You’ll go home with a new understanding of the potential of your return investment you’re likely to receive from a staff housing project and analytics that can help you navigate the decision process.

• Rob Lahammer, Vice President of Engagement and Advocacy, Presbyterian Homes and Services

10-I. Interoperability: What is It and How Do We Achieve It?

Interoperability helps long-term and post-acute care (LTPAC) providers ensure that the right information about the right person is available to the right providers at the right time. Interoperability occurs when data systems in different care settings communicate with one another so that care transitions are as seamless as possible. During this session, leaders from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will discuss how they are working with providers and health information technology experts to advance interoperable data exchange in LTPAC settings. Participants will gain insights into CMS policies and activities to promote interoperability. In addition, they will learn how to discuss care coordination, standardized data, provider burden, and other interoperability-related issues with policymakers.

• Elizabeth Palena Hall, Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Lead, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Dave Hill, Project Manager, Tech & Business Development Lead, The MITRE Corp

11-I. Technology Solutions to Combat Workforce Challenges

Every aging services provider knows from experience that workforce pressures exert a significant influence on the operations, financial health, and strategic positioning of their organizations. But the same providers may not be aware that technology solutions could help their organizations address their recruitment and retention challenges. This session will highlight technology solutions that support workforce management, recruitment, staffing, scheduling, and training. Presenters will describe solutions that are currently available on the market and emerging technologies, including robotics, that are in the early stages of product maturity. In addition, they will review how senior living organizations make decisions about when they will invest in technology solutions, what solutions they will purchase, and how much they will spend.

• Thomas Meyers, Managing Director, Ziegler
• Mary Lynn Spalding, President & CEO, Christian Care Communities
• Peter Corless, Executive Vice President of Enterprise Development, OnShift

24-I. How Building Design Can Support a Culture of Belonging

The structure of our physical spaces impacts our emotions and behavior, whether we know it or not. That’s why architecture has such power to transform senior living communities and why it’s so important that each building’s design is aligned with a community’s culture and instills a sense of belonging in residents. This session will underscore the importance of continually revisiting and reevaluating our design strategies to ensure that they are creating an environment of inclusion, support, and opportunity for personal growth. Learn to consider how to help residents use buildings to improve their lives and how to innovate with empathy toward future residents. Discover how architectural innovation can support a community’s cultural transformation and how challenging our design processes can unlock new concepts and visions.

• David Fik, President, Lantz Boggio / Architects
• Jill Vitale-Aussem, President and CEO, Christian Living Communities

36-I. Help Your Community Become Dementia Friendly

Aging services providers can play a pivotal role in helping their local communities become “dementia friendly.” How? Through Dementia Friends, a no-cost education and awareness program designed to change how communities think, act, and talk about dementia. During this session, you’ll discover how the Dementia Friends program can help your organization become a leader of dementia-inclusive initiatives in your community. Find out how you can work with local partners to develop dementia-inclusive activities that are culturally responsive, feature cross-sector collaboration, and help families and professionals understand and anticipate the changing needs of individuals living with dementia. Presenters will report on program outcomes and share practical ways providers can implement the Dementia Friends program and adapt it for use with diverse communities.

• Salli Bollin, Executive Director, MemoryLane Care Services
• Marty Williman, Program Director, Ohio Council for Cognitive Health

50-I. Helping Your Board Lead During Challenge and Change

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, senior living organizations are focused squarely on big challenges, like retaining or rebuilding their teams, navigating an unpredictable economic climate, and making difficult strategic choices. How an organization’s board of directors leads—or fails to lead—during these times of change can make or break an organization. This session will show you how to strengthen your board through strategic recruitment and ongoing attention to board development. Discover how to recruit board members whose skills align with your organization’s needs and then provide those board members with continuing education, so they understand the organization’s work, priorities, and challenges. Delve into the board’s important communication role, and gain tips for helping board members deliver clear messages that resonate with important audiences.

• Annetha Hall, Board Chair, The Kendal Corporation
• Jane Mack, President/CEO, Friends Services Alliance
• Mike Gross, President, AKCG – Public Relations Counselors

69-I. Your Recipe for a Successful Home Care Business

Access to home-based services and supports gives older adults more choice in how and where they will spend their later years. That’s why consumers prefer home care services and why those services often represent the starting point of an older adult’s care path. This session will give you a head start on developing a home care business that offers your organization a competitive advantage in its market. Presenters will explain the basics of the home care model and detail the financial, operational, and leadership structures most conducive to success. You’ll head home with a new appreciation for how a successful home care business can give you a prominent position in your market’s continuum of care.

• Annette Greely, CEO/President, American Baptist Homes of the Midwest
• Mark Goetz, President and CEO, HomeCare Advocacy Network

70-I. Taking the Guesswork Out of Philanthropy

There’s no need to rely on guesswork when discerning whether a philanthropy program will help your organization advance its mission. This session will show you how to use data to find answers. The vice president for philanthropy at the Givens Communities in Asheville, NC, and two life plan community advisors, will describe the organization’s Culture of Giving study, which documents resident and stakeholder attitudes about giving. The study helped the Givens Communities test potential giving opportunities, develop an aspirational case for support, and create a plan to grow a community culture of giving. Let presenters show you how resident and stakeholder data can help you develop and refine strategic initiatives, engage potential donors, and confidently initiate or elevate a giving program.

• Kevin Schwab, Chief Executive Officer, Givens Communities
• Brian Guengerich, Vice President of Philanthropy, Givens Communities
• Michelle Melton, Vice President, Marketing and Philanthropy, WellPointe Advisors LLC
• David Ratchford, Strategy and Development Principal, WellPointe Advisors LLC

85-I. Develop a Sales Strategy Before Your Next Marketing Event

With so many high-tech, sophisticated marketing strategies available in senior living, why do providers of aging services return, time and time again, to tried-and-true marketing events? Because they work! This session will focus on the importance of hosting marketing events that are strategically designed to increase new leads, generate appointments, move prospects through the sales process more quickly, and increase move-ins. Presenters will explain why it’s crucial to develop a sales strategy before your marketing event so it’s not just a party. They’ll also offer tips for choosing creative themes and topics for your next marketing event. Learn how to engage your sales team before, during, and after a marketing event so guests are more likely to take their next step in the sales journey.

• Barbara Matamoros, Director of Sales and Marketing, Forefront Living
• Kristine Graeber, First Vice President, Greystone
• Leslie Dominguez, Corporate Vice President, Greystone

103-I. Nutrition + Hospitality = Satisfaction and Retention

How can you create a dining program that meets residents’ nutritional requirements while providing a family dining experience? Dan Levitt, a gerontologist and chief executive officer at KinVillage Association in British Columbia, Canada, has some ideas on how to reinvent the dining experience within a clinical environment. During this session, find out how KinVillage enhanced the resident experience by reimagining their approaches to dining and hospitality. Learn tangible steps and case studies illustrating dining changes that can profoundly affect resident health and employee morale. And understand how the community’s increased focus on hospitality boosted resident satisfaction and employee retention. You’ll leave this session with great ideas for improving the dining experience for residents and with an implementation plan to help you create that change.

• Dan Levitt, Chief Executive Officer, Kin Village Association
• Ellen Lowre, Vice President Nutrition, Wellness and Sustainability, CCL Hospitality Group
• Alan Campbell, Senior Director, Marketing and Support Services, Compass Group USA-PA

117-I. Let Professional Artists Transform Your Housing Community

Discover how the daily presence of professional artists can support the work of aging service providers, improve the well-being of older adults, strengthen communities, and help advance social change. During this session, leaders of an arts organization and an affordable housing community will share the results of their two-year experiment to create and integrates arts activities into an affordable senior housing community that 450 older adults call home. Musicians involved in the experiment built lasting relationships with housing community residents by teaching music lessons; leading lectures, discussion groups, and choirs; and hosting open rehearsals, performances, and a Music Festival. Discover the importance of bringing musicians to housing communities and the potential impact creative placemaking could have throughout the aging services sector.

• Tiffany Nicolette, Vice President of Housing & Services, Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc. (CHAI)
• Lauren Latessa, Executive Director, Iris Music Project

118-I. Systems, Spirituality, and Emotional Wellbeing

What strategies are best suited to improving well-being in mind, body, and spirit? The presenter of this session will help you find the answer to that question in the wisdom of the great spiritual traditions, insights from the world of mental health, and practices of healthy aging and positive psychology. Kelly O’Shea Carney, a licensed psychologist with board certification in geropsychology, will explore how wisdom from across disciplines can improve the experiences, well-being, and quality of life of all who live and work in long-term care settings. Carney will give you the tools you need to promote holistic well-being among residents, staff, and family members.

• Kelly Carney, Board Certified Geropsychologist, Vision Led Change Consulting

133-I. SNF Regulations: Get the Clarity You Need to Succeed

To ensure the future of their care settings, licensed senior living providers need a clear understanding of the regulatory changes and survey trends that impact their operations. Participants in this session will gain that clarity when presenters review and evaluate key regulatory developments from the past year, including the implementation of Phase 3 of the Requirements of Participation and updated surveyor guidance. This is your chance to review current survey trends, including the top citations issued nationally and regionally. Delve into the status of rules mandating that skilled nursing facilities (SNF) report COVID-19 vaccination status through the National Healthcare Safety Network. Discuss common regulatory challenges and learn how to anticipate and prepare for future regulatory developments and surveys.

• Sean Fahey, Attorney, Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman PC (IN Office)
• Maddie Spearman, Attorney, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

134-I. Washington Update: Policy Insights from LeadingAge

You don’t have to be a “policy wonk” to stay current on federal policy issues. You just need to spend an hour with the LeadingAge Policy Team. During this session, those team members will tell you what you need to know as we enter election season and the second session of the 118th Congress. Presenters will fill you in on new guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, recent executive orders and fact sheets from the White House, and the latest news about pending legislation and Congressional hearings. You’ll walk away knowing what’s going on in the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in federal agencies—and what it all means for you and your organization.

• Linda Couch, Vice President, Housing and Ageing Services Policy, LeadingAge
• Janine Finck-Boyle, VP of Regulatory Affairs, LeadingAge
• Mollie Gurian, Vice President, Home Based and HCBS Policy, LeadingAge
• Nicole Fallon, VP, Integrated Services and Managed Care, LeadingAge
• Ruth Katz, SVP of Public Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge

150-I. Winning the Hearts of Employees by Winning Awards

Do award-winning organizations have happier employees? This session will answer that question by highlighting case studies of four senior living organizations that are building award-winning brands that benefit team culture and lead to business success. Presenters will explain how recognition from trustworthy external organizations at the local, regional, and national levels can help organizations increase employee morale and stakeholder confidence, pique the interest of prospective residents, boost employee confidence, achieve better retention and easier referrals, and attract a higher caliber of talent. Hear about presenters’ experiences on the path to award-winning distinction and learn how your organization can build an award-winning culture that influences employee happiness, morale, and success.

• Chris Harper, Vice President, Communication, The Arbor Company
• Kyle Rand, Co-Founder & CEO, Rendever
• Mica Rees, Chief Brand & Growth Officer, Ohio Living
• Joe Velderman, Vice President of Innovation, Cypress Cove at HealthPark Florida

12-J. Generative AI in Aging Services: ChatGPT and Beyond

Does AI have a role to play in your organization? This session will help you answer that question. Participants will hear from providers already using Generative AI. These presenters will discuss the potential challenges of implementing Generative AI in aging services, including the need to balance AI with human interaction and the importance of governance to ensure that AI is used responsibly and ethically. They will also share best practices for ensuring transparency, accountability, and stakeholder engagement when implementing this new technology.

• Scott Code, Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge
• Rama Chellappa, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, Johns Hopkins, Johns Hopkins University
• Joe Velderman, Vice President of Innovation, Cypress Cove at HealthPark Florida
• David Lindeman, Director, Center for Technology and Aging, University of California, Berkeley

25-J. The Changing Dynamics of Nursing and Dependent Care

Expanded regulatory requirements, declining reimbursements, and workforce challenges put pressure on nursing homes, especially those operating as part of life plan communities. In response, many organizations are reducing nursing beds or setting aside those beds for exclusive use by life plan community residents. Unfortunately, this practice could adversely affect middle-market consumers, reduce uncompensated care, and threaten the 501(c)3 status of many nonprofit organizations. Presenters at this session will explore design strategies that could allow nursing home providers to respond to changing market demand by flexing between long-term care nursing, short-stay rehab, assisted living, and memory care. You’ll also discover how good design can help older adults age in place while preserving the market appeal of independent living residences.

• Lisa Legeer, Chief Strategy and Integration Officer, LifeSpire of Virginia
• Amy Carpenter, Principal, SFCS Architects

37-J. DEI in the C-Suite: Leading Candid Conversations about Racism

Employees at all levels of a senior living organization must be involved in its mission to become more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. C-Suite executives, who are primarily white and male, must lead the way, but they need help. During this session, a panel of senior living leaders will share strategies and tools C-Suite executives can use to step outside their comfort zones, engage in conversations about racism, and encourage others to do the same. Presenters will explore how racism affects different groups and what each group can do to address that racism. They’ll also offer tips for creating a safe space in your organization for all team members—including C-Suite executives—to speak candidly and courageously about institutional racism and their role in dismantling it.

• Philippe Saad, Principal, DiMella Shaffer
• Kendra Roberts, Vice President of Operations, HumanGood Inc.
• Marvell Adams Jr., Founder & CEO, Communities of Inclusion & Belonging, Inc.

51-J. Regulator Expectations are Changing: Is Your Board Ready?

The federal government is increasing its oversight of the healthcare sector, and nonprofit boards of senior living organizations are not exempt from scrutiny. New requirements for governing boards, interlocking directorships, and nursing home-associated risk are resulting in more stringent surveillance by a variety of agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of Justice. During this session, presenters will recommend steps your board should take to meet new expectations from government regulators. You’ll gain insights into evolving government oversight in such areas as board-level compliance and ethics, quality and performance improvement, and nursing home assessments. Take home the tools you need to improve your board’s understanding of government requirements and how to meet them.

• Paula Sanders, Principal, Post & Schell, P.C.
• Karla Dreisbach, Vice President of Compliance, Friends Services Alliance

71-J. University-Based Lifelong Learning: Lessons from Arizona

With more older consumers demanding intellectually stimulating activity programs, senior living providers are considering ways to enhance their lifelong learning programs through partnerships with nearby learning institutions. This session will highlight the success of lifelong learning initiatives at Mirabella at ASU, a life plan community located on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. Presenters will describe how they conceived and developed their lifelong learning program and operationalized it. Learn how to get university partners to prioritize programming for life plan community residents and integrate older adults into the university’s culture. Gain ideas for ensuring your life-long learning and engagement program benefits your community and your educational partner.

• Eric Mineart, VP Strategy & Innovation, Pacific Retirement Services
• Lindsey Beagley, Director of Lifelong University Engagement, Arizona State University
• Jason Erdahl, Executive Vice President, Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects
• Darla Esnard, Principal, Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects

86-J. Tools for Winning the Resident Recruitment Marathon

The process of attracting prospective residents to your assisted living, memory care, or life plan community is a marathon, not a sprint. After all, your sales staff touches base with prospective residents as many as 28 times over 400 days before rolling out the red carpet on move-in day. This session will introduce you to sophisticated tools designed to help you identify, educate, and engage with older consumers during the long sales cycle. Learn about digital marketing and sales automation technologies that can help you operate a more robust sales process and use marketing dollars more efficiently. Let presenters introduce you to customer relations management systems that can help you find, engage, nurture, and track digital leads in a way that’s never been possible.

• Christa Daniello, Vice President, Sales, The Osborn
• Richard Sgaglio, Vice President, Marketing and Development, The Osborn
• Mona Hilton, CEO, Advantage Anywhere

104-J. Securing Funding for Improving and Greening Affordable Housing

The nation’s affordable housing portfolio faces threats presented by its own aging infrastructure and the effects of climate change. Housing providers looking for ways to tackle these threats will get some help during this session. Presenters will review the federal toolbox for housing preservation and resiliency, including the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides $25 billion in funding that can be leveraged for affordable housing. You’ll discover how you can use these funds to improve the cost, quality, and comfort of affordable housing for residents and ensure that climate-related investments provide equitable benefits for low-income households and communities of color. Don’t miss this chance to protect and improve your affordable housing portfolio over the long haul.

• Danielle Arigoni, Managing Director for Policy and Solutions, National Housing Trust
• Mark Oswanski, Senior Development Advisor, National Affordable Housing Trust
• Thomas Davis, Director, Office of Preservation, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development

119-J. A Dose of Resident Engagement Goes a Long Way

Resident engagement is an effective, foundational component of person-centered care, especially for older adults living with dementia. Yet, resident engagement remains the least managed side of senior living operations. This session will explore how person-centered engagement and programming can strengthen residents’ resiliency; provide opportunities for older adults to enjoy active, engaged, and meaningful lives; and potentially delay the need for higher levels of care. Presenters will introduce you to strategies and resources designed to increase meaningful engagement and enhance residents’ quality of life through non-pharmacological interventions. They’ll help you move from a medical to a social model of dementia care by focusing on engagement strategies that are rooted in residents’ life histories, individual preferences, and current abilities.

• Alicia Fenstermacher, Vice President of Purposeful Living, Presbyterian Senior Living
• Charles de Vilmorin, CEO & Co-founder, Linked Senior Inc.

135-J. Policy Update: Workforce Solutions and Strategies

The staffing crisis affecting the continuum of aging services has reached epic proportions. While the future is uncertain, we know one thing for sure: If Congress and the executive branch do nothing to mitigate the workforce crisis, our current challenges are unlikely to abate. This session will provide details about policy proposals and initiatives aimed at opening domestic and international worker pipelines through a variety of strategies, including immigration reform. Presenters will also explore efforts to professionalize the direct care workforce through increased wages, enhanced training, and robust opportunities for advancement. Join the LeadingAge Policy Team for this review of the latest workforce-related policy updates. Find out what’s ahead and what you can do to make a difference at the federal level.

• Nicole Howell, Director, Workforce Policy, LeadingAge

151-J. Preventing Burnout by Building Empathy and Resilience

Caring for residents with serious medical or psychosocial conditions can be traumatic and overwhelming for professional caregivers and can lead to burnout and high turnover. This session will introduce you to an interactive educational engagement strategy designed to help caregivers build empathy and become more resilient as they do physically and emotionally demanding work. Presenters will describe a curriculum that incorporates empathy-building exercises featuring improvisational comedy and narrative medicine techniques. Discover how this educational experience improves job satisfaction; reduces burnout and turnover; strengthens bonds among caregivers, residents, and family members; and celebrates the caregiver role. Hear about the experiences of program participants and explore grant-funding options that can help you tailor this educational program to your own community.

• Alvin Moyer, MD, Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center
• Katherine Penyak, Legacy Of Life Coordinator, Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center

13-K. Making Robotics a Reality, Not a Regret

If you still view robots as science fiction characters, it’s time to update your knowledge about how robotics and automation solutions are being successfully implemented in senior living communities nationwide. This session will introduce you to the growing number of robotics and automation solutions that your peers are using to make their dining services, housekeeping departments, and care settings operate more efficiently. Presenters will introduce you to robotics and automation solutions currently on the market and those still in development. They’ll help you evaluate your organization’s need for specific solutions and offer tips to help you make sure these technologies will produce a strong return on investment. You’ll also take home expert advice for selecting and interacting with your robotics equipment provider.

• Majd Alwan, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, ThriveWell Tech
• David Finkelstein, CIO, RiverSpring Living
• Katie Griffith, Principal CEO, Bright Solutions
• Bruce Shearer, Vice President of Technology, Presbyterian Senior Living

26-K. Meeting Consumer Expectations for Housing Design and Amenities

A new wave of older consumers brings new expectations to the senior living field. These consumers want to choose from a variety of housing options, and they’re looking for communities that will respond to a variety of preferences. This session will present a case study of Plymouth Place in La Grange Park, IL, which responded to consumer expectations by conducting a collaborative master planning process to determine the right mix of marketable housing products and amenities for its campus. Presenters will describe how they identified the successful components of Plymouth Place’s existing campus while working to elevate its amenities to meet future market expectations. They’ll introduce you to senior housing products and design details most likely to meet consumer preferences and expectations.

• Eric Harrmann, Senior Associate, AG Architecture
• James Biere, CEO, Plymouth Place, Inc.
• Daniel Collins, Associate Principal,

38-K. The Pryde: A Housing Option for LGBTQ Older Adults

Underrepresented populations, including older adults who identify as LGBTQ, don’t always feel welcome in traditional senior housing communities. This session will focus on efforts to provide these older adults with housing options designed specifically for them. Presenters will include the architect of The Pryde, an LGBTQ-friendly senior housing community in Boston, the president of LGBTQ Senior Housing Inc., a nonprofit organization that facilitates access to welcoming, safe, and affordable housing for LGBTQ older adults, and Pennrose, a national developer of affordable housing and co-developer of The Pryde. Participants will hear about the partnerships that made The Pryde possible, the project’s financial challenges and successes, and its intentional design as an inclusive community that welcomes building residents and those living nearby. Learn how project partners engaged members of the Boston community in developing New England’s first LGBTQ-friendly senior housing community.

• Aileen Montour, President & Chair, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc
• Karmen Cheung, Developer, Pennrose
• Philippe Saad, Principal, DiMella Shaffer

52-K. Coaching: A New Approach to Leadership Development

It’s standard practice for aging services organizations to use consultants or a train-the-trainer model to offer leadership development programs to groups of team members. But a growing number of organizations are rethinking this leadership development model. Instead, they’re investing in one-on-one coaching that meets individual leaders “where they are” and focuses on the continual evolution of the person being coached. This session will explore the experience of one senior living organization in the early stages of developing a coaching culture using internal and external coaches. Presenters will describe how their organization’s coaching initiatives differ from traditional leadership development programs. They’ll help you understand the impact of coaching on leaders, teams, and organizational culture, and will give you tips for implementing an efficient and cost-effective coaching system.

• Nicole Maag, Chief of Residential Services, Brio Living Services
• Michelle Henderson, CHRO, Brio Living Services

72-K. Maximize and Measure Your Fundraising Efforts

How do you decide which donors are most likely to support your organization? How can you identify strategic partners to help you in your fundraising efforts? And how will you know if your philanthropy program is effective and efficient? Presenters of this session will help you answer these questions. Let them guide you through the process of identifying and prioritizing donors who can help you meet your goals and strategic partners who can help you seize creative fundraising opportunities. You’ll become familiar with key metrics to help you allocate your precious fundraising resources to activities with the greatest impact. Head home with actionable ideas and tools for maximizing and measuring your fundraising efforts.

• Nicole Pretre, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cedar Community
• Sarah Malchow, Chief Administrative Officer, Cedar Community

87-K. Four Clues to Solving the Mystery of Declining Occupancy

In today’s competitive senior living market, the key to a healthy occupancy rate often lies with the four Ps: Place, Product, Price, and Promotion. When the census is down, most leaders look for an explanation by examining Place—the organization’s external market. But if that market is healthy, it probably means that one of the organization’s other Ps—buildings and services, fees, or marketing and sales—is lagging. This session will take an in-depth look at all four Ps and offer strategies for getting to the bottom of declining occupancy by strategically assessing each P and then taking appropriate action. Hear the story of one community that used the four Ps to develop a creative, strategic repositioning plan that changed its future.

• Judy Budi, President and CEO, Graceworks Lutheran Services
• Greg Hensley, Senior Vice President, Plante Moran Living Forward
• Sally Heffernan, Senior Vice President, Plante Moran Living Forward

105-K. Enhance Care Transitions with Handover Communication

What’s the difference between a handover and a handoff? You’ll find out during this session, which will explore why care transitions are more successful when clinical teams carefully hand over a resident’s care to other care teams instead of sending them the equivalent of an end-of-shift handoff report. Discover how North Hill, a life plan community in Needham, MA, improved care transitions and decreased falls and medication errors by increasing communication between its home health and skilled nursing care teams. Discover why older people are especially vulnerable to fragmented, inconsistent, and poorly planned handovers. Learn important lessons about the positive outcomes that result from clear, concise communication during care transitions.

• Shalini Patel, BSN, RN, Student, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work
• Kalee Kite, BSN, RN, Doctorate student, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work
• Kathleen Sousa, HCBS Administrator, North Hill

120-K. All In: A Team-Based Approach to Dementia Care

The more people you welcome to your dementia care team, the more successful that team will be as it strives to provide person-centered care for people living with memory challenges. This session will show you how to foster collaboration among team members, residents, and families and create a proactive, person-centered approach to dementia care. Learn how to use “neighborhood huddles” to ensure that all team members—from your housekeeping, dining, life enrichment, nursing, environmental, and administrative departments—can work with residents and families to create an environment where life has a purpose and every voice matters. Take home the tools you need to develop a team-based approach to dementia care.

• Ann Patterson, VP of Health Services, Broadmead
• Stacey Young, Director of Lifestyle and Dementia Programs, Broadmead

136-K. LIHTC: What Happens When the Compliance Period Ends?

Organizations participating in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program have started challenging the enforcement of important preservation rights that arise when the LIHTC program’s 15-year compliance period ends. In many instances, these so-called “15-year issues” have resulted in costly litigation for providers seeking to preserve the affordability of their housing portfolios. During this session, an attorney and aging services providers will use two case studies to educate session participants about the challenges associated with the LIHTC program, including rights of first refusal, purchase option disputes, limited partner removal efforts, refinancing challenges, and appraisal disputes. You’ll also gain tips for identifying and addressing these challenges when they arise.

• David Davenport, Shareholder, BC Davenport, LLC
• Roger Myers, President & CEO, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
• Christopher Cherry, Chief Financial Officer, Wesley Housing Development Corp. of Northern Virginia

152-K. Let AmeriCorps Help You Grow Your Workforce

In 2022, AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established Public Health AmeriCorps to support the recruitment, training, and development of the next generation of public health leaders. The AmeriCorps initiative addresses the public health needs of local communities by advancing more equitable health outcomes for underserved residents and creating pathways to high-quality public health-related careers through onsite experience and training. During this session, presenters will describe how Public Health AmeriCorps is helping to build a pipeline of professional caregivers in the field of aging services. You’ll learn the benefits and challenges of working with Public Health AmeriCorps and discover how your community can tap the talents of AmeriCorps workers.

• Todd Schmiedeler, CEO, Thumbprint Consulting LLC
• Raymond Dickison Jr, President and CEO, Wesley Manor Retirement Community

14-L. Using Technology to Attract Staff and Residents

Looking for ways to differentiate yourself from other providers in the senior living marketplace? This session will give you the inside track on technology solutions that can help your organization stand out from the competition. After a technology consultant shares high-level adoption trends, three chief information officers will describe how their senior living organizations are using technology solutions to attract new team members from related fields and new residents who are currently living at home or in other residential settings. Hear about their experiences with customer relations, payroll, patient monitoring, wearable, automation, and staff convenience tools. Explore lessons other providers have learned while adopting technology and discover the capabilities your organization must have before it can implement technology successfully.

• Steven VanderVelde, Director of Senior Living Partnership, ProviNET Solutions
• David Lafferty, CIO, The RiverWoods Group
• Aaron Fields, Chief Information Officer, St. Ann’s Community
• Joel Snyder, CIO, The Friendly Home

27-L. Evidence-Based Design to Support People with Dementia

As the aging population grows and the incidence of dementia increases, older adults and care providers will benefit from supportive features in the built environment that improve self-sufficiency, safety, and service delivery. Unfortunately, while evidence-based health design strategies are available, that information is not always readily available to providers of aging services. This session will describe recent work by gerontology students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to create an open-access, evidence-based design resource that can guide the implementation of health-optimizing design strategies in all settings where older adults with dementia live. Presenters will discuss common vulnerabilities associated with aging and dementia, describe an evidence-based approach to planning and evaluating the built environment, and share the open-access resource they developed.

• Addie Abushousheh, Environmental Gerontologist, The Center for Health Design, Inc.
• Bayan Alqam, PhD Candidate & Student Research Analyst, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing
• Raghad Tawalbeh, PhD Candidate & Student Research Analyst, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Nursing

39-L. Intergenerational Living: Planning for Diversity and Connection

Intergenerational communities are heading for a resurgence due to their ability to reduce social isolation and loneliness, fight ageism, boost residents’ quality of life, and attract older adults seeking to age in diverse, dynamic, and connected communities. This session will provide essential information you can use to plan an intergenerational community. Experts in finance, marketing, and architecture will join a senior living provider to describe intergenerational communities around the globe. Panelists will share their experiences developing these communities and offer insights into the challenges of incorporating this living model into existing communities or new developments. They’ll also share innovative tools to help you design, finance, and market your intergenerational community.

• JinHwa Paradowicz, Associate Principal, Perkins Eastman Architects PC
• Rob Love, President & CEO, Love & Company, Inc.
• Kendra Roberts, Vice President of Operations, HumanGood Inc.
• Wolf Saar, , Perkins Eastman Architects PC
• Will Carney, Sr. Vice President, Ziegler

53-L. Getting Comfortable with Transformational Projects

Taking on one transformational project would challenge any organization’s management and board of directors. So, when Resthaven, a 75-year-old, single-site senior living organization in Holland, MI, took on two transformational projects simultaneously, it knew it needed a foolproof strategy for success. Join Resthaven’s CEO and board chair as they describe how their community carried out a new campus expansion while also moving ahead with plans to lease a new independent living building in an urban setting. They’ll explain how an engaged team effort helped Resthaven reach its goals during the pandemic and in the face of increased construction costs and rising interest rates. Take home strategies for planning and building in a volatile operating environment.

• Deedre Vriesman, President & CEO, Resthaven Care Community
• Lynn Daly, Executive Vice President, HJ Sims
• Nate Baumann, Partner and Financial Planner, LVZ Financial Planning
• Eric Krull, Executive Vice President, THW Design

73-L. Consumer Preferences and the Future of Nursing Homes

Consumer preferences, shrinking utilization, and reimbursement shifts impact every nursing home nationwide. Senior living organizations must pay attention to these changes and routinely evaluate their position in the marketplace, assess their operations and financial strength, and consider opportunities for repositioning and growth. During this session, two CEOs and a senior living development advisor will share a proven campus repositioning process to help you right-size your skilled nursing setting and position your campus for long-term profitability. Presenters will explain market dynamics, present data on the reduced utilization of skilled nursing beds, and review projections of future demand for long-term services and supports. Learn how to execute a successful campus repositioning process and find the resources to manage and mitigate risk.

• Brian Pangle, President & CEO, Clark Retirement Community
• Dana Wollschlager, Principal, Plante Moran Living Forward
• Laurence Gumina, CEO, Ohio Living

88-L. Bringing the Ideal Resident Through Your Digital Front Door

These days, 75% of prospective residents looking for a senior living community start their search online. Not only that, today’s seniors and their adult children have grown accustomed to marketing that speaks to their specific interests. Are you ready to engage these new, digital-first consumers? This session will breakdown the why, how, and when to utilize the components of a full marketing funnel from both a community and agency perspective to engage your ideal resident through persona development and bring them happily through your digital front door with a personalized experience. Take home actionable strategies that build on your website and SEO by using performance tools and processes to refine prospect targeting, lower costs, and increase conversions.

• James Kelly, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Brio Living Services
• Glenn Hadley, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Dreamscape Marketing, LLC

106-L. Increase Retention and Reimbursement by Reimagining Therapy

A high-quality, person-centered therapy program should be the second-highest revenue source in skilled nursing facilities (SNF), but many providers aren’t seeing those results. This session will detail how therapy experts are reimagining the delivery of therapy care in senior living and how providers using new therapy models are reducing costs, increasing reimbursement, and improving care quality. Presenters will share research showing how high-level therapy strategies have impacted the accuracy and reimbursement of SNF providers under the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM). They will also outline how these therapy innovations have resulted in 95% retention rates among therapy staff within two years of adopting new delivery models. Take home ideas for implementing these strategies in your community.

• Carla Wilton, Chief Operating Officer, Immanuel Lutheran Communities
• Melissa Brown, Chief Operating Officer, Gravity Healthcare Consulting

121-L. Sense of Place: Getting to the Heart of the Resident Experience

Ready to move beyond traditional satisfaction surveys and get to the heart of how residents are experiencing your community? Then this session is for you. Representatives of Front Porch, a LeadingAge member based in Glendale, CA, will describe the six-month guided discussion series they established so residents could share their perspectives about their community while reconnecting with peers after two years of pandemic restrictions. Presenters will share how Front Porch’s “Sense of Place” pilot influenced the experience of community living for new and seasoned residents, supported organizational advancement, and influenced marketing and retention. Learn what residents had to say about a variety of topics, including their personal and community priorities and changes, and their care for and pride in the place where they live.

• Mary McMullin, Chief Strategy & Advancement Officer, Front Porch
• Rebecca Johnson, Senior Director for Resident Experience, Front Porch
• Patricia Willets, Resident, San Francisco Towers

137-L. Aging in Community: A Growing Focus for Section 202 Housing

The Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program is more focused than ever on offering older adults the supportive services and design elements they need to remain independent for as long as possible. This session will provide an overview of the program’s new requirements for supportive services in Section 202 communities, including building-design components that address fall prevention, universal design, technology, health and wellness, resource efficiency, and climate resilience. Housing providers interested in pursuing a new Section 202 capital advance, and other providers seeking new ways to support older adults, will take home a host of ideas for implementing successful, supportive service models and measuring their outcomes.

• Mark Oswanski, Vice President, Hampden Park Capital & Consulting, LLC
• Diane Smith, National Finance & Development Manager, CSI Support & Development Services
• Chris Parts, Principal, Hord Coplan Macht Architects

153-L. What’s Your Organization’s Cultural IQ?

An organization’s success depends on its ability to establish a culture that promotes the full engagement of residents, staff, and board members. During this session, a resident board member and leaders from The Admiral at the Lake in Chicago will explain how their organization is working to increase its cultural intelligence so it can carry out high-quality communication, achieve effective recruitment and retention, and create an atmosphere of respect and safety. Presenters will share their commitment to ensuring The Admiral’s continued vibrancy through more than 40 committees, an extensive Residents’ Council structure, and strong partnerships among residents, organizational leaders, and board members. You’ll return home with tips and tricks for using consensus-building strategies to strengthen your community and ensure greater stakeholder engagement.

• Nadia Geigler, CEO, The Admiral at the Lake
• Brit Vipham, Director of Project Management, The Admiral at the Lake
• Toni Smith, Resident and Board Member, The Admiral at the Lake