2021 Annual Meeting Program Archive

Explore the education program, keynotes, and registration information from the 2021 Annual Meeting.

2021 Sessions
      • ● 1-A. Accelerating Technology Innovation after COVID

        1-A. Accelerating Technology Innovation after COVID

        COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of technology designed to help aging services providers navigate the pandemic. The high rate of technology adoption, spending, and innovation will continue after the pandemic, but we’ll see a shift to advanced technologies designed to address our greatest needs while maximizing current solutions. A multisite aging services organization and a hospice provider will join leading experts to explore research on technology adoption and spending and to provide insights into the potential role telehealth, artificial intelligence, resident engagement solutions, and workforce technologies can play in transforming future models of care and ways of doing business.

        • Laurence Gumina , CEO, Ohio Living
        • Kent Anderson , CEO/President, FACHE, Ohio's Hospice
        • Jenny Poth , Vice President, Ziegler
      • ● 13-A. Reaching the Middle Market: A Step-by-Step Guide

        13-A. Reaching the Middle Market: A Step-by-Step Guide

        Landis Communities, a traditional life plan community in Lititz, PA, expanded its mission in 2013 to serve middle-income older adults looking for affordable housing options. Representatives from the organization will describe how they set out to create stand-alone communities that would take advantage of existing adjacent amenities and minimize the need to construct traditional common spaces. Follow along as presenters outline the steps involved in evaluating the market for affordable housing, building relationships with local partners and city planners, addressing challenges involved in urban community planning, using building design to reduce costs and maximize efficiencies, and identifying innovative financing solutions.

        • Michel Gibeault , Vice President of Business Development
        • Dustin Julius , Designer, RLPS Architects
        • Beverly Asper , President & CEO, Cross Keys Village
        • Evon Bergey , Vice President of Operations/ COO, Landis Communities
        • Elizabeth Soto , Diversity Consultant, Landis Communities
      • ● 14-A. Poised for Change: Market Trends for 2022 and Beyond
      • ● 33-A. Cultivating Board Innovation and Strategic Thinking

        33-A. Cultivating Board Innovation and Strategic Thinking

        Nonprofit senior living management teams expect their boards to be forward-thinking, strategic, and innovative, while instilling these same attributes throughout the organizations they serve. This session will feature tools that boards can use to remain focused on their organization’s mission, respond to unexpected changes, and carry out strategic planning. A provider of aging services and board chair, and representatives of two professional services firms, will define board member responsibilities, outline ways to foster innovation and strategic thinking at the board level, and present strategies to help boards remain effective while adapting to change and disruption.

        • Jennifer Schwalm , Partner, Baker Tilly
        • Len Weiser , Interim CEO, Holy Family Senior Living
        • James Bodine , Executive Vice President, HJ Sims
        • Shirley Weaver , Board Director
      • ● 34-A. Leadership Transition: An Opportunity for Stability

        34-A. Leadership Transition: An Opportunity for Stability

        Leadership transitions offer opportunities for an organization to review, revise, and rethink its mission, vision, and strategy. A holistic succession planning process—one that looks beyond the CEO to the board and senior leadership team—can help ensure organizational stability and build a pathway to continued sustainability. This session will focus on the opportunities that succession planning provides for organizational growth and development. Participants will be introduced to key steps in the succession process, including preparing, planning, executing, and onboarding. In addition, participants will review what boards get right when it comes to succession planning, and what practices need to change.

        • Kathryn Glover , Founder, Open Gate Solutions
      • ● 45-A. Continuing Care at Home: A Catalyst for Change

        45-A. Continuing Care at Home: A Catalyst for Change

        The Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) model isn’t new, but CCaH programs are poised to help senior living organizations become catalysts for change after the COVID-19 pandemic. Two CCaH program leaders will explore how CCaH programs can address consumers’ post-pandemic desire to age in community, why CCaH programs haven’t grown as quickly as anticipated, and the benefits and challenges associated with starting a new program. Presenters will address the need to educate governing boards about how CCaH programs can help an organization advance its mission, expand its revenue base, and create a bridge to existing campus-based services and programs.

        • Lisa Hoffman , Executive Director, Pathstones by Phoebe
        • Amanda Young , Executive Director, Wesley SecureCare
        • Rob Love , President & CEO, Love & Company, Inc.
      • ● 46-A. Create a Plan for Your Planned Giving Program

        46-A. Create a Plan for Your Planned Giving Program

        Join this fun, informative, and interactive session to learn all you need to know about starting or improving your organization’s planned giving program. Delve into how United Church Homes and Services in Newton, SC, engaged a diverse team and followed a strategic process to gain 146 new legacy donors in nine years with only two full-time development team members. Get help as you create your own plan to identify and connect with legacy prospects, tell the story of why your work is worthy of a legacy gift, and engage your donors after legacy gifts are secured.

        • Nancy Beard , Foundation President, EveryAge
        • Lee Syria , President and CEO, EveryAge
        • Brad Thie , EveryAge Board Chair, EveryAge
      • ● 60-A. Reaching Older Renters: Digital Marketing Demystified

        60-A. Reaching Older Renters: Digital Marketing Demystified

        Confused about how to reach older renters through the constantly evolving landscape of digital marketing? This session brings together three experts who can help you understand the latest trends in digital marketing and find the best communication channels for reaching older adults. Listen as a property management executive, a Google partner manager, and an expert in digital marketing share their knowledge and answer your questions about what it takes to make a sustained impact on the diverse older adult audience. Walk away with a game plan for implementing a successful digital marketing strategy.

        • Steve Wright , Regional Sales Director, G5 + LL a RealPage Company
      • ● 61-A. How to Incorporate Actuarial Analyses into Marketing Efforts

        61-A. How to Incorporate Actuarial Analyses into Marketing Efforts

        Life plan communities face challenges when setting contract prices and fees that are both marketable to prospective residents and economically feasible for the community. Community executives and an actuary will offer tips for addressing these challenges by using key actuarial measures—including life expectancies, morbidity rates, and withdrawal rates—to set contract pricing. Discover how to use these measures in your marketing campaigns to convey a sense of security to prospective residents, underscore the fee structure’s fairness, and illustrate the community’s long-term financial viability. Discover how accounting and marketing departments can work together to communicate actuarial measures to prospective residents.

        • Josh Blackson , VP of Accounting, Corporate Controller, Pacific Retirement Services
        • David Shaw , Managing Consultant
        • Eric Mineart , VP Strategy & Innovation, Pacific Retirement Services
      • ● 71-A. Can Good Short-Term Decisions Become Bad Long-Term Decisions?

        71-A. Can Good Short-Term Decisions Become Bad Long-Term Decisions?

        The average resident will live in a life plan community for 12 years. That means decisions made this year can have repercussions a decade from now. For this reason, life plan community decision-makers must pay close attention to the long-term implications of short-term decisions. Two operational advisers and two life plan community leaders will explore 10 decisions that looked good when they are first implemented but turned out to be mistakes. Presenters will share principles to help boards and team members balance short-term and long-term needs, and will review examples of good decision-making for sales, marketing, pricing, and campus needs.

        • Christopher Keysor , CEO, Lenbrook Atlanta
        • Dana Anders , Principal, CLA
        • Mario McKenzie , Partner, CLA
      • ● 72-A. Using Data to Tell Your Story to Prospective Partners

        72-A. Using Data to Tell Your Story to Prospective Partners

        Providers of care in the home and community can leverage data to make themselves more attractive care partners for health plans, value-based contracting entities, or other providers. A representative of Visiting Nurse Health System (VNHS) in Atlanta, which delivers hospice, home health, and home and community-based services, will explain how her organization worked with a provider of Medicare claims data to help VNHS gain the confidence of referral sources and build trusting relationships with potential partners.

        • Dorothy Davis , CEO/President, Visiting Nurse Health System, Inc.
        • Ian Juliano , Executive Chairman, Trella Health
      • ● 87-A. Rebuilding Person-Centered Dementia Care in a Pandemic

        87-A. Rebuilding Person-Centered Dementia Care in a Pandemic

        People living with dementia, their families, friends, and care partners have been strongly affected by the isolation and disengagement prompted by COVID-19 social distancing restrictions. Those who cannot comprehend the reasoning behind restrictions often experience the most harmful effects. Internationally known dementia care educator Teepa Snow will explore the emotional stress that has occurred during the pandemic and share strategies for resuming humane, person-centered care for all members of our traumatized care system. Participants will discover how to reduce distress and optimize an individual’s sense of safety, acceptance, and inclusion, and how to promote relationship rebuilding and community re-engagement.

        • Mike Rambarose , President/CEO, Whitney Center, Inc.
        • Teepa Snow , CEO and Founder, Positive Approach to Care
        • Elaine Guidone , Director of Team Member Development, Whitney Center, Inc.
      • ● 102-A. HUD Physical Inspection Standards after COVID

        102-A. HUD Physical Inspection Standards after COVID

        The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spent four years moving toward new National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE). These standards emphasize living units and de-emphasize common areas, grounds, and exteriors. Will HUD continue on this path, or design a new approach that is more consistent with the post-pandemic need for continued social distancing? Get updates on new rules for HUD’s Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), what managers and owners of HUD-financed affordable housing need to know about REAC's return to operations after COVID-19, and the status of HUD's new NSPIRE requirements.

        • Juliana Bilowich , Senior Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge
        • Linda Couch , Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
        • Scott Precourt , President & CEO, U.S. Housing Consultants & InspectCheck
      • ● 113-A. How Paying a Living Wage Benefits Everyone

        113-A. How Paying a Living Wage Benefits Everyone

        America’s 3.5 million direct care professionals play a critical role in supporting older adults and people with disabilities. However, these caregivers are not valued and often struggle with economic insecurity. This session will highlight a new LeadingAge study documenting the benefits that paying professional caregivers a living wage would yield for caregivers, providers, care recipients, and local economies. Hear about the living wage journey one LeadingAge member has embarked upon and how federal action could help build a strong, direct care workforce. Review a LeadingAge blueprint that spurred a national conversation about the need to support and grow the direct care workforce.

        • Ruth Katz , CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)
        • Robyn Stone , SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
        • Scott Slutz , Vice President, Human Resources, United Church Homes
        • Natasha Bryant , Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
      • ● 200-A. Disrupting Ageism and Ableism

        200-A. Disrupting Ageism and Ableism

        Examine our field’s inherent biases about growing older and how it impacts senior living policies, practices, and organizations. Understand why ageist beliefs result in communities that are built around the idea that older adults have nothing left to give—and ways LeadingAge members can move toward creating vibrant cultures of possibility and growth for elders.

        • Jill Vitale-Aussem , President and CEO, Christian Living Communities
      • ● 3-B. The Digital Divide: Achieving Inclusion and Equity for All

        3-B. The Digital Divide: Achieving Inclusion and Equity for All

        Research shows that 22 million older adults lack access to broadband internet at home, and that digital disengagement is associated with an older person’s race, disability, health status, educational attainment, immigration, rural residence, and income. Delve into the causes of the digital divide and explore the policy, funding, connectivity, and technology issues that must be addressed before we can achieve digital inclusion and equity for older adults. Hear more about research, best practices, and strategies for increasing, scaling, and sustaining digital access for older adults living in a variety of settings.

        • Ginna Baik , Senior Business Development Manager for Senior Living, Alexa for Senior Living
        • Thomas Kamber , Executive Director, AARP – Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)
        • Davis Park , VP of Transformation, Front Porch
      • ● 15-B. Engaging Stakeholders in a Community Expansion

        15-B. Engaging Stakeholders in a Community Expansion

        When Harbor’s Edge in Norfolk, VA, undertook a vertical expansion of its urban campus, it engaged a variety of stakeholders in a participatory planning process that generated excitement and influenced the design. Urban planner and Harbor’s Edge resident Ray Gindroz will be joined by an architect, designer, and construction expert to describe how their high-rise, waterfront life plan community engaged stakeholders, how the design evolved in response to stakeholder feedback, and how this approach generated and maintained excitement about the project well into construction. The team will share lessons that can be applied to any building or expansion project.

        • Dean Maddalena , Founder, Creative Director, studioSIX5
        • Cheryl Browne , Creative Brand Manager, W.M. Jordan Company
        • Rocky Berg , Principal, Three Architecture
        • Glenn Thompson , Vice President, Business Development, W.M. Jordan Company
      • ● 24-B. Promoting Diversity in Aging Services

        24-B. Promoting Diversity in Aging Services

        In early 2021, LeadingAge researchers surveyed LeadingAge members to learn about their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, metrics, challenges, benefits, and planned activities. This session will share findings from that survey and consider the DEI journey from the provider and leader perspectives. Presenters will examine the importance of partnerships in helping organizations recruit diverse talent, and will describe a proposed collaboration between LeadingAge and UNCF designed to raise awareness of career opportunities in aging services among students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and other minority-serving institutions, and create a diverse pool of candidates for mid-level and C-suite positions.

        • Suzanne Pugh , Senior Business Development Executive, K2M Design, Inc.
        • Natasha Bryant , Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
        • Erica Thrash-Sall , CEO, Horizon House
        • Robyn Stone , SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
        • Julian Thompson , Strategist, Institute for Capacity Building, United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
        • Adrienne Powell Ruffin , VP and Head of LTSS Strategic Initiatives and Operations, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
      • ● 35-B. Good Governance: What Influences Success?

        35-B. Good Governance: What Influences Success?

        Retired LeadingAge CEO Larry Minnix will share best practices in successful senior living governance and top influencers of success for nonprofit boards of directors. Two accounting experts and a seasoned life plan community CEO will join the panel to discuss the need for boards to examine their structures, compositions, and practices on an ongoing basis, and to make needed changes based on that assessment. Presenters will explore ways boards can mitigate risk, exercise fiscal responsibility, and establish a strategic planning initiative to carry their organizations into the future, even in this post-pandemic period of high risk and uncertainty.

        • William Minnix , Former CEO, LeadingAge
        • Meredith Benedict , Director, Forvis Mazars
        • Keith Seeloff , President, Pinehill Partners
        • Timothy Johnson , Immediate Past CEO, Frasier
        • David Perdue , Chairman, Board of Trustees, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab
      • ● 47-B. From Care to Engagement: A New Value Proposition

        47-B. From Care to Engagement: A New Value Proposition

        2Life Communities, an affordable housing organization in Boston, MA, and Williamsburg Landing, a life plan community in Williamsburg, VA, have both embraced a new engagement model focused on elevating residents’ purpose, creating meaningful social connections, and enhancing wellness through more intentional coordination and navigation. Listen as executives from both organizations describe studies documenting the importance of purpose, social connection, and wellness coordination for longevity and happiness; discuss the obstacles that keep senior living organizations from adopting this new value proposition; and share tools and strategies they used to pivot their organizations from a care model to an engagement model.

        • John Franklin , Founder and Principal, Pearl Creek Advisors, LLC
      • ● 48-B. Revenue Opportunity: Primary Care Partnerships

        48-B. Revenue Opportunity: Primary Care Partnerships

        Primary care practice models are proliferating under value-based payment systems implemented by Medicare Advantage plans and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. These models have the potential to impact service delivery patterns and narrow provider networks. To remain competitive, providers of senior housing and aging services should consider partnering with primary care companies to generate new revenue or expand revenue from existing business lines. This session will help providers explore opportunities to improve care and add services and revenue through partnerships with primary care companies, which are looking for help to scale their services and make them more efficient.

        • Anne Tumlinson , CEO, ATI Advisory
        • R.J. Gilson , Senior Vice President, AllyAlign Health
      • ● 49-B. Post COVID-19: Opportunities in the Home and Community

        49-B. Post COVID-19: Opportunities in the Home and Community

        COVID-19 highlighted an already growing desire for older adults to receive care at home and in their communities. Join leaders in the home and community-based care field as they discuss their vision for expanding their services in a post-COVID world. Presenters will pinpoint the services at the center of their expansion strategies, describe the types of partnership opportunities they are exploring across the aging services continuum, and provide guidance on how other LeadingAge members might expand their home and community-based services, either alone or in partnership with others.

        • Daniel Savitt , President & CEO, VNS Health
        • Allison Salopeck , President and CEO, Jennings
      • ● 62-B. Getting Started with Marketing Automation

        62-B. Getting Started with Marketing Automation

        Life plan communities can nurture sales leads more successfully by automating repetitive marketing tasks. Two digital strategy experts will introduce you to easy approaches for implementing marketing automation at your community. They’ll also explain how marketing automation can drive return on investment while reducing costs and increasing the effectiveness of marketing and sales. Whether you’re a single-site or multi-site organization, you’ll walk away with great tips for creating and automating relevant and timely content across multiple communications platforms, identifying customer behaviors and trends you can use to guide engagement efforts, and delivering a customized message that promotes your unique brand.

        • Dylan Pattenaude , National Director of Digital Services, Covenant Living Communities and Services
        • Fran Palma , Sr, VP of Digital Strategies, Covenant Living Communities and Services
      • ● 63-B. Attract and Reassure Residents Through Storytelling

        63-B. Attract and Reassure Residents Through Storytelling

        Life plan communities face the challenging task of shoring up confidence among current and future residents in the wake of COVID-19. Storytelling can help you attract new residents and reassure current residents and their families that they can take comfort in your community’s commitment to its mission. Two communications experts will dissect the “PEARLS” of a good story: one that is Person-focused, Eccentric, Accessible, Refreshing, Local, and Sharable. Discover how to align your story with your organization’s mission, values, and vision; get tips on choosing the right communications strategy to spread your message; and hear what effective storytelling sounds like.

        • Mike Gross , President, AKCG – Public Relations Counselors
        • Roberta Voloshin , Vice President of Marketing and Communications
      • ● 73-B. Using a Predictive Model to Transform Your Life Plan Community

        73-B. Using a Predictive Model to Transform Your Life Plan Community

        How can life plan communities promote healthy lifestyles and reduce health care utilization among their members? Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs can offer some direction. Hear the story of a CCaH provider that used a predictive model to identify the interventions that are most effective in delaying the need for higher levels of care, and the individuals who are most likely to benefit from those interventions. Participants will receive a detailed road map for using assessment tools, interventions, and metrics to enhance and tailor existing health and wellness programs while improving market position based on reduced health care utilization.

        • Carol Barbour , CEO/President, VigR Health
        • Andrew Dalton , Consulting Actuary, Columbia Point Consulting
      • ● 89-B. A New Approach to Wellness

        89-B. A New Approach to Wellness

        Individuals are diverse in their interests, needs, and experiences—and in their path to wellness. That’s why Mather, a multi-site organization in Evanston, IL., adopted a research-based approach to wellness using a person-centric model which fosters autonomy, achievement, and affiliation while recognizing that wellness looks different to each person. Presenters will describe the model and how it can be implemented in senior living communities, explore how the model embraces a whole-person philosophy through the lens of the individual, and outline the many factors—including emotional health, intellectual stimulation, environment, social engagement, and spirituality—that contribute to quality of life.

        • William Myers , Director of Wellness Strategies, Mather
        • Meredith Boyle , Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Mather
        • Catherine O'Brien , SVP Mather Institute & Community Initiatives, Mather
        • Caroline Edasis , Assistant Vice President of Resident Engagement, Splendido at Rancho Vistoso dba Tucson Mather Plaza, LLC
      • ● 90-B. Humor and Resilience: Laughing While Living with Dementia

        90-B. Humor and Resilience: Laughing While Living with Dementia

        Humor has been linked to greater life satisfaction and resilience for older adults, and tends to be a remaining strength of many people living with dementia. It also has been demonstrated to reduce burnout and turnover among professional and personal care partners. So, let’s start laughing! This session will explore laughter from cross-cultural perspectives and will describe the benefits of humor for adults living with dementia and their care partners. International Alzheimer’s advocate Brian LeBlanc and his life/care partner Maureen Rulison will share their own experiences with laughter and provide practical applications for adaptive humor.

        • Nettie Harper , Co-Owner, Inspired Memory Care, Inc.
        • Brian LeBlanc , Founder, We Are Dementia Strong
        • Maureen Rulison , Owner, We Are Dementia Strong
        • Kelly Gilligan , Co-owner, Inspired Memory Care, Inc.
      • ● 103-B. Affordable Senior Housing Update

        103-B. Affordable Senior Housing Update

        A new administration, a new Congress, and a global pandemic have ushered in numerous changes to and proposals for the nation’s affordable senior housing portfolio. This session will explore new and ongoing affordable senior housing opportunities and challenges. LeadingAge team members will offer updates on a range of issues they’re working on with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and on Capitol Hill: funding, inspections, service coordination, as well as production and preservation of affordable housing, including housing financed through the low-income housing tax credit. Get ready for a rapid-fire session on a wide range of issues.

        • Linda Couch , Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
        • Juliana Bilowich , Senior Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge
      • ● 114-B. Engaging with the New CNA Workforce

        114-B. Engaging with the New CNA Workforce

        Certified nursing assistants (CNA) provide an estimated 90% of direct care in the nation’s 15,500 nursing homes. Yet, they are paid relatively low wages and receive few benefits. This session will examine how the pandemic has changed the CNA workforce, now and for the future. Two CNAs will discuss their experiences on the COVID-19 frontlines. The CEO of the National Association of Health Care Assistants will offer insights into what providers can do to connect with CNAs on a deeper level and help them heal after the pandemic, and how providers can recruit and engage with the new CNA workforce.

        • Kim McRae , President, Have A Good Life
        • Jennifer Craft Morgan , Associate Professor, Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University, Georgia State University
      • ● 115-B. Rapid Evaluation Teams: Supporting Caregivers and Recipients

        115-B. Rapid Evaluation Teams: Supporting Caregivers and Recipients

        How can senior living organizations ensure that emergency situations—like an unresponsive resident/client—are met with appropriate, coordinated responses from care teams? LeadingAge Minnesota answered this question by developing the Rapid Evaluation Team (RET) process, a proactive response system that helps team members assess and intervene before a situation becomes an emergency. Presenters will explain how to implement an effective RET that reduces unplanned hospitalizations, improves health outcomes, and bolsters caregiver confidence. Equip yourself with tools to strengthen your organization’s response processes, and hear from a director of nursing who successfully implemented a RET within her organization.

        • Amanda Thorson , DON
        • Julie Apold , VP of Quality and Performance Excellence, LeadingAge Minnesota
      • ● 201-B. Leaders in Residence: Learnings from Leadership Academy Alumni

        201-B. Leaders in Residence: Learnings from Leadership Academy Alumni

        Join LeadingAge Leadership Academy alumni to reflect on leadership learnings they’ve experienced while leading their organizations. Engage in rotating table conversations on topics ranging from innovation, leadership growth, and vision for the future. Hosted by Academy graduates, this session provides opportunities to learn from and network with your peers while considering your own leadership lessons learned and journey ahead.

        • Kelly Papa , CEO/President, Duncaster
        • Mike Rambarose , President/CEO, Whitney Center, Inc.
        • Matthew Murry , President/COO, Panorama
        • Diana Delgado , President & CEO, Eaton Senior Communities, Inc.
        • Lynne Giacobbe , Chief Executive Officer, Kendal at Home
      • ● 4-C. Technologies We Need Now More Than Ever

        4-C. Technologies We Need Now More Than Ever

        Telehealth, resident/family engagement software, and enterprise-wide business intelligence applications were in use well before the coronavirus pandemic. But COVID-19 taught us just how vital these technologies are to the aging services field. Three tech experts and a provider will explore how they leveraged these technology solutions to fight COVID, and the role these vital technologies could play in a post-COVID world. You’ll learn how telehealth can promote better preventative health, how a resident/family engagement solution can help you create a connected care community, and how you can make key decision using the data you generate each day.

        • Keith Stewart , Board Advisor, Caavo
        • Ben Henson , Director of Marketing, QliqSOFT
        • Steven VanderVelde , Director of Senior Living Partnership, ProviNET Solutions
        • Josh King , Vice President of Information Technology, EverTrue
      • ● 16-C. Challenge, Change, and Contemplation: The Future of Senior Living

        16-C. Challenge, Change, and Contemplation: The Future of Senior Living

        As the COVID-19 threat begins to recede, providers of aging services must start defining the future of their communities and our field. Dr. Louise Aronson, author of Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life, will join this panel of experts to offer thoughts about what organizations, providers, and communities can do to “futureproof” our field. Topics will include the future viability of assisted living and nursing homes, the need to address medical and social needs of older adults, and the significant business opportunities related to older adults, including the opportunity to meet the needs of underserved and marginalized individuals.

        • Melissa Pritchard , Managing Principal
        • Timothy Mueller , President
      • ● 17-C. Healthy Design: Building to Prevent Infection Spread

        17-C. Healthy Design: Building to Prevent Infection Spread

        As research about the coronavirus began to evolve, senior living leadership and management, along with architects and engineers, sprang into action to devise strategies that could help prevent disease transmission in senior living communities. An architect, building design expert, and provider will discuss how a holistic approach—encompassing architecture, engineering, and operational strategies—can help prevent and contain the spread of infectious diseases. Presenters will catalogue building-related health concerns, offer strategies for creating healthier buildings, and explore the challenges associated with implementing new operational or design strategies, including their impact on costs, building system lifecycles, residents, and staff.

        • Timothy Scharf , Partner, Reese Hackman
        • Cynthia Williams , Operations Manager
        • Bill Davis , Associate Principal & Senior Project Manager
      • ● 36-C. Moving Boards from Passivity to Engagement

        36-C. Moving Boards from Passivity to Engagement

        Having a long-tenured and successful CEO is a good thing for a nonprofit senior living organization, but it can also encourage the board of directors to take a more passive role in governance. Given the rapidly changing senior living market, boards must exercise a higher level of engagement. CEOs, board members, and board development professionals will present case studies of organizations that reexamined how their boards function, and took steps to ensure that the board, CEO, and senior leadership team function at maximum potential. Presenters will offer tips for reinvigorating board meetings, cultivating meaningful education sessions, and developing a diverse board.

        • Elizabeth Feltner , Chief Executive Officer, Deffet Group, Inc.
        • Christopher Fields , President, Friends Fellowship Community, Inc.
        • Dan Deffet , Managing Partner, Deffet Group, Inc.
        • Mark Beggs , President & CEO, Edenwald
        • Deedre Schuckert , President & CEO, Resthaven
      • ● 37-C. Answering Your Questions about Mergers and Acquisitions

        37-C. Answering Your Questions about Mergers and Acquisitions

        Senior living organizations have many incentives to merge with or acquire another organization. But how do you actually merge professional staffs and boards of directors? How do you carry out due diligence and ensure compliance with state regulations ? How do you explain it all to employees, residents, families, and donors? You’ll get answers to all of these questions from James Newbrough, CEO of Cleveland-based Menorah Park, which merged with nearby Montefiore in July 2020. Newbrough will present a detailed case study of that merger, and Bruce Hennes, CEO of Hennes Communications, will discuss why communication was an integral part of the execution plan.

        • Jim Newbrough , CEO, Sholom
        • Bruce Hennes , President and CEO, Hennes Communications
      • ● 50-C. Using Philanthropy to Achieve Strategic Goals

        50-C. Using Philanthropy to Achieve Strategic Goals

        Philanthropy is a vital source of funding that can be leveraged far beyond benevolent care. This session will highlight how Asbury Foundation aligned its efforts with Asbury Communities’ strategic plan to fund innovative resident programs, capital enhancements, and team member development. Presenters will make the case for using philanthropy as a vehicle for achieving an organization’s key objectives, and guide participants through the strategic planning alignment process. They will also examine innovative philanthropic programs that support departments like human resources, sales, and wellness. You’ll take home data about the importance of philanthropy that you can share with your leadership team.

        • JD Shuman , President & CEO Asbury Foundation, Asbury Communities, Inc.
        • Cedric Richner III, CFRE , Consulting Partner, Marts & Lundy
        • Doug Leidig , President & CEO, Asbury Communities, Inc.
      • ● 51-C. A Single-Site’s Transformation into an Integrated System of Services

        51-C. A Single-Site’s Transformation into an Integrated System of Services

        Cypress Cove, a single-site life plan community in Ft. Myers, FL, has passed up numerous opportunities to affiliate with larger systems since it opened in 1999. Instead, organizational leaders focused on the community’s mission, while adding to its capacity. A suite of services, launched under the brand name “Cypress at Home,” now offers care coordination, medical care, home health, and hospice programs to older adults living at home. Cypress Cove executives and a resident/board member will tell their community’s story while exploring tools to help other single-site life plan communities diversify their services and build an aging services “system.”

        • Louisa Cannamela , Vice President of Clinical Services, Cypress Cove
        • Betsy Russell , Resident Council President, Cypress Cove
        • Christine Burns , VP of Home Based Community Services
        • Tim Ficker , Executive Vice President, Convivial Life
        • Troy Churchill , President & CEO, Cypress Cove
        • Mary Franklin , COO, Cypress Cove
      • ● 64-C. Opening Doors to Aging Services: Understanding Public Perceptions of Our Field

        64-C. Opening Doors to Aging Services: Understanding Public Perceptions of Our Field

        Each day, the field of aging services encounters public misperceptions that are rooted in ageism and exacerbated by the pandemic. This session will introduce you to LeadingAge’s new communications initiative, which is designed to change public attitudes about our field. Presenters will describe the robust research and discovery process that informed the initiative, review public perceptions/misperceptions of aging services, and reveal the representatives of our field who the public finds most credible. Don’t miss this chance to understand public perceptions of aging services more deeply so you can help to improve those perceptions.

        • Gwen Fitzgerald , Director, Public Messaging
        • Caroline Charendoff , Senior Associate, Ward Circle Strategies
      • ● 75-C. Metrics that Matter: Using the Right Data to Drive Success

        75-C. Metrics that Matter: Using the Right Data to Drive Success

        Get out from under the mountain of data that can leave you feeling overwhelmed. Discover how to build a metrics-driven organization that has greater clarity about what drives its success. Join a financial planner/analyst and a life plan community CEO to identify the financial and operational metrics that directly impact your bottom line. Presenters will enlighten you about ways to use those metrics to gain meaningful insights, empower your leaders, drive greater accountability, and make it easier to share performance data with your board. Hear how the right metrics allowed one community to adapt to the impact of COVID-19.

        • Josiah Carter , Sr. Director of Financial Planning & Analysis, LCS
        • Brett Logan , Senior Vice President/Managing Director of Life Plan Communities
        • Jordan Morrow , Executive Director, Greenwood Village South
      • ● 76-C. Lessons from the Home Health Value Based Purchasing Pilot

        76-C. Lessons from the Home Health Value Based Purchasing Pilot

        The five-year Home Health Value Based Purchasing (HHVBP) pilot, conducted in nine states, has proven to be successful in improving quality and managing cost of care for home health clients. An expansion of the HHVBP initiative has been approved by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and could start in 2022. Presenters will identify the results of and lessons learned from the HHVBP pilot, identify key steps organizations can take to prepare for the HHVBP expansion, and explain how paying for value based purchasing can increase your organization’s revenue and help you manage costs.

        • Sue Payne , Home Care Strategies Advisor
        • Christopher Attaya , VP of Product Strategy, Strategic Healthcare Programs
      • ● 91-C. Creative Engagement in Congregate Settings

        91-C. Creative Engagement in Congregate Settings

        A partnership between LeadingAge and TimeSlips, an international network of artists and caregivers committed to bringing joy to late life, yielded inspiring stories of intergenerational connections. Through that partnership, Timeslips worked with university faculty, administrators, and students across the country to train more than 125 students in creative engagement techniques that brought new communication tools and a feeling of connection to student and elder participants alike, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discover how undergraduate students connected with elders in senior living communities, and hear about lessons learned, successes achieved, and what happens when everything you have planned has to pivot.

        • Anne Basting , Creative Lead Strategist and Founder, TimeSlips, TimeSlips
        • Jennifer Senior , Director of Life Enrichment
      • ● 104-C. Policy Expert Panel

        104-C. Policy Expert Panel

        Aging services policy traditionally moves slowly and deliberately. Not so during the pandemic, when federal and state officials issued new guidance and regulations almost daily, and Congress passed some of the most sweeping relief and reform bills we’ve seen in decades. Through it all, LeadingAge’s policy team tracked administrative and legislative trends and reported them to members in real time. Listen as these policy experts share their analysis of and political insights into what happened during the pandemic, what’s going on in Congress and the administration right now, what’s on the horizon, and what it all means for you.

        • Ruth Katz , CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)
        • Cory Kallheim , General Counsel, Covenant Living Communities and Services
        • Linda Couch , Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
        • Janine Finck-Boyle , Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
        • Marsha Greenfield , Vice President, Health Legislation
      • ● 116-C. Make Your Organization a Place Where People Want to Work

        116-C. Make Your Organization a Place Where People Want to Work

        Is your organization a place where people want to work? Come to this session ready to be challenged by this and other questions. Thought leader Cara Silletto and a senior living provider will prepare you to create a long-term plan for managing workforce challenges. They’ll help you see why today’s workers are different, and how adapting to those differences can help you retain essential talent. Explore proven retention initiatives and take home strategies for competing effectively with other employers in your area, budgeting for the cost of employee turnover, and creating a more supportive team to manage your workforce.

        • Cara Silletto , President and Chief Retention Officer, Magnet Culture, formerly Crescendo Strategies
      • ● 117-C. Offering Trauma Informed Care in Your Organization

        117-C. Offering Trauma Informed Care in Your Organization

        Phase 3 of the Requirements of Participation requires long-term and post-acute care organizations to develop a Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) plan that focuses on understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of trauma on residents and team members. TIC helps trauma survivors rebuild a sense of confidence, control, and empowerment. This session will offer an understanding of trauma, and how it can precipitate mental health, substance use, or physical health conditions. Participants will take a deeper look at how TIC can help address trauma, including compassion fatigue among nurses, and improve the mental health of the care team.

        • Karen Camacho , Manager, Product Escalations, PointClickCare
      • ● 5-D. Promoting Wellness in a Socially Distanced World

        5-D. Promoting Wellness in a Socially Distanced World

        La Vida Llena Retirement Community in Albuquerque, NM, adapted to COVID-19 social-distancing restrictions by creating an affordable, web-based virtual platform that helps residents address the six dimensions of wellness. Using a free software application, the life plan community created a Wellness-on-Demand platform featuring 78 different programs, including resident-driven talk shows, education sessions, and art show presentations; fitness classes and exercise videos; online shopping services; and virtual museum tours from around the world. Join others in exploring how Virtual Wellness on Demand was developed, how it works, and how your life plan community can create a similar platform.

        • David Jackson , Director of Life Enrichment Services, La Vida Llena Retirement Community
      • ● 18-D. Food Service Design: Keeping Residents Safe and Satisfied

        18-D. Food Service Design: Keeping Residents Safe and Satisfied

        What will food service design look like after the pandemic? A culinary expert, architect, and life plan community leader will share design strategies for back- and front-of-house food service environments, based on current food service trends and a stepped-up focus on food safety. Presenters will examine the latest food service trends, including a phase-out of self-service buffets, greater transparency on food sourcing, frequent health inspections, and consumer preferences for multiple food delivery options. Consider how you can take a collaborative approach to food service design that lets you achieve greater flow, function, and aesthetics while keeping residents safe and satisfied.

        • Kathleen Warner , Principal & Director of Interior Design, CJMW Architecture
        • Margaret Yu , Architectural Designer/Business Development, RLPS Architects
        • Craig Kimmel , Partner, RLPS Architects
        • Jeff Weatherhead , CEO/President, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay
      • ● 27-D. DEI Efforts in States and Communities

        27-D. DEI Efforts in States and Communities

        During Summer 2021, LeadingAge member organizations participated in the Summer Enrichment Program, a 10-week immersive internship that offered undergraduate and graduate students of color the opportunity to obtain real-world experience in aging services organizations. This session, designed to highlight efforts to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the field of aging services, will feature LeadingAge members who participated in the Summer Enrichment Program and in other DEI efforts at the state and community levels. Presenters will describe DEI activities that session participants can replicate in their own states and communities.

        • Erica Thrash-Sall , CEO, Horizon House
        • Altonia Garrett , Chief Operating Officer, Blue Ridge Hospice
        • Natasha Bryant , Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
      • ● 52-D. Home Away from Home: Putting Down Roots in a Secondary Market

        52-D. Home Away from Home: Putting Down Roots in a Secondary Market

        Why would an Ohio-based affordable housing organization put down roots 500 miles away in Atlanta, GA? Representatives of National Church Residences will share their organization’s journey to become one of the largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing in Georgia. Ascertain how the organization identified Atlanta as an area of growth, review strategies it used to implement this vision, and hear about the struggles it encountered along the way. Presenters will offer tips for identifying an appropriate secondary market, offer tools for deepening an organization’s presence in that market, and share strategies for developing partnerships in public, private, and philanthropic circles.

        • Michelle Norris , Principal, N-Sights Consulting, LLC
        • Sojourner Marable Grimmett , Senior Director of External Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, National Church Residences
        • Keith Horton , Chief Executive Officer, Larry Moore Manor
      • ● 53-D. Re-Engineering Your Business Model Post-COVID

        53-D. Re-Engineering Your Business Model Post-COVID

        COVID-19 has changed the way senior living organizations operate and the levels of service and safety residents expect. Many providers have adapted to these changes in the short-term, but long-term effects remain to be seen. How will you modify your service mix to meet consumer needs and preferences? How will those modifications affect your margins? Let two finance and investment experts and a senior living executive suggest ways to reshuffle your service mix, rebalance your business model, and adjust your long-term strategy to fit the aging population’s evolving needs—all while maintaining your margins and keeping up with market trends.

        • Brad Straub , Executive Vice President, Greystone
        • Stuart Jackson , Executive Vice President, Greystone
      • ● 65-D. Opening Doors to Aging Services: Introducing the Public to Our Field

        65-D. Opening Doors to Aging Services: Introducing the Public to Our Field

        Public misperceptions about the field of aging services can be disheartening for mission-driven organizations that take pride in providing high-quality care to older adults. LeadingAge’s new, research-backed communications initiative is designed to change public attitudes and reintroduce the field of aging services. This session will offer tips for using LeadingAge’s complete toolkit of strategies, messages, and other resources; identify the best ways to ensure your communications are part of LeadingAge’s unified approach; and provide new ways to present your services in order to improve perceptions and demonstrate value. Discover how you can help change public perceptions of aging services.

        • Gwen Fitzgerald , Director, Public Messaging
        • Caroline Charendoff , Senior Associate, Ward Circle Strategies
      • ● 78-D. Getting Paid: Skills for Negotiating Managed Care Contracts

        78-D. Getting Paid: Skills for Negotiating Managed Care Contracts

        Does getting paid by managed care plans or through alternative payment models have you frustrated? Let an attorney and a health care consultant teach you how to negotiate a managed care contract and get paid based on that contract. This session will help you understand how the payment processes for managed care and alternative payment models differ from Medicare fee-for-service. Presenters will help you identify the contracting skills you’ll need to do business under these models. Take home best practices that will help you maximize your payments, avoid common mistakes, and successfully make a claim and get paid.

        • Debra Silverman , Partner/Director, Garfunkel Wild P.C.
        • Kim Conner , Business Office Consultant, Pope and Conner Consulting Inc.
      • ● 93-D. Dementia-Inclusive Communities: The Resident’s Perspective

        93-D. Dementia-Inclusive Communities: The Resident’s Perspective

        Dementia-inclusive communities support individuality, dignity, and a sense of belonging. There is no separate area for residents living with dementia. Instead, all residents are neighbors and every part of the community works together to create an environment that supports the well-being of each person. Residents living with dementia at Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, NC, and their care partners, will describe their experience living in a dementia-inclusive community, including its benefits and challenges, elements of compassionate and helpful support, principles and practices necessary to make a dementia-inclusive approach work, and why dementia-inclusive communities matter.

        • Jen Wilson , Vice President of Well-Being, Carol Woods Retirement Community
      • ● 105-D. Life Plan and Assisted Living Policy Update

        105-D. Life Plan and Assisted Living Policy Update

        This session will present an overview of the latest federal policy issues affecting life plan communities and assisted living organizations. The panel will cover a range of topics, from liability reform and minimum wage conversations to vaccination access and fair housing. LeadingAge provider members will share strategies for delivering the best care and services while complying with complex policy requirements.

        • Cory Kallheim , General Counsel, Covenant Living Communities and Services
        • Andrew Joseph , General Counsel, Asbury Communities, Inc.
        • Vassar Byrd , President and CEO, The Kendal Corporation
      • ● 106-D. Skilled Nursing Policy Update

        106-D. Skilled Nursing Policy Update

        Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, nursing homes have had to adjust to ever-changing regulations and guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During this session, CMS and CDC officials will explain how CDC recommendations have shaped CMS regulations and guidance, and how they expect nursing home operations to evolve as we learn to live with COVID-19 and prepare for other emerging infectious diseases. Let presenters brief you on issues that are important to nursing home operators, including survey trends, frequent citations, and infection control best practices.

        • Janine Finck-Boyle , Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
        • Jodi Eyigor , Senior Director, Nursing Home Quality & Policy, LeadingAge
        • Nimalie Stone MD, MS , Senior Advisor for Long-term Care Partnerships, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
        • Lauren Wattenmaker, MPH , Team Lead for Policy & Operations at CDC's National Healthcare Safety Network, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
      • ● 118-D. Engaging and Strengthening the Workforce: What’s Your Best Option?

        118-D. Engaging and Strengthening the Workforce: What’s Your Best Option?

        Communication and financial support have been the keys to building a more engaged workforce at Byron Health Center in Fort Wayne, IN. Community leaders will be on hand to introduce you to “Beekeeper,” an online communication system that connects team members. They’ll also share details about a financial stewardship program that helped team members reduce their debt and purchase their first homes. Discover why the community took these approaches, how the programs were implemented, and the outcomes they produced. Take home a proven plan that will help you discern what programming might be the best option for your workforce.

        • Sarah Starcher-Lane , COO/Executive Director, Byron Health Community
        • Deb Lambert , CEO, Byron Health Community
      • ● 119-D. Employee Retirement Readiness Benefits Everyone

        119-D. Employee Retirement Readiness Benefits Everyone

        Helping employees manage their retirement is an important obligation for plan sponsors and can benefit both employees and employers. This session will offer pragmatic solutions for fostering retirement decision-making, easing employee anxiety, and reducing the costs that employers incur when employees defer retirement dreams. Find out how to align your retirement plan with employee and employer interests, implement a robust financial wellness program, help employees plan for a steady retirement income, and fulfill your fiduciary duty. Explore multi-employer defined contribution plans that can deliver a high-quality solution to employees while yielding significant savings for employers.

        • James P Jeffery , Managing Director, Procyon Partners
        • Thomas Gahan , Founding Partner, Senior Managing Director, Procyon Partners
        • Amber Kendrick , VP Retirement Plan Consulting, Procyon Partners
      • ● 202-D. Board Impact: Strategy Development and Monitoring in A Rapidly Changing World

        202-D. Board Impact: Strategy Development and Monitoring in A Rapidly Changing World

        This session will provide a high-level overview of the key elements of strategy development and tangible exercises and tools that Boards can use with staff leadership to carry out their respective strategic roles and responsibilities and achieve desired outcomes and success metrics in a rapidly changing landscape.

        • Olivia Mastry , Founder, The Collective Action Lab
      • ● 6-E. Should Your Team Members Carry Smart Devices?

        6-E. Should Your Team Members Carry Smart Devices?

        Handheld, Wi-Fi-enabled devices can help your administrative and care team members access a growing number of cloud-based technology systems. But how will you ensure that team members use those devices for their intended purposes, care for them properly, and reap all the benefits these devices promise? Get answers from Baptist Community Services in Amarillo, TX, which adopted handheld devices for use with its electronic health records, nurse call, and resident monitoring systems. Decide if hand-held devices are right for you; explore the challenges involved in planning, setup, and implementation; and hear tips for successful adoption.

        • Joseph Thompson , Senior Technical Support Analyst, Baptist Community Services
        • Troy Griffiths , Head of Senior Care North America, Vigil | ASSA ABLOY
        • Jerry Billman , Director of Product Management, Vigil | ASSA ABLOY
      • ● 7-E. Technology Support and Training for Residents and Clients

        7-E. Technology Support and Training for Residents and Clients

        Providers of aging services deployed a large number of technologies to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. As the number of consumer-facing technologies grew, so did the need to provide residents and clients with technology support. This session will describe various types of technology support and training, and explore potential business models for providing residents and clients with the support they need to use social connectedness, engagement, telehealth, and other technologies. Gain tips for choosing the right support and training model for your organization. Discuss case studies, success factors, and lessons learned by organizations that implemented technology support and training programs.

        • Scott Code , Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge
        • Brett Ortega , VP, Community Technology
        • Joe Velderman , Board Member, Parker Health Group, Inc.
        • Brenda Rusnak , Co-Founder and President, Cyber-Seniors
      • ● 29-E. How to Start Talking about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

        29-E. How to Start Talking about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

        Every LeadingAge member organization should be exploring issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), given the growing diversity of the older population, the prevalence of minorities in the workforce, and the general lack of diversity among residents. However, many of us feel ill-equipped to start DEI conversations or initiatives. Leaders at four member organizations will share practical suggestions for engaging employees, residents, and board members in conversations and actions to help your organization build a more diverse and inclusive culture. The panel will also identify some of the obstacles you may encounter along the way.

        • Nancy King , Strategic Advisor, NKK, LLC
        • Suzanne Pugh , Senior Business Development Executive, K2M Design, Inc.
        • Jennifer Jimenez Marana , CEO/Founder, Marana Consulting
      • ● 40-E. Now What? Moving to the Future with Strategic Foresight

        40-E. Now What? Moving to the Future with Strategic Foresight

        Many organizations have lifted their gaze from the immediate challenges of COVID-19 and are asking, “Now what?” This session will share an approach for using strategic foresight to take stock of your organization’s pre-COVID strategies, identify what is still relevant and what requires change, reflect on anticipated trends and emerging issues in your organization and our field, and generate visionary and informed plans for the future. Participants will engage with LeadingAge's new strategic foresight self-guided tools, which are designed to help board members and staff leaders work together to anticipate and navigate the road ahead.

        • Olivia Mastry , Founder, The Collective Action Lab
      • ● 54-E. Planned Giving: The Key to Fund Development

        54-E. Planned Giving: The Key to Fund Development

        Planned giving can be a key strategy to help life plan communities prepare for future unknowns. This session will help participants undertake a radical rethinking of traditional planned-giving models. Presenters will review planned-giving options currently being used at standalone communities and multisite organizations, and will offer best practices for building a substantial, long-term giving program that focuses on assets over cash, can respond to donor fatigue and donor gratitude, and can inspire new gifts. Participants will take home tips for making substantial resources available for the future by creating a meaningful legacy program today.

        • William McMorran , Sr. Partner, Green Oak Consulting Group
        • Katharine Miller , Executive Director
      • ● 55-E. Preserving the Nonprofit Legacy by Talking about Growth

        55-E. Preserving the Nonprofit Legacy by Talking about Growth

        Over the past decade, the pace of growth in the for-profit sector of the senior living field has been significantly more robust than in the nonprofit sector. This session will raise awareness among nonprofit senior living organizations about the need to take deliberate action to remain relevant in an increasingly competitive for-profit environment. Representatives from Ziegler will share data and growth trends for nonprofit life plan communities. Three CEOs will offer examples of how their nonprofit organizations are progressing toward strategic goals that include growth through affiliations and acquisitions, campus expansions or new development, and home and community-based service lines.

        • Lisa McCracken , Head of Research, Analytics, National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC)
        • Dan Hermann , President & CEO, Head of Investment Banking, Ziegler
        • Terri Cunliffe , Retired CEO/President
      • ● 66-E. Sharpening Your Brand to Attract Partners and Employees

        66-E. Sharpening Your Brand to Attract Partners and Employees

        A powerful brand expresses an organization’s clear vision and sense of purpose, and showcases vital points of differentiation that can’t be fully duplicated by competitors. Hear from a branding expert about how an effective brand can help your organization enhance growth, recruit and retain a talented workforce, and develop partnerships with other providers. The president/CEO of AuthoraCare Collective, created through a merger of two North Carolina hospice and palliative care organizations, will share how her organization reframed its purpose to bring new cohesiveness to its culture. Presenters will share digital strategies and tactics for promoting your brand to varied audiences.

        • Stan Massey , Chief Strategy Officer, Transcend Strategy Group
        • Kristen Yntema , President and CEO, AuthoraCare Collective
      • ● 67-E. Embracing Digital Marketing to Influence Occupancy

        67-E. Embracing Digital Marketing to Influence Occupancy

        Older adults moved online in record numbers during the pandemic, unleashing pent-up demand for evaluating living options trough digital media. This demand is poised to positively influence occupancy in 2022, but providers must embrace digital marketing and media activities and employ an optimized team structure to achieve success. A life plan community marketing executive will describe how her organization’s new reliance on digital marketing resulted in increased inquiries and tours that exceeded industry averages in 2020. Marketing professionals will share their digital tactics for gauging the intent of prospective residents and using key performance indicators to optimize online inquiries.

        • Angela Green Urbaczewski , VP, Customer Advocacy & Growth, K4Connect
        • Kurt Krejny , SVP, Platforms
      • ● 79-E. Service Coordinators: A Lifeline for Older Residents

        79-E. Service Coordinators: A Lifeline for Older Residents

        Service coordinators play a key role in supporting older residents of affordable senior housing communities. Many affordable housing organizations are interested in enhancing their service coordinators' capacity to assist residents who are facing increasing and increasingly complex social and health challenges. A panel of advocates, researchers, and providers will update you on the policy landscape for service coordinators in affordable senior housing communities and discuss potential models and partnerships for strengthening and expanding the support that service coordinators can provide to older residents.

        • Alisha Sanders , Director of Program Design, Evaluation & Strategy, Volunteers of America National Services
        • Linda Couch , Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
        • Juliana Bilowich , Senior Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge
        • Robyn Stone , SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
      • ● 80-E. How Will Future Trends Impact Your Business Planning?
      • ● 95-E. Strategies for Supporting Healthy Aging

        95-E. Strategies for Supporting Healthy Aging

        Join a neuroscientist and co-author of the World Health Organization’s new guidelines for integrated care for older people as she explores how you can support healthy aging among residents and clients. You’ll take home practical examples of the difference you can make in six priority areas: vision loss; hearing loss; balance, falls, and frailty; depression; malnutrition; and cognitive decline. Explore the latest research on healthy aging, and learn how to use person-centered health and social care to help older adults optimize their functional abilities and prevent, slow, or reverse declines in physical and mental capacity.

        • Kelly Tremblay , Aging Advocate, Audiologist, Neuroscientist, KLT Consulting
      • ● 96-E. Aligning Your Organization to Empower Residents

        96-E. Aligning Your Organization to Empower Residents

        In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the value proposition for life care communities must shift from the current “care model,” which focuses on helping residents survive, to a “citizen model” that empowers residents to thrive. Organizations that adopt this new vision have the potential to enhance their mission, improve their margins, and spawn new business models designed to improve the well-being of older adults. Hear how one life plan community made this vision a reality, measure the tangible benefits of pivoting toward a citizen empowerment model, and get tips for implementing strategic culture change in your organization.

        • Ryan Frederick , Founder & CEO, SmartLiving 360
        • Verna Cavey , Resident/Educator, Clermont Park, CLC
        • Jill Vitale-Aussem , President and CEO, Christian Living Communities
        • John Franklin , Founder and Principal, Pearl Creek Advisors, LLC
      • ● 107-E. Clearing the Regulatory Fog After COVID

        107-E. Clearing the Regulatory Fog After COVID

        Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued blanket waivers of its post-acute regulations and interim final regulations governing health care and nursing home reporting and communications. CMS also proposed regulations to finalize several elements of Phase 3 of the Requirements of Participation. This session will help you clear the regulatory fog so you understand the changes made during the pandemic, which blanket waivers remain and which ones have ended, and the interplay between the Phase 3 Requirements of Participation and the skilled nursing regulatory changes made during the pandemic.

        • Sean Fahey , Attorney, Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman PC (IN Office)
        • Todd Selby , Shareholder, Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, PC (CO Office)
      • ● 120-E. Overcoming Social Distancing with Person-Centered Care

        120-E. Overcoming Social Distancing with Person-Centered Care

        Providers of aging services weren’t prepared to keep residents engaged and active while complying with pandemic-related social distancing restrictions. Hear from a post-acute provider that met this challenge by implementing a Montessori approach and Tailored Activity Programs (TAP) to create worthwhile and meaningful roles, routines, and activities for residents while improving employee satisfaction. Presenters will describe the impact of Montessori and TAP programming on quality of care and employee retention/satisfaction, and will share tips for developing a good workplace culture, addressing the needs of varying shifts and employee levels, overcoming barriers and challenges, and measuring satisfaction and return on investment.

        • Dr. Kathleen Weissberg , Director of Education, Select Rehabilitation, LLC
        • Stacy Plumbo , Regional Manager
      • ● 121-E. Job Resignation in Nursing Homes: Lessons from COVID-19

        121-E. Job Resignation in Nursing Homes: Lessons from COVID-19

        At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, LeadingAge conducted a study to determine how COVID-related work stress and employer supports influenced the decision of professional caregivers in nursing homes to leave their jobs. Session presenters will describe their study, including findings indicating that high levels of stress increase the risk of resignation among care staff, while high-quality communication can lower that risk. Discover the study’s implications for providers, take home lessons about the importance of employer communication and caregiver preparation during any public health crisis, and identify how employers can reduce turnover by addressing employee challenges.

        • Natasha Bryant , Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
        • Verena Cimarolli , VP, Applied Research and Partnerships, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
        • Dave Gehm , President & CEO, Wellspring Lutheran Services
      • ● 203-E. Roundtable Discussion: Diversity and Design

        203-E. Roundtable Discussion: Diversity and Design

        Join a roundtable discussion about how design principles can be used to influence change, impact identity, and create inclusivity. Hosted by experienced architects in our field, this session will provide opportunities to engage in conversations around differences and explore ways we can create supportive and welcoming communities.

        • Philippe Saad , Principal, DiMella Shaffer
        • Brit Vipham , Director of Project Management, The Admiral at the Lake
      • ● 8-F. Plan Your Response to Cybersecurity Threats

        8-F. Plan Your Response to Cybersecurity Threats

        In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care providers are facing new and more frequent cyberattacks and security breaches. You can avoid the expense and compliance headaches that come with these data breaches. But first, you must understand the threats and create a strong prevention plan and response strategy that involves both IT professionals and less tech-savvy team members. This session will help you do just that. Identify the top threats to data security, get tips on the most effective auditing and monitoring strategies, and learn the best ways to ensure data privacy and technology compliance.

        • Jennifer Griveas , Vice President & Chief Legal Officer, Eliza at Chagrin Falls
        • Michael Gray , Vice President of IT & Compliance Officer, Eliza Jennings
      • ● 9-F. Connectivity is Key: Does Your Network Measure Up?

        9-F. Connectivity is Key: Does Your Network Measure Up?

        Reliable Wi-Fi is a top amenity for your residents and it's also crucial for your operations. Residents want to use their electronic devices to socialize, work remotely, shop online, and watch favorite shows. Similarly, your organization needs a strong Wi-Fi network to support care- and safety-related operations. Achieving these goals requires a property-wide, fully managed, and purpose-built Wi-Fi network that provides a good user experience. Hear from two senior living communities that have successfully implemented a managed and secure Wi-Fi network, gain insight into the critical components of their transition, and learn how to maintain reliable and seamless Wi-Fi connectivity.

        • Tod Petty , Chief Marketing Officer, Fynn.io
        • Bryan Rader , Executive Vice President, Sr Living
        • Rick Ware , Senior IT Director, Friendship Village Senior Living Communities
      • ● 20-F. Designing WITH People Who Live With Dementia

        20-F. Designing WITH People Who Live With Dementia

        Design of the physical environment can have a profound effect on people living with dementia. That’s why organizations implementing new developments must listen to and partner with people living with dementia throughout the planning process to find out how and where they want to live and how the built environment can reflect those preferences. Join CEOs from two communities with unique approaches to supporting people with dementia, and hear from people living with dementia about how they participated in shaping the design of the places where they live and how these environments affect their daily lives.

        • Eric McRoberts , Partner
        • Stacy Hollinger Main , Partner, RLPS Architects
      • ● 30-F. How Do We Move Toward Racial Equity?

        30-F. How Do We Move Toward Racial Equity?

        Join Glenn Harris, president and CEO of RaceForward, as he describes what racial equity look likes in practice, and how providers of aging services can begin operationalizing and organizing for racial equity within their organizations. RaceForward is dedicated to building awareness of racial justice and addressing racial justice issues through transformative leadership, ideas, and information. This session supports LeadingAge’s long-standing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and its desire to tell the DEI story in Atlanta, a city that was the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s and the voting rights movement in 2021.

        • Glenn Harris , President of Race Forward and Publisher of Colorlines, Race Forward
      • ● 41-F. How to Create an Inclusive Leadership Culture

        41-F. How to Create an Inclusive Leadership Culture

        Will baby boomers make our service delivery system obsolete? How do we maintain financial sustainability with declining government funding? How do we create a more inclusive culture? CEOs don’t have to answer these and other big questions by themselves. This session will introduce you to “Distributed Authority,” a way to empower your organization’s leaders, down to the front line, to solve problems together. An organizational coach will identify the three ingredients of Authority Distribution and describe how to implement them, while two LeadingAge CEOs will discuss how they are striving to create an inclusive leadership culture in their organizations.

        • Thomas Willis , Partner & Co-Founder, Phoenix Performance Partners
        • Dave Gehm , President & CEO, Wellspring Lutheran Services
        • Jill Wilson , President & CEO, Otterbein SeniorLife
      • ● 57-F. Why Single-Site Life Plan Communities Continue to Thrive

        57-F. Why Single-Site Life Plan Communities Continue to Thrive

        How will single-site life plan communities fare in a market that continues to present opportunities for mergers, acquisitions, and affiliations? Representatives of Lenbrook, a single-site life plan community in Atlanta, will identify key factors that helped their community thrive, its advantage over multisite organizations, and recent innovations that helped it respond to consumer needs and preferences. Presenters will explore factors contributing to the success of single-site life plan communities, and the commonalities that high-performing single-site communities share. They will also explore the long-term effects of the pandemic on the senior living field and on single-site life plan communities.

        • Nick Roberts , Senior Vice President, HJ Sims
        • Aaron Rulnick , Managing Principal, HJ Sims
        • Felecia Sveda , Chief Operating Officer, Lenbrook Atlanta
        • Christopher Keysor , CEO, Lenbrook Atlanta
      • ● 68-F. Overcome Your Post-Pandemic Marketing Challenges

        68-F. Overcome Your Post-Pandemic Marketing Challenges

        The coronavirus pandemic brought about a fundamental shift in how older adults view senior living. These views will persist beyond the pandemic and could affect future occupancy and sales. This session will draw on data from national- and community-level resident surveys to illustrate pandemic-related marketing challenges and shed light on how communities can adapt their outreach to reach out to and build connections with prospective residents. Presenters will guide attendees in creating a community identity that can become a springboard for building consumer trust. Participants will gain insight into marketing approaches that can be most successful in changing times.

        • Tye Campbell , Principal Emeritus
        • Emily Jimerson , Principal, SFCS Architects
        • Hoppy Sell , Chief Marketing Officer, HutsonWood Health & Housing Solutions
        • Rob Love , President & CEO, Love & Company, Inc.
      • ● 81-F. Using PDPM to Thrive During and Beyond the Pandemic

        81-F. Using PDPM to Thrive During and Beyond the Pandemic

        Many providers of aging services are struggling just to stay afloat, given increased costs and census loss associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Successful skilled nursing facilities have improved their bottom line during 2020 and 2021 by implementing strategies to increase accuracy of Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) rates. A health consultant and self-described “PDPM nerd” will help you understand how your organization can use these strategies to improve reimbursement, increase census, configure electronic medical records to drive accurate PDPM rates, streamline workflow for administrative and frontline staff, and meet the ongoing needs of your community.

        • Josh Bagley , Administrator
        • Melissa Brown , Chief Operating Officer, Gravity Healthcare Consulting
      • ● 82-F. After the Pandemic: Moving Forward by Looking Back

        82-F. After the Pandemic: Moving Forward by Looking Back

        COVID-19 continues to challenge the field of long-term services and supports (LTSS) as providers across the country continue working hard to manage the pandemic. This session will examine how providers have battled the pandemic to date: what worked, what didn’t, and what could be done differently. Presenters will explore how to develop relationships that can help you prevent and manage COVID-19 cases, deliver care in accordance with residents’ wishes, communicate with all stakeholders, and make plans for potential future waves of COVID-19. Take home insights and guidance on how to use lessons from the past to move forward effectively.

        • Karen Camacho , Manager, Product Escalations, PointClickCare
      • ● 97-F. Yoga: It’s Not Just for Residents Anymore

        97-F. Yoga: It’s Not Just for Residents Anymore

        Yoga is a versatile tool that comes in many forms and can enhance leadership, enrich stress management, and facilitate trauma-informed care in senior living communities. Yoga also can support resilience, peace, and positive energy among residents and team members. Two certified yoga instructors—one a physician and hospice provider and the other a nursing home administrator—will help you understand the various kinds of yoga practice and what it takes to introduce yoga to a community in a way that supports everyone. Participants will experience a short demonstration of chair yoga as a form of self-care.

        • Tina Sandri , CEO, Forest Hills of DC u2013 Inclusive Senior Living
        • Sonja Richmond , Medical Director, Vitas Healthcare Corporation
      • ● 98-F. Bringing a Montessori Preschool to Senior Living

        98-F. Bringing a Montessori Preschool to Senior Living

        Intergenerational programs have been shown to offer myriad benefits to both young and old participants. That’s been the case at Wesley, a LeadingAge member in Des Moines, WA, which collaborated with Bezos Academy, a tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschool organization dedicated to educating underserved children. Representatives from both organizations will be on hand to explain how they established the first Bezos Academy preschool on the Wesley campus, and how other LeadingAge members could do the same. Review the program’s objectives, the benefits it offers to Wesley residents, how it was funded, and how it helped Wesley advance its social accountability program.

        • Kevin Anderson , President & CEO, Wesley
        • Scott Edison , Partnerships
      • ● 109-F. A Bold Policy Vision for Long-Term Services and Supports

        109-F. A Bold Policy Vision for Long-Term Services and Supports

        The coronavirus pandemic exposed the multi-decade neglect of long-term services and supports (LTSS) by national policymakers. Now it’s time for those policymakers to make tough but necessary decisions to ensure that the LTSS sector can respond to our nation’s changing demographics. This panel of LeadingAge experts will outline a vision for LTSS that fortifies mission-focused providers, gives consumers the security of knowing the nation has an LTSS plan that won’t bankrupt them or burden their families, and identifies a financing strategy to pay for that plan. We’ll discuss the politics of LTSS financing reform and explore steps for achieving change.

        • Ruth Katz , CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)
        • Linda Couch , Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
        • Jeffrey Farber , President & CEO, The New Jewish Home
        • Mark Beggs , President & CEO, Edenwald
        • Michelle Norris , Principal, N-Sights Consulting, LLC
      • ● 122-F. Supporting Team Members During Trying Times

        122-F. Supporting Team Members During Trying Times

        The coronavirus pandemic underscored a basic, long-standing truth about aging services organizations: employees are our greatest asset. But COVID-19 also raised awareness about another, sometimes overlooked, truth: our valued employees experience multiple stressors in their daily lives, even as they work to serve residents and clients. This session will focus on a variety of programs that can support employees during trying times, encourage self-care, and enhance retention. Presenters will discuss creative self-care programs that a Maryland-based life plan community offers its employees, including counseling, self-care activities, care packages and free meals, enhanced communication, and increased participation in organizational decision-making.

        • Jennifer Jimenez Marana , CEO/Founder, Marana Consulting
        • Yolanda Johnson , Vice President of Human Resources, Keswick Multi-Care
      • ● 123-F. Virtual Reality: Changing the Way Caregivers Learn

        123-F. Virtual Reality: Changing the Way Caregivers Learn

        Try out virtual reality (VR) technology and experience first-hand how VR can accelerate caregiver education and lead to a deeper understanding of aging and older adults. A VR expert will share how virtual reality is being used to develop cutting-edge training programs that conserve resources and promote employee satisfaction. Session attendees will experience the full VR training framework, which involves reflecting on your experience working with elders living with dementia and then stepping into the shoes of an older adult to experience first-hand what it feels like to encounter and attempt to cope with sensory, language processing, and language expression challenges.

        • Erin Washington , Head of Product, Embodied Labs
        • Carrie Shaw , CEO/President, Embodied Labs
        • Jenna Barkeim , Registered Nurse/CNA Training Instructor, Benedictine Living Community – Winona
        • Dawn Selleck , CNA Training Instructor, Benedictine Living Community – Winona
        • Kimberly Nahrgang , RN Staff Development Director/Training Center Coordinator, Benedictine Living Community – Winona
      • ● 10-G. Internet Connectivity in Affordable Housing

        10-G. Internet Connectivity in Affordable Housing

        Accessing the internet is a “prerequisite to full and meaningful participation in society,” according to the Federal Communications Commission. Unfortunately, older adults living in affordable senior housing communities often lack digital connectivity. As a result, they may have little or no access to healthcare and other supports, and limited interaction with family and friends. This session will review different approaches to providing connectivity, including programs that support and/or subsidize connectivity, business models that enable connectivity, and opportunities for providers to establish and support a connectivity infrastructure. Organizations that have supported resident connectivity in affordable senior housing will share their experiences.

        • Scott Code , Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge
        • Ryan Elza , Vice President of Innovation & Technology, Volunteers of America
        • Richard Foor , VP of Information Technology, Givens Communities
      • ● 11-G. Bridging the Interoperability Gap in Post-Acute Care

        11-G. Bridging the Interoperability Gap in Post-Acute Care

        What does true interoperability really mean? How close is your organization to achieving connected care? Post-acute care providers attending this session will get answers to these questions and gain insight into what their referral sources really care about when it comes to exchanging data and documentation electronically. Discover the role interoperability plays in a physician’s decision to refer patients to your care setting, find out what software vendors are doing to close the interoperability gap, and take home practical advice about what you can do today to advance your interoperability strategy and position your organization for success.

        • Nick Knowlton , VP, Business Development, Brightree LLC
      • ● 21-G. Designing Spaces that Promote Engagement

        21-G. Designing Spaces that Promote Engagement

        Well-designed amenity spaces can encourage activity and engagement in senior living. But pandemic-related restrictions on use of those spaces exacerbated social isolation and loneliness, and made it more difficult to maintain a sense of camaraderie among residents. Two architects and a senior living manager will discuss strategies for assessing and modifying your community’s sensory attributes to enhance feelings of home and a sense of belonging. They will share master planning and building design solutions that support safe gatherings, offer strategies for aligning operational decisions with the design of the physical environment, and impart planning and design concepts that promote engagement.

        • Matt Mauthe , CEO, Illuminus
        • Eric Harrmann , Chief Design Officer, AG Architecture
        • Andrew Alden , Senior Associate, AG Architecture
      • ● 31-G. Strategies for Providing Culturally Sensitive Care

        31-G. Strategies for Providing Culturally Sensitive Care

        American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) elders receive culturally appropriate care in nursing homes and assisted living communities operated by tribes and AI/AN organizations. These settings offer their residents support with activities of daily living while helping them maintain ties with their communities, families, cultures, and traditions. This session will highlight strategies for providing culturally sensitive care that non-tribal settings can use to enhance the well-being of elders. Participants will learn about a person-centered approach to care that honors traditions, promotes cultural activities, supports elders’ spiritual well-being, trains staff to provide culturally sensitive care, and leverages partnerships and community support.

        • Tami Reed , Administrator, Morning Star Care Center
        • Ina Weed , Human Resources Director
        • Joseph Ray , Board Member, Laguna Rainbow Nursing Center
        • Tiffany Shangreau , Administrator, Oglala Sioux Lakota Nursing Home
        • Ron Ross , CEO, Native American Health Management
      • ● 69-G. Milestone-Based Planning: Maximizing Results in Troubled Times

        69-G. Milestone-Based Planning: Maximizing Results in Troubled Times

        External market instability—whether it is brought on by a pandemic or a community repositioning—can affect your organization’s ability to achieve occupancy, revenue, and growth goals. Aging services professionals can quickly and effectively respond to such market volatility by carrying out milestone-based planning. Let marketing and sales experts introduce you to milestone-based planning, and hear how Phoebe Ministries, a Pennsylvania-based senior living system, successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic using this approach. Walk through steps for developing and implementing milestone-based planning approaches in marketing and sales that will help you maximize results while weathering revenue and resource shortages.

        • Brynn Buskirk , VP, Marketing and External Relations
        • Kimberly Wilkinson , President, Creating Results, Inc.
      • ● 83-G. Managing Mobility: Transportation, Health, and Quality of Life

        83-G. Managing Mobility: Transportation, Health, and Quality of Life

        Access to reliable transportation is key to health and quality of life for a community’s older residents, family caregivers, staff members, and volunteers. Representatives of Kendal at Oberlin will be joined by a recognized transportation expert to help you assess your community’s transportation needs and take a holistic approach to managing mobility. Presenters will review innovative models for managing transportation services, including older driver safety initiatives, ride-hailing and car-sharing options, travel training, and initiatives to support family caregivers transporting loved ones. Participants will take home replicable strategies for reducing transportation and mobility barriers while addressing liability concerns.

        • Barbara Thomas , CEO
        • Jed Johnson , Managing Director – Aging Services
      • ● 84-G. Infection Preventionists in Nursing Homes

        84-G. Infection Preventionists in Nursing Homes

        The coronavirus pandemic focused new attention on the role of infection preventionists—the professionals who make sure nursing home caregivers and care recipients are doing everything necessary to prevent infections in their care settings. This session will present a framework for implementing practices for infection prevention and control in nursing homes. Presenters will identify resources to help support an infection prevention program, and will encourage participants to talk with one another about the challenges nursing homes faced during the pandemic and the strategies they used to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

        • Janine Finck-Boyle , Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
        • Donna Webb , Chief Networking Officer
        • Lisa Thomson , Chief Operating Officer, Pathway Health Services Inc.
        • Sue Boyd , Vice President of Clinical Services, Volunteers of America of Minnesota/Wisconsin
      • ● 100-G. How to Prepare Older Adults for Aging Solo

        100-G. How to Prepare Older Adults for Aging Solo

        Whether by choice or circumstance, many older adults find themselves “aging solo” without the support system traditionally provided by family. Iona Senior Services in Washington, DC, offers Aging Solo classes to better equip older adults to make plans and decisions so they can prevent crisis situations that could arise when their ability to function decreases. A social worker and wellness coordinator from Iona will explore the aging solo concept, discuss the importance of and barriers to planning for aging, and introduce the Aging Solo curriculum, which participants can use to create their own programs and services.

        • Andrew Miller , Program Analyst
      • ● 111-G. Employee Benefits: Legal and Regulatory Update
      • ● 124-G. ReST: Addressing Moral Distress Through Peer Support

        124-G. ReST: Addressing Moral Distress Through Peer Support

        The Resilience Strength Time (ReST) program, sponsored by LeadingAge member Volunteers of America (VOA), is a free, confidential, group process that supports emotional resilience in people struggling with isolation, fatigue, frustration, anxiety, and a sense of inadequacy or failure. This session will describe the online VOA|ReST program and educate participants about how the program uses peer support to enable small groups of people to connect with each other, share their feelings, and recover from moral distress. Find out how to sign up for and use VOA|ReST when people you know need support.

        • Rita Nakashima Brock , Senior Vice-President & Director of Shay Moral Injury Center, Volunteers of America
        • Vincent Caimano , Co-Founder & CEO, Peer Support Solutions
      • ● 12-H. Leveraging Technology to Build Community During COVID

        12-H. Leveraging Technology to Build Community During COVID

        Even though older adults were separated from each other during the COVID-19 pandemic, providers of aging services found innovative ways to ensure that residents and clients maintained social connections and reduced social isolation. Baltimore-based Keswick Community Health will share how it retrained campus staff, upgraded technology, and worked with local organizations to help at-risk older adults with low incomes engage with others. Gain insight into effective ways to promote technology utilization among older adults in urban settings by utilizing virtual and socially distanced environments. Discover how working with community partners can help you expand outreach to underserved older populations.

        • Susan Bender , Director of Education
        • Maria Darby , Board Member, The Beacon Institute, Inc./Lifespan Network
        • Adam Decker , Senior Director of Community Health, Keswick Multi-Care
      • ● 32-H. Creating Brave Spaces for Conversations about Diversity

        32-H. Creating Brave Spaces for Conversations about Diversity

        How can your organization provide space for meaningful dialogue about important social issues without allowing varying viewpoints to cause friction and division? This session will share guidelines for creating Brave Spaces that foster trusting, open, and honest dialogue at the staff, board, and resident levels. Presenters will describe how they used these guidelines to create spaces where people could share feelings and opinions about race and work, and then begin working together to bring about change. Session attendees will join small groups to discuss how to apply Brave Spaces guidelines to their organization’s DEI efforts.

        • Marsha Wesley Coleman , Senior Consultant, Praxis Consulting Group
        • Jennifer Jimenez Marana , CEO/Founder, Marana Consulting
      • ● 44-H. How Boards Help Create Healthy and Ethical Organizations

        44-H. How Boards Help Create Healthy and Ethical Organizations

        Nonprofit senior living organizations need strong governance so they can address the realities of today’s complex and changing service environment and remain competitive and relevant in the face of disruption, innovation, and risk. Presenters will share best practices for creating a healthy and ethical organization that has a clear mission, aligned strategies, managed risk, and strong controls. Attendees will walk away with a better understanding of board members’ oversight role as independent directors and champions for integrity and ethics. You’ll recognize how enhancing governance capability and outcomes can enhance your organization’s current and future health, reputation, and competitive success.

        • Denice Jasper , Board Member, Vista Prairie Communities
        • Bill Bojan , Founder and CEO, Integrated Governance Solutions
        • Jim Bettendorf , President & CEO, Vista Prairie Communities
        • Mario McKenzie , Partner, CLA
      • ● 59-H. Linking Planning and Design for a Community-Based NORC

        59-H. Linking Planning and Design for a Community-Based NORC

        Aldersgate returns to the LeadingAge Annual Meeting to provide an update on its five-year effort to carry out a strategic planning process focused on revisioning a conventional life plan community campus in Charlotte, NC, while creating a Naturally Recurring Retirement Community in a new, mixed-use, mixed-income intergenerational community. This session will revisit Aldersgate’s strategic planning process, including its strengths, weaknesses, modifications, and extensions. Presenters will highlight key steps that senior living organizations can take to link strategic planning with a physical master plan, and will offer tips for conducting inclusive and comprehensive outreach to current residents and the broader community.

        • Terry Shook , Partner, Shook Kelley, Inc.
        • Suzanne Pugh , Senior Business Development Executive, K2M Design, Inc.
        • Boris Henderson , Chief Strategy Officer, Aldersgate
      • ● 70-H. Predictive Analytics: Connecting Past Performance to Future Success

        70-H. Predictive Analytics: Connecting Past Performance to Future Success

        Communities with an eye on the future must embrace a data-driven approach to their strategic plans. Consider how Maryland-based Ingleside and its three communities became more data-driven by making a commitment to understanding the efficacy of previous marketing communication initiatives, developing a dynamic dashboard for decision-making, quantifying the true impact of COVID-19 on community performance, employing predictive modeling around key performance indicators, and developing a consolidated website for efficiency and stronger search performance. Participants will discover how to connect descriptive analytics of past performance with future decision-making, and the connection between analytical insights and digital communication strategies.

        • Derek Dunham , President, Varsity
        • Katerina Trajkova , Digital Analytics Manager, Ingleside
        • John Bassounas , President, Varsity
      • ● 85-H. Revitalize Your Community: Adopt an Entrepreneurial Spirit

        85-H. Revitalize Your Community: Adopt an Entrepreneurial Spirit

        Some nonprofit communities are incorporating principles of “social entrepreneurship” into their culture, structures, and programming to stay competitive and energize their missions. Meet two representatives from nonprofit life plan communities that underwent extraordinary shifts during unprecedented times and overcame bureaucracy, risk-aversion, and “paralysis by analysis” to reinvent themselves. Leveraging these inspiring stories, two marketing professionals and two life plan community leaders will explore key principles of social entrepreneurship and offer lessons to help your organization adopt an entrepreneurial spirit that allows you to maximize success, implement solid branding and repositioning tactics, and engage your board in your success.

        • Don Warfield , Sales Director, Horizon House
        • Cynthia Thurlow Cruver , President and CEO, 3rd3rd Marketing
        • Brooks Shelley , Director of Marketing and Brand Strategy, Aldersgate
        • Derek Dujardin , VP of Creative Direction and Leadership, 3rd3rd Marketing
        • Ralph Novak , Owner, Novak Consulting
      • ● 86-H. Preserving Affordable Senior Housing: Is RAD Right for You?

        86-H. Preserving Affordable Senior Housing: Is RAD Right for You?

        Housing communities that have Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC) and participate in the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program are newly authorized to participate in the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Converting to long-term, project-based Section 8 contracts through RAD can help these housing providers recapitalize and preserve their affordable communities. Is RAD right for you? This session will pull back the curtain on how PRAC conversion deals work, how to best position your property before conversion, and how to leverage HUD as your partner along the way.

        • Linda Couch , Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
        • Juliana Bilowich , Senior Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge
        • Gates Kellett , Founder, Gates Development Group, LLC
      • ● 101-H. Debunking the Myths about Resident-Directed Communities

        101-H. Debunking the Myths about Resident-Directed Communities

        Resident-directed communities are too often portrayed as complicated and something to be feared. An administrator and a resident at Christian Living Communities in Englewood, CO, will debunk those myths by offering a clear explanation of what resident-directed communities entail and how they benefit team members and residents alike. Participants will discover how the attitudes and practices of resident-directed communities instill a healthy balance of giving and receiving in residents; offer residents a sense of empowerment as active, valued, and fulfilled citizens; and enhance innovation and participation. Presenters will provide simple tools for initiating a resident-directed culture in your community.

        • Moriah Bernhardt , Sr. Director of Programs
        • Verna Cavey , Resident/Educator, Clermont Park, CLC
      • ● 112-H. COVID-19 Liability Protections, Claims, and Defenses

        112-H. COVID-19 Liability Protections, Claims, and Defenses

        COVID-19 is bringing unprecedented challenges to the field of long-term services and supports (LTSS), including pandemic-related litigation. Three attorneys—two from LTSS communities and one from LeadingAge—will be on hand to discuss the types of pandemic-related claims affecting the LTSS field, and the potential application of state and federal civil liability protections, immunity, and other defenses to these claims. Attendees will receive guidance on how to mitigate and prepare to defend any future claims, and the relationship between this litigation, insurance rates, and insurance carriers moving forward.

        • Tara Clayton , Senior Vice President, Senior Care Practice, Marsh
        • Cory Kallheim , General Counsel, Covenant Living Communities and Services
        • Drew Graham , Partner, Hall Booth Smith PC
      • ● 126-H. How to Ensure Safe Care for Seniors

        126-H. How to Ensure Safe Care for Seniors

        Most instances of maltreatment analyzed by LeadingAge Minnesota in 2017 involved human error, risky behavior, and organizational system issues—not purposeful or reckless staff behavior. Based on these findings, LeadingAge Minnesota launched Safe Care for Seniors, which promotes key actions to improve quality and safety outcomes in care settings. A LeadingAge Minnesota executive and a patient safety expert will describe Safe Care for Seniors; explain the difference between workplace, at-risk, and reckless behaviors; and offer tips on how you can address each type. Discover how your organization can implement a culture of safety that supports staff while preventing adverse events.

        • Barbara Olson , Chief Clinical Officer, The Just Culture Company
        • Julie Apold , VP of Quality and Performance Excellence, LeadingAge Minnesota
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Category Descriptions
  • PROVIDER*

    This category applies to all individuals attending the annual meeting NOT associated with a business firm, and includes employees and board members of LeadingAge provider organizations, and retired NH/AL administrators. Full-time university professors and full-time employees of not-for-profit organizations also fall under the Provider category.
    *Business firms (including consultants) and exhibitors may not register under this category. Full-time professors who market the Annual Meeting to students can apply for scholarships, please contact kcramer@leadingage.org.

    Full Provider (Sunday – Wednesday)

    • Keynotes (Sun-Wed)
    • Education Sessions (Sun-Wed)
    • EXPO (Mon-Wed)
    • EXPO Lunch (Mon, Tues)

    Daily Provider (Choice of Sunday-Wednesday, applicable to day registered)

    • Keynotes (Sun-Wed)
    • Education Sessions (Sun-Wed)
    • EXPO (Mon-Wed)
    • EXPO Lunch (Mon, Tues)

    EXPO-Only Daily Provider* (Choice of Monday-Wednesday, applicable to day registered, must register in advance and be pre-approved, no access to Education Program)

    • Access to EXPO Only (choice of day – Mon-Wed)
    • EXPO Lunch (Mon, Tues as applicable to day registered)

    * not eligible for CE credits

  • BUSINESS/NON-EXHIBITOR

    This category applies to companies and individuals who sell/market products and/or services to providers and are NOT exhibiting in the EXPO. Exhibitors have invested significant dollars to help attract attendees and this category ensures non-exhibiting companies are equally supporting marketing efforts. For information about exhibiting, please contact the Exhibit Sales Team at Sales@leadingage.org. 

    Full Business/Non-Exhibitor Participant (Sunday – Wednesday)

    • All conference activities, listed under the Full Provider category

    Daily Business/Non-Exhibitor Participant (Choice of Sunday – Wednesday)

    • All conference activities, listed under the Daily Provider category (applicable to day registered)
  • EXHIBITOR WITH EDUCATION

    This category applies to companies and individuals who sell/market products and/or services and have already secured their virtual exhibit booth in the EXPO. This category gives FULL access to education and other areas of the event.

  • ELDER/RESIDENT

    This category applies to individuals who reside in or receive services from a provider organization. This category is not eligible for CE credits.

    Elder/Resident (Sunday – Wednesday)

    • Elder/Resident Networking Meeting
    • All conference activities, listed under the Full Provider category
  • STUDENT

    This category applies only to full-time college/university students. Students must be 18 years or older and will be required to upload proof of full-time student status, such as a student ID card, transcript, or letter on department letterhead upon registering. This category is not eligible for CE credits. 

    A limited number of registration and housing scholarships are available to full-time college/ university students. Housing will include a three night hotel stay beginning Sunday evening. More details and how to apply will be posted on the Annual Meeting Student Program page in late Spring.

    Student (Sunday – Wednesday)*

    • Student Program Kickoff Welcome Reception
    • Student Program Celebration
    • Leaders-in-Residence event with key aging services leaders in the field of aging services
    • Student Office Hours featuring topics such as career paths, job search skills, credentialing, etc.
    • Student Union gathering place
    • Access to NextGen Networking Events
    • All conference activities, listed under the Full Provider category (applicable to day registered)
      *This category is not eligible for CE credit
  • FACULTY

    Full-time university faculty/staff fall under the Provider category for registration.  Full-time university faculty/staff may apply for scholarships. Please contact ckramer@leadingage.org to learn more.

  • FAMILY

    This category applies only to family members of conference registrants (who are NOT employed with a business firm or a provider organization in the aging services field). This category is not eligible for CE credits.

    Family (Sunday – Wednesday)*

    • Keynotes (Mon-Wed)
    • Opening Inspirational Event (Sun)
    • EXPO (Mon-Wed)
    • EXPO Lunches (Mon, Tues)
      *This category is not eligible for CE credits.

    Family PLUS Education (Sunday – Wednesday)*

    • Keynotes (Mon-Wed)
    • Opening Inspirational Event (Sun)
    • EXPO (Mon-Wed)
    • EXPO Lunches (Mon, Tues)
      PLUS
    • Education Sessions (Sun-Wed)
  • PRESS

    Press may register complimentary for the meeting. Subject to verification; please contact Lisa Sanders at lsanders@leadingage.org for information. 

  • CE Credit Eligibility

    Only the following registration categories are eligible to obtain continuing education credits

    • Provider (Full/Daily/Half Day)
    • Business/Non-Exhibitor 
    • Exhibitor with Education (only exhibitor categories that includes CEs, please see exhibitor categories and fees page for details)

Registration Details

Learn all you need to know about Annual Meeting registration!

Registration Login
Attendee (individual) registration: You will login using your my.leadingage.org email and password. Please email info@leadingage.org or call 1-844-840-4669 if you have any login questions.

Attendee group registration: You will create an event login with a password*. Use this login and password to return to your record or simply click on your registration record link in your confirmation email. If you need help, please email leadingage@maritz.com or call 1-864-208-0400.
*Your group event login is new each year, it does not carry over to the next event.

Exhibitor registration: You will login using your company name and password. Use this login and password to return to your record or simply click on your registration record link in your confirmation email. If you need help, please email leadingage@maritz.com or call 1-864-208-0400.

  • Registration Questions
  • Payment Types
  • Registration Transfers/Substitutions
  • Cancellations
Stay Infrormed with Continuing Education

2021 CE Information

All concurrent sessions and keynotes have been pre-approved for continuing education credits for nursing home/assisted living administrators and finance professionals.

Choice of 125+ Sessions (1.0 credit hours each)
4 Keynote Presentations (1.0 credit hours each)

Everyone seeking credits must register for a CE eligible category and provide the required CE registration information.

LeadingAge will monitor/track attendance using RFID-enabled name badges and provide CE documentation to all attendees who are present for the full duration of each session and keynote (credit cannot be provided for late arrivals, early departures, or without RFID data verification).

Please allow 4-6 weeks for attendance data to be processed and reported.

Note: LeadingAge may not be able to report your session attendance before December 15, 2021. Please check your licensure renewal date to ensure that you have adequate time to use attendance from this event and plan accordingly.

  • Nursing Home and Assisted Living Administrators (NAB)
  • Finance Professionals (NASBA)
  • SELF-REPORTING
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Contact me with questions about the program.

Education@LeadingAge.org