1-A. Digital Transformation in Aging Services

Digital technology has transformed many industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and service delivery. Now it’s time to bring these technologies to the aging services sector, where they can help improve care for older adults, reduce burdens on direct care professionals, and drive efficiencies. This session will explore how integrating digital technology, process redesign, and automation can fundamentally change how aging services organizations operate and deliver care. Don’t miss this chance to rethink how your organization uses technology and reimagine how your technology-augmented team members can drive new business models and create new revenue streams. You’ll take home valuable advice from providers that have already embarked on their digital transformation journeys.

• Dusanka Delovska-Trajkova, CIO, Ingleside
• James Michels, VP of Fund Development, The Army Distaff Foundation and Knollwood
• Peter Kress, Senior Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
• Majd Alwan, President/Owner, ALWAN AIVantAge

14-A. Fair Housing: Helping Older Adults Age in Community

The Fair Housing Act guarantees the right to housing choice for people who develop disabilities as they age. Yet, many older adults who need support with activities of daily living are still forced to move from their neighborhoods because they can’t find residential care options nearby. During this session, an attorney specializing in fair housing issues will examine how fair housing laws can help older adults age in community, and how those laws can be applied to alternative care models that offer assisted living and memory care services in small-scale environments like single-family homes. Gain a better understanding of the approvals process for locating small, assisted living settings in single-family neighborhoods and discover how fair housing laws can take precedence over local zoning restrictions.

• Michelle Pinkowski, Principal, Pinkowski Law & Policy Group, LLC
• Francis M. LeGasse, Jr., CDP, President/Administrator, Assured Assisted Living, LLC

15-A. Developing the Life Plan Community of the Future

Life plan community executives know that consumer preferences are changing. But how can they respond to consumer preferences while also staying true to their missions? Let a panel of providers and financial, marketing, and design experts guide you in envisioning the life plan community of the future. Presenters will explore how major economic disruptors like labor shortages and soaring home prices will impact senior living communities and their consumers. They’ll also explore how new models of senior living are already starting to challenge traditional approaches. Explore how forward-thinking organizations are driving consumer expectations, not just responding to them. Hear examples of life plan communities that have expanded their missions while, at the same time, sparking the imagination of consumers.

• Mark Beggs, President & CEO, Edenwald
• Brenda Schreiber, Senior VP Marketing, Mather
• Amy Castleberry, Managing Director, Ziegler
• Rob Love, President & CEO, Love & Company, Inc.
• Michael Kivov, Founding Partner, OnePoint Partners
• Margaret Yu, Architectural Designer/Business Development, RLPS Architects

27-A. The Future of Aging Services: Diverse Leaders of Tomorrow

Get in touch with the younger generation of professionals in the field of aging services. Listen as they describe how they were introduced to the aging services field and how their understanding of the field has changed over time. Presenters will share their thoughts on how to bridge the gap between aging services providers and students or new graduates, and the role that up-and-coming minority individuals can play in aging services organizations. These young professionals will also discuss the barriers they’ve faced in our field and their suggestions for ways in which providers of aging services can engage with aspiring aging services professionals and promote diversity among managers and leaders.

• Beryl Bannerman, Development Associate, HumanGood PA
• Derek Cheung, Assistant Administrator, HumanGood Inc.
• Raaed Syed, Student, Rutgers University
• Christy Kramer, Vice President, Student Engagement and Workforce Relationships,

28-A. Can Art Dismantle Ageism?

The beauty and power of art, when combined with a strategy of activism, can help you tackle and dismantle ageism. This session will show you how. Learn how professionals in the field of aging services can use a centuries-old practice call "artistic activism” to bring about social change. Presenters will describe how a Baltimore-based aging services organization raised awareness of ageism through an interactive art installation, a storytelling project, and other initiatives. They’ll also introduce you to Art Against Ageism, an alliance of artists, older adults, and senior living professionals that uses art to confront ageism. Take home concrete ideas to help your organization work with residents, staff, and volunteers to do the same thing.

• Meg LaPorte, Co-Founder, Art Against Ageism
• Jordan Evans, Co-Founder, Art Against Ageism

42-A. Finding the Spark to Move Your Mission Forward

Being a mission-driven organization requires that you have a vision for the future, a plan to help you achieve that vision, and the commitment, focus, and energy to make it all happen. During this session, management consultants will offer a step-by-step guide to help your organization support mission advancement through its strategic plan, its initiatives, and its people. Learn about the innovative strategic initiatives being deployed by senior living organizations around the country and discover how these initiatives are shaping the future of aging services. Providers will offer their own perspectives on how board members, organizational leaders, and team members can generate the spark that moves your mission forward.

• Beverly Asper, President & CEO, Cross Keys Village
• Jerry Carley, CEO/President, Benedictine Health System
• Mike Edwin, Director,
• Keith Grady, Executive Director, Applewood

55-A. Redeveloping Affordable Housing Against All Odds

Collaborations between like-minded organizations can bring success to even the most challenging projects. During this session, you’ll discover how two LeadingAge members used a $50 million investment to carry out an affordable senior housing redevelopment project focused on improving health equity and creating sustainable, long-term community benefits. Learn how a partnership between McFarlan Charitable Corporation and Presbyterian Villages of Michigan led to the Court Street Village Campus redevelopment project in Flint, MI. Review the project’s complex financing plan and multiple capital components, including philanthropy. Gain an appreciation for how the partners’ bold vision for affordable senior housing helped the project succeed against all odds.

• Erica Thrash-Sall, CEO, Horizon House
• Kathy Boles, President, Board of Directors of McFarlan Charitable Corporation,
• Kenneth Hollowell, Chair of Facilities Advancement Committee, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
• Albert Bogdan, Special Consultant, McFarlan Home

72-A. Bridging the Gap Between Marketing and Operations

The job of a life plan community marketing team is to decipher what consumers value, tell them they can have it, and show them how to get it. The job of a community’s operations team is to deliver on the promises the marketing team makes. These two teams depend on one another and must learn to work together, even though their personalities and priorities may differ. During this session, the executive director and marketing director of a life plan community will share strategies for ensuring that marketing and operations staff communicate and collaborate to help the organization maintain high occupancy and achieve financial success. Take home practical tips for increasing trust, understanding, and collaboration among team members and departments in your organization.

• Nikki Phillips, Director of Marketing, Capital Manor
• David Lewis, Executive Director, Capital Manor

73-A. Continuing Care at Home: Meet the Program Participants

Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs offer older adults the best of both worlds: access to an array of care and services they may need in the future and the opportunity to age in their own homes. Who joins CCaH programs and what attracts them to this model? During this session, you’ll hear directly from CCaH participant and family members about why they chose to remain at home, how the CCaH program is meeting their needs, what challenges they’ve encountered along the way, and whether they are considering a move to life plan community in the future. The CCaH consumer panel will be facilitated by Lynne Giacobbe, who developed the Kendal at Home program and has been responsible for its growth and expansion into new markets.

• Lynne Giacobbe, Chief Executive Officer, Kendal at Home
• Jeffrey Pollock, Vice Chair, Retirement Housing Foundation
• Yolanda Cruz, Kendal at Home Member, Kendal at Home
• Norma Maraschin, Kendal at Home Member, Kendal at Home
• Andrea Louie, Kendal at Home Member, Kendal at Home

84-A. Bringing Acute Care Home to Lower Costs and Increase Quality

Avoidable emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations are expensive, disruptive, and disorienting for older adults. But emergency personnel responding to 911 calls often have no other option than to transport patients to the hospital for common, nonemergency conditions. During this session, a senior living CEO and the executive of a healthcare delivery company will propose an alternative: bringing acute, hospital, and other levels of care directly to older adults in the place they call home. Presenters will describe their partnership, which delivers healthcare directly to residents of Denver’s Christian Living Communities. They will review the technology that makes the partnership possible and explain how this model of care could result in lower costs, higher quality, and higher satisfaction for older adults and community caregivers.

• Jill Vitale-Aussem, President and CEO, Christian Living Communities
• Dave Dookeeram, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff, DispatchHealth

99-A. Supporting Our Unpaid Caregiving Partners

More than 40 million unpaid caregivers in the United States provide essential services to older friends and family members, while also extending the work of home and community-based service (HCBS) providers. While fulfilling these essential roles, however, many unpaid caregivers experience physical, psychological, behavioral, and financial stresses that impact their daily lives and health. This session will explore why providers, policymakers, older adults, and their families are rightfully concerned about the burden that unpaid caregivers carry. Presenters will explore interventions, programs, and policy options designed to help HCBS providers relieve those caregiver burdens. Take home a host of ideas and opportunities you can use to support the people who extend your organization’s mission in the community.

• Tara Krantzman, Chief Operations Officer, Oakwood Creative Care Town Center
• Michael Wittke, Vice President, Research & Advocacy, National Alliance for Caregiving
• Katy Barnett, Director, Home Care & Hospice Operations and Policy, LeadingAge

116-A. Immigration: A Tool to Support the Aging Services Workforce

With unemployment rates at a record low, and workforce issues reaching crisis proportions, U.S. providers of aging services are more interested than ever in hiring qualified, committed individuals from other countries to work in their communities. Yet, immigration remains at its lowest levels in decades, due to restrictive policies, the pandemic, and other factors. During this session, members of the LeadingAge Policy Team will discuss this conundrum, review LeadingAge proposals to promote immigration of professional caregivers, and weigh in on whether we are likely to see meaningful immigration reform anytime soon. Hear directly from providers who will fill you in on the successes and stumbling blocks involved in bringing motivated, qualified workers to the U.S. Take home tips for working with overseas employment agencies.

• Eileen Scofield, Counsel, Alston & Bird LLP

129-A. Using Creative Engagement to Attract and Retain Talent

No one would dispute the fact that creativity can drive innovation and growth in an aging services organization. But can creativity also help those organizations attract and retain talent? Presenters from Front Porch in Walnut Creek, CA believe it can. They’ll use a practical framework featuring four principles of creative engagement to show you how to promote team building, problem solving, and staff satisfaction throughout your organization. Learn how to build resilience in individuals and teams, foster cohesion, lead with vulnerability, and build a workplace culture of innovation and joy. Discover how creative engagement principles can energize and inspire your work and the work of your team members. Listen as direct care professionals offer their own perspectives on the evolving senior living workforce.

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

2-B. How Technology Can Support Life Enrichment Programming

Purpose, social connectedness, and spirituality are essential components of a well-lived life because they boost longevity and life satisfaction. This session will explore how that truism played out when Presbyterian Village of Athens, GA, updated its engagement technology model and then began engaging with 92% of its residents every week. Discover how structured data sets and artificial intelligence supported the organization’s life enrichment programming, elevated residents' sense of purpose, created meaningful social connections, and facilitated robust resident communications. Hear about the challenges and opportunities associated with creating a more robust engagement model. Learn how technology and personalized wellness programming helped residents learn new things, engage in new ways, and rediscover their passions.

• Kyle Robinson, Partner, Wellzesta
• Gwen Hardy, COO, Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, Inc.

16-B. Can Innovative Work Environments Attract Team Members?

Feel like you’ve heard every solution for addressing staffing shortages in the field of aging services? Then you owe it to yourself to attend this session, which will feature creative ideas for attracting and retaining staff by elevating your community’s physical environment. Meet a CEO and an architect who will describe how Wesley Homes, a provider of aging services with several senior living locations in Washington State, invested in its team members by implementing architectural and operational innovations like daylighting, quiet rooms, technology updates, indoor/outdoor space integration, and healthy building standards. You’ll take home practical strategies for celebrating your built environment and identifying amenities that can help you attract and retain team members while also delighting residents.

• Amy Cheever, Principal, Cuningham Group Architecture, Inc.
• Kevin Anderson, President & CEO, Wesley

29-B. Moving the Needle: Taking Inspired Action to Advance DEI

Who should lead your organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee? How can you create honest spaces that facilitate tricky diversity conversations among your team members? Is it possible to instill courage and accountability in colleagues who aren’t as committed to DEI as you? What blind spots threaten your own effectiveness in promoting DEI? This session will help committed leaders answer these and other questions as they guide their departments or organizations on their DEI journeys. You’ll get the help you need to identify and problem-solve for the events, policies, traditions, and unwritten rules that threaten to sabotage your organization’s DEI progress. Move the needle from understanding the principles of DEI to taking inspired action to advance those principles in your organization.

• Christopher Ridenhour, Director of Workplace Culture,

30-B. Striving for Equitable Care in the Home and Community

During his first year in office, President Biden issued Executive Order (EO) 13985, which calls on federal agencies to advance equity by identifying and addressing barriers to equal opportunity that underserved communities may face due to government policies and programs. This session will provide an overview of the Biden Administration’s efforts and the impact those efforts could have on LeadingAge members. Presenters will explore how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is implementing EO 13985 across all agency programs, including programs funded by Medicare and Medicaid. In addition, you’ll meet providers of home and community-based services that have made progress in expanding equitable access to care in their locales.

• Meg Lutze, COO, Good Shepherd Community Hospice
• Zinnia Harrison, Director Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Demonstrations, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
• Katy Barnett, Director, Home Care & Hospice Operations and Policy, LeadingAge

43-B. Supportive Accountability: A New Path Forward

Accountability is crucial to helping senior living organizations provide excellent services and improve their financial performance, especially in these days of mounting fiscal stress. Unfortunately, accountability is too often equated with blame when things go wrong. As a result, managers may avoid holding people accountable because they don’t want to lose team members in a tight labor market. This session will introduce you to a more productive way to engender accountability. This session will explore a management approach that embraces proactive and supportive accountability. Presenters will help attendees identify barriers to accountability in their own organizations and contemplate approaches to overcome those barriers.

• Mike Rambarose, President/CEO, Whitney Center, Inc.
• Dave Gehm, President & CEO, Wellspring Lutheran Services
• Thomas Willis, Partner & Co-Founder, Phoenix Performance Partners

56-B. Section 202 Awards: Lessons from Successful Applicants

Congress and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have normalized annual funding competitions for the Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. Since the program’s appropriations were revived in 2018, providers receiving funds from the program have learned many lessons—and they are eager to share them with you during this session. They’ll talk openly about the successes, failures, and hiccups they experienced on their paths from HUD application to construction of new homes. Hear about their partnerships, key application challenges, pre-award costs, and post-award experiences. Let them explain how they tackled site control, minority concentration rules, and other challenges. Explore additional strategies nonprofit providers are pursuing as they work to expand the supply of affordable housing for older adults.

• Linda Couch, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
• Naren Dhamodharan, President, Hampden Park Capital & Consulting, LLC
• Diane Smith, National Finance & Development Manager, CSI Support & Development Services
• Mark Oswanski, Vice President, Hampden Park Capital & Consulting, LLC

57-B. Growth Strategies for Nonprofit Providers

Over the last five years, for-profit development in the field of aging services has outpaced nonprofit development by 800%, and nonprofit growth has occurred primarily through affiliations between existing organizations. To maintain market share and remain relevant, nonprofit providers must undertake new development, embark on major expansions, and grow their home and community-based services. This session will highlight how you can create the next generation of senior living communities. Find out how forward-thinking providers are choosing new markets, repositioning and expanding existing assets, and responding to the changing consumer mindset. Presenters will draw on the experiences of providers to help you identify avenues for maintaining and growing your market share while helping your organization continue to fulfill its mission.

• Brad Straub, Executive Vice President, Greystone
• Jim Petty, Sr. VP Strategy & Business Development, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
• Stuart Jackson, Executive Vice President, Greystone

74-B. Opening Doors to the Aging Services Workforce: Messaging Strategies to Boost Recruiting

Priority #1 for most aging services providers is recruiting staff for your workforce. To support that vital work, LeadingAge recently conducted market research among prospective workers to learn their perceptions of the field and how to communicate the attractiveness of working in aging services. Session attendees will be among the first to receive this communications guidance, which aligns with Opening Doors research-backed strategies, and messages to advance workforce recruiting.

• Gwen Fitzgerald, Director, Public Messaging,
• Jason Boxt, Principal, 3W Insights
• Jenna Kellerman, Senior Director, Workforce, PHI National

85-B. Dining Improvements: Turning Challenge into Opportunity

Cost controls and staffing issues are among the chief challenges facing the dining team in senior living communities. During this session, a dining and hospitality management executive will give you practical ideas for tackling both challenges. Get tips for developing a robust onboarding process for new employees, establishing a training and cross-training process that ensures their success, and leveraging your talent pool across the operation. Take home innovative ideas for controlling dining costs by streamlining your menu while offering more variety to residents. Get tips for creating dining presentations that will wow residents without additional costs. Take this opportunity to rethink your dining room options and see your community with fresh eyes.

• David Koelling, President, Strategic Dining Services

86-B. Help Your Business Office Manage Staffing Challenges

Accounts payable staff are now busier than ever, and their managers are eager to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. This session will provide an overview of the staffing crisis and resignation surge hitting the business office. Presenters will describe ways to increase efficiency by using tools like cloud-based networks, video chats, finance automation, virtual private networks, and network security software. You’ll gain a new understanding of staffing challenges nationally, hear new perspectives on the future of administrative staffing and business office procedures, and take home tips for using strategic resources to increase efficiency in the accounting department. Learn how to better equip your business office so you can manage the staffing challenges you’re experiencing.

• Colleen Crist, VP Business Development, Corpay
• Nick Miller, Business Development Representative,

100-B. Moving Beyond Satisfaction Surveys to Address Resident Needs

The Towers at Tower Lane, an affordable housing community in New Haven, CT, once used satisfaction surveys to assess resident needs and develop new services. But those surveys didn’t give the community’s service coordinators a comprehensive knowledge of residents. Now The Towers uses a new model to obtain scientifically valid information about residents’ physical status, cognitive function, and social engagement. This session will introduce you to that model, which also trains service coordinators to address resident needs, and creates a data system that tracks information and detects patterns. Presenters will show you how to adapt the model to your housing community so you can better understand residents and develop evidence-based programs to help them remain healthy and independent.

• Adam Greene, CEO, Klaatch
• Gustave Keach-Longo, President/CEO, The Towers at Tower Lane

117-B. Policy Update: Nursing Homes

Nursing homes have spent more than two years fighting COVID-19. At the same time, nursing home executives have been navigating an ongoing and increasingly serious workforce crisis, struggling to reconcile continuous and sometimes conflicting changes to regulations and guidance, adjusting to supply-chain challenges, and keeping an eye on a variety of nursing home-related proposals on Capitol Hill. This session is designed to provide up-to-the minute updates on nursing home regulations and legislation. Hear from national experts, government officials, and LeadingAge Policy Team members about issues affecting nursing homes today and in the future. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of survey trends and regulatory changes and a better idea of how your voice can make a difference in legislative and executive branch action.

• Jodi Eyigor, Senior Director, Nursing Home Quality & Policy, LeadingAge
• Janine Finck-Boyle, Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
• Evan Shulman, Director, Division of Nursing Homes Survey and Certification Group, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

130-B. Direct Care Professionals Can Help Solve Your Workforce Crisis

Next time your team talks about the workforce crisis in aging services, notice who’s missing from the table. Too often, it will be direct care professionals who form the backbone of our sector. This session will break down the factors that cause direct care professionals to join and stay at aging services organizations. Leaders with diverse perspectives on caregiver recruitment and retention will present high-level data on hiring trends and will discuss how prospective employees perceive the aging services field. Review best practices for reducing turnover, dive into research on what matters most to direct care professionals, and explore how tracking employee engagement and empowering direct care professionals can turn your current team into your most powerful recruitment and retention tool.

• Michele Holleran, ,
• Susan Ryan, President & CEO, AgingIN (formerly Center for Innovation)
• Michelle Daniel, CEO, The Eden Alternative
• Amy Castleberry, Managing Director, Ziegler

3-C. Rehabilitation and Therapy Technologies

In an era of tele-commuting, tele-working, and remote learning, the field of aging services has experienced a significant increase in the use of telehealth in recent years. In particular, rehabilitation and therapy technologies delivered via telehealth have become much more available, especially since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. This session will focus on different types of rehabilitation and therapy technologies, their use cases, and their ability to augment the work of therapy staff, reduce therapist strains, and help therapy departments improve efficiencies and outcomes. Presenters will share the important factors you should consider when selecting and implementing rehabilitation and therapy technologies. Hear from providers who have implemented these technologies, the results they experienced, and the lessons they learned.

• Kenneth Poinsette, CIO, Lifespace Communities, Inc.
• Carrie Chiusano, Executive Director, Dementia Center, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network
• Dr. Kathleen Weissberg, Director of Education, Select Rehabilitation, LLC
• Sara Elizabeth Hamm, Chief Clinical & Public Health Officer,
• Rick Oros, Director of Operations, Lifespace Communities, Inc.
• Scott Code, Vice President, CAST, LeadingAge

4-C. Engagement Technology: A Post-Pandemic Necessity

The pandemic taught providers of aging services that engagement technology, once a novelty in our field, is now a necessity. This session will explore what engagement really means and how technology can be harnessed to connect residents to families, friends, and your organization’s team members. Representatives of a technology company specializing in engagement software will educate you about technology options that support engagement, identify best practices for introducing technology-enabled engagement programming, and share recent research on the ability of engagement technology to reduce social isolation, loneliness, depression, and anxiety. Listen as a provider describes the experience of implementing engagement technology in skilled nursing and assisted living settings, including lessons learned during the implementation process and benefits residents enjoyed after the rollout.

• Jack York, Founder/Chief Story Teller, TaleGate 4 Joy
• Michelle Daniel, CEO, The Eden Alternative
• Lydia Nguyen, Principal Researcher, LifeLoop

17-C. Analyzing the Impact of COVID-19 on Senior Living Communities

Life plan communities are working hard to develop a new, post-COVID game plan to attract consumers. Yet, those communities are still encountering serious challenges, including negative attitudes from consumers who either reject the prospect of pandemic-imposed isolation in congregate settings or fear the risk of infection in those settings. This session will consider how life plan communities can attract active older adults who want engagement without the risk of COVID infection. Presenters will brief you on how different independent living options fared during the pandemic and will help you evaluate potential solutions for addressing your community’s COVID-related challenges. Get familiar with a new life plan community in Missouri that adopted safety, care, and design solutions to help it prepare for future health emergencies.

• Maureen Dunn, Chief Performance & Strategy Officer, St. Andrew's Resources for Seniors System (STARSS)
• Susan Bruker, Principal, Lawrence Group Architects

31-C. A Holistic Approach to Diversity: Head, Heart, and Spirit

Efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can falter if key stakeholders across an organization don’t understand the value of DEI. But educating those stakeholders often requires aligning DEI messages with each person’s unique perspective. This session will offer a variety of ways to influence stakeholders so that they better understand the value of DEI and are willing to take action that supports this work in your organization. You’ll learn how to connect DEI with recruitment and retention data for people who are led by their minds; help those whose motivations stem from the heart to see how DEI relates to the organization’s mission, visions, and values; and underscore DEI’s higher purpose for those who are motivated by the spirt.

• Jennifer Jimenez Marana, CEO/Founder, Marana Consulting
• Marsha Wesley Coleman, Senior Consultant, Praxis Consulting Group

44-C. Board Service is Not for the Faint of Heart

Serving on a nonprofit board of directors is serious business. Boards and their members have a host of responsibilities, including determining the mission and purpose of the organization, selecting and supporting the chief executive, ensuring effective planning and adequate resources, and providing proper financial oversight. In addition, board members are subject to heightened scrutiny by outside parties who demand transparency and independence. Given these responsibilities and obligations, boards and their members must make sure they understand their roles fully. Executives of aging services organizations will discuss the legal and practical responsibilities of boards and their individual members, describe model structures and processes for fulfilling a board’s oversight role, and review steps to assuring a board’s independence.

• Jane Mack, President/CEO, Friends Services Alliance
• Jeremy Vickers, Chief Executive Officer, Medford Leas
• Julie Woolley, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, National Church Residences

58-C. Mission Expansion Through Creative Partnerships

COVID-19 spurred renewed consumer interest in community-based services, services delivered in the home, and housing geared to the “middle market.” But how can nonprofit providers of aging services respond to all these consumer preferences? Presenters of this session will make the case that all these priorities can be addressed, with manageable capital outlays, by nonprofit organizations willing to participate in partnerships and joint ventures with other organizations. Attendees will gain insights into how to build a partnership from the ground up, and how to muster the financial and personal investments needed for success. Find out how two providers worked with other organizations in their markets to expand their missions and serve more older adults in innovative ways.

• Jay Woolford, Vice Chair, Porchlight (formerly Congregations for the Homeless)
• Mary Munoz, Senior Managing Director,
• David Tiesenga, Chief Strategy Officer, Holland Home

59-C. Legacy Societies: Honoring Donors Who Give the Ultimate Gift

A legacy society is a membership group of people who have told you they will leave a gift to your organization in their will. During this session, fund development professionals from California, Colorado, and North Carolina will dispel the myth that legacy societies aren’t wanted, needed, or important in the field of aging services. They’ll show you how a society can help your organization deepen its relationship with legacy donors and set the stage for more or larger gifts from these donors in the future. Take home tips for developing your organization’s stewardship plan and communicating with legacy donors by telling compelling stories about how previous legacy gifts have advanced your organization’s mission. Prepare yourself to launch a legacy society or expand your current legacy group.

• Olivia Mayer, Director of Donor Relations,
• Nancy Beard, Foundation President, EveryAge
• Lisa Thomas, Director of Philanthropy, Casa Dorinda

75-C. Taking a Research-Based Approach to Marketing

Are older consumers still interacting with traditional media? How can sales and marketing professionals stay current with ever-changing consumer attitudes and behaviors? How can you know where to invest marketing dollars when the market is constantly shifting? Get answers to these and other questions during this session, which will explore key insights from a recent study examining how older consumers research and shop for senior living communities and choose services for themselves or loved ones. You’ll gain actionable insights about what older adults do—and don’t—want from marketing and sales teams, how marketing and sales tools influence housing decisions, and how to better engage, educate, and capture leads. Save time and prevent wasted resources by applying this knowledge to your marketing program.

• Amanda Combs, VP Marketing Strategies, Creating Results, Inc.
• Kimberly Wilkinson, President, Creating Results, Inc.

87-C. The Evolution of Service Coordination

Service coordination has evolved in the last three decades and more changes are coming. While service coordination began as an information-and-referral outreach, service coordinators now take a proactive and holistic approach to connecting older adults with supports and resources. This session will explore the role of service coordination, particularly in housing communities for older adults that are supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Presenters will offer an overview of the service coordinator profession and HUD’s latest expectations for service coordinators, including new standards for training, record keeping, and resident interactions. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the impact that service coordinators have in their housing communities, innovations in service coordination models, and the future of the profession.

• Melissa Harris, Director of Government Affairs, American Association of Service Coordinators
• Donna Thurmond, VP of Resident Services and Programs, Volunteers of America

88-C. Providing Choice Through Flex Points Programming

Older adults of today have different needs and are used to having more choices than their predecessors. They’re eager to explore a variety of options, so why not let them? This session will present one way life plan communities can give residents the opportunity to break out of rigid amenity programming and use “flex points” to purchase only the services they really want to use. Gain tips for building your flex points program and discover how this type of program can drive referrals to and occupancy of your life plan community. A panel of LeadingAge members will present case studies detailing how flex point programs are working in today’s senior living field.

• Andrew Leech, Corporate Vice President, Greystone
• Timothy Mallad, CEO, Forefront Living

101-C. Improve Brain Health with Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic

Did you know that reading aloud, doing simple math problems, and writing by hand can activate the prefrontal cortex, improve memory, and delay symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease? During this session, you’ll meet the organizers of two nonprofit programs devoted to helping people achieve brain health through reading, writing, and arithmetic. Learn about the Brain Exercise Initiative, a student-founded and run volunteer organization, and StrongerMemory, a program of Goodwin House, a LeadingAge member in Alexandria, VA. Discover how these organizations are helping older adults in housing, residential, or home care settings and how they can help your organization promote brain health among residents and clients.

• Jessica Fredericksen, Director of Brain Health, Goodwin Living
• Karan Kataria, National Executive Committee Member (Michigan State University), Brain Exercise Initiative
• Esin Gumustekin, Founder (UCLA), Brain Exercise Initiative
• Yousif Jafar, National Executive Committee Member (UCLA), Brain Exercise Initiative

118-C. Tracking Federal Policies that Change with Lightning Speed

Members of the U.S. Congress, and federal agencies in Washington, DC, and regional federal offices play a powerful role in controlling what happens every day in provider organizations across the continuum of aging services. These policymakers drive financing, funding, regulation, quality assurance, health and safety, labor policy, tax policy, and more. Since the pandemic began, they have often acted with lightning speed, making it hard to keep up. Join this rapid-fire round of updates as LeadingAge Policy Team members address issues affecting nursing homes, home and community-based services, affordable housing, home health, hospice, workforce, equity, and COVID policy. Track policy developments emanating from Capitol Hill and the White House and find out what changes we can expect in the near and long-term future.

• Ruth Katz, CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)
• Linda Couch, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
• Mollie Gurian, VP, Policy & Government Affairs, LeadingAge
• Janine Finck-Boyle, Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)

131-C. Turnover Intent and Job Satisfaction in Nursing Homes

Nursing homes faced an unprecedented crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic, including high turnover among direct care professionals at a time when those caregivers were needed the most. At the height of the pandemic, the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston conducted two studies to determine factors associated with job satisfaction and intent to leave the job among 809 direct care professionals working in nursing homes around the country. During this session, you’ll hear findings from those studies, and gain insights into how job satisfaction influenced intent to leave a job during the pandemic. Researchers will share steps nursing home employers can take to increase job satisfaction and decrease turnover intent among direct care professionals during any public health crisis.

• Verena Cimarolli, VP, Applied Research and Partnerships, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Natasha Bryant, Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Dave Gehm, President & CEO, Wellspring Lutheran Services
• Jonathan Golm, President & CEO, WeCare Connect

5-D. Is Your Technology Company a Vendor or a Partner?

During 2022, a team member from the Cubigo technology company moved to Las Ventanas at Summerlin, a HumanGood community, during the rollout of a technology platform designed to connect the life plan community’s team members, residents, and families. During a three-week stay, the Cubigo team member interacted with these key stakeholders to improve their experience with the technology and to address any issues the technology created for organizational workflows. This session will highlight the innovative partnership between Las Ventanas and Cubigo and identify the benefits and challenges that arise when a technology company becomes an organization’s partner, rather than simply a vendor. Attendees will also learn how to leverage the experience of key stakeholders to facilitate a community’s successful digital transformation.

• Doug Fleegle, Executive Director,
• Geert Houben, CEO, Cubigo
• Majd Alwan, President/Owner, ALWAN AIVantAge
• Cynthia Salgado, VP, IT Project and Application, HumanGood Inc.

6-D. Voice Interactive Technology: The Future of Aging Services

Voice interaction technology can improve staff satisfaction and efficiencies in senior living communities by reducing the number of repetitive manual tasks team members must complete each day. This revolutionary technology can also enhance resident engagement and improve quality of life by offering residents easy access to entertainment, information, and family connections. During this session, a solutions architect at Amazon and an aging services executive will share their experiences with voice interaction technology and will describe the benefits this technology can offer to a variety of stakeholders. Discover how voice interaction technology works and how you can make it available at all levels of your senior living community.

• John Coyne, Sr. Solutions Architect |,
• Todd Carling, Business Development, Fellowship Square – Mesa

18-D. Intergenerational Living: Taking a Broader View of Inclusion

Intergenerational living is ubiquitous in many parts of the world, yet urban housing models in the United States generally ignore the concept. Instead, people have created senior living communities that are disconnected from society and don’t encourage daily interaction among people of different ages, cultures, and backgrounds. It’s time to reimagine intergenerational living and this session will show you how. Presenters will describe progressive housing models that appeal to a wider generational and cultural demographic. They’ll also explore how affordable housing models can be integrated with traditional senior living models to serve older adults across the income spectrum. Prepare to be intrigued by new opportunities to create a more inclusive future for older adults.

• David Segmiller, Vice President, JMT Architecture
• Tracey Graham, Senior Health Care Consultant,
• Todd Shaw, Vice President of Development, LCS

19-D. Looking at Your Community Through Green-Colored Glasses

Using sustainable design principles to build healthy and highly efficient green buildings on senior living campuses does more than just protect the environment and reduce carbon footprint. Sustainable design can also help providers of aging services manage a host of challenges associated with unpredictable construction costs, rising energy bills, shifting consumer priorities, and difficulties hiring and retaining staff. During this session, a panel of design professionals with LEED, WELL, and Passive House credentials will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with designing sustainable buildings for the aging population. Panelists will describe a range of sustainable design standards and will use existing projects to demonstrate how sustainable design can be both affordable and impactful.

• Brent Stebbins, Partner/Design, RLPS Architects
• Michael Hindle, Principal, Passive to Positive
• Carson Parr, Interior Design, RLPS Architects

32-D. We Need to Talk about Racism

The path to developing diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities and work environments is lined with challenges. Despite those challenges, leaders of mission-driven nonprofit providers of aging services have a responsibility to create safe and welcoming environments for people of all ages, races, genders, and sexual orientations. During this session, you’ll hear a panel of senior living community and business leaders describe processes, strategies, and policies that can help your community promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Participate in a guided working session focused on how racism affects different racial groups and how each group can deal with that racism. This session will provide a starting point for the conversations about racism that you should be having in your community.

• Philippe Saad, Principal, DiMella Shaffer
• Kendra Roberts, Vice President of Operations, HumanGood Inc.
• Marvell Adams Jr., Founder & CEO, Caregiver Action Network (CAN)

45-D. Know Thyself: How Inborn Talents Affect Leadership Success

For the past 33 years, the presenters of this session have been helping individual leaders and leadership teams explore and understand the essential factors that impact their success and satisfaction. Let entrepreneur Don Hutcheson and former LeadingAge CEO Larry Minnix introduce you to the eight critical success factors that comprise your personal vision and serve as a blueprint for the decisions you make throughout your career. Using a mix of data sharing and storytelling, presenters will help you discover the foundation of leadership success: uncovering, measuring, and deploying your own natural talents and abilities in your career and life. Learn how to improve the likelihood of achieving your goals and performing at your maximum capacity.

• William Minnix, Former CEO, LeadingAge,
• Don Hutcheson, President & CEO, The Q&A Network

60-D. Strategic Repositioning and Growth for Life Plan Communities

Whether your life plan community is thriving or experiencing historically low occupancy, you should continually monitor market trends, challenge yourself to think creatively about the future, and remain open to the possibility that a strategic repositioning might benefit your organization. During this session, the chief financial officers of two life plan communities will share what led them to reposition their communities, the challenges they encountered, the lessons they learned, and the outcomes they experienced. Gain a better understanding of the multifaceted repositioning process, from market research and feasibility studies to design, construction, and financing. Take home tips for involving an interdisciplinary team in your decision-making process and evaluating the actuarial implications of your repositioning plan.

• Christopher Hunt, Chief Financial Officer, Moravian Hall Square
• Christopher Borcik, Principal, Continuing Care Actuaries
• Jennifer Schwalm, Partner, Baker Tilly
• Ann Gillespie, CEO, Collington – A Kendal Affiliate

76-D. How to Tell Your Brand Story During a Merger or Acquisition

Is your senior living community considering or in the middle of an acquisitions or merger? Now is a good time to call in your marketing and public relations teams to develop a cohesive brand story that you can tell throughout the ownership transition. During this session, the provider and communications consultants at a newly acquired, census-challenged life plan community will help you understand how to create an internal and external positioning platform that addresses past reputation issues and mitigates concerns of current and future employees and residents. You’ll take home a checklist of public relations considerations and a list of key messaging elements that will help you position your community to achieve optimal occupancy and market share as quickly as possible.

• Michael J. Brown, Executive Director,
• Kimberly Wilkinson, President, Creating Results, Inc.
• Mike Gross, President, AKCG – Public Relations Counselors

89-D. Empowering Homecare Providers to Promote Health Equity – CANCELLED

Telehealth and other digital health technologies are playing an increasingly transformative role in expanding access to care and services across populations and geographies, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. But telehealth can also exacerbate health inequities among older people who have limited access to technology or lack technology literacy. This session will focus on how home care providers can use telehealth and other digital tools to improve health equity. Health experts will identify government policies and payment mechanisms that could help ensure equal access to telehealth. A panel of providers will discuss the barriers standing in the way of digital health care delivery models and the promising practices and strategies that could improve access to these models for community-dwelling older adults.

102-D. The Java Project: Addressing Loneliness in Senior Living

Loneliness affects many recipients of aging services, despite the best efforts of providers to offer recreational programs designed to increase social interaction. This session will suggest a way to switch the focus of recreational programming from entertainment to meaningful engagement. Speakers will share their experiences implementing the Java Project, which creates relationships between resident mentors and resident mentees who have been identified as lonely or socially isolated. A researcher will be on hand to share findings showing that Java participation reduced loneliness and depression scores among residents and boosted participation in recreational programming. Session participants will experience a live peer-mentoring team meeting and take home a strategy for implementing peer support and mentoring within their organizations.

• Kristine Theurer, Founder, Java Group Programs Inc.
• Dana Parsons, Vice President & Legislative Counsel, LeadingAge Virginia
• Lindsay Fowks, Grant Manager, LeadingAge California

103-D. Harnessing the Power of Sound in Senior Living

The sonic environment in senior living is comprised of all the sounds everyone in a care setting hears all day, every day. Those sounds—which are both enjoyable and irritating—can impact the health and behavioral outcomes of older adults, particularly people living with dementia who are disproportionately susceptible to auditory overstimulation. During this session, you’ll hear how Garden Spot Village in New Holland, PA, partnered with a sonic treatment composer and a gerontological researcher to study whether purposeful sonic environments can help reduce the stresses associated with declining physical ability and memory loss. The partners will describe the design, execution, and outcomes of their research and share their suggestions for using the power of sound to improve quality of life for older adults.

• Addie Abushousheh, Gerontologist Consultant,
• Jeff McSpadden, Co-founder, Composure
• Melody Karick, Dementia Program Director, Garden Spot Communities

119-D. Affordable Housing: Policy and Operations Update

The affordable senior housing sector has just completed another year filled with ups and downs. Representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Capitol Hill staffers will be on hand during this policy update to help you make sense of it all. Presenters will review policy-related issues related to funding, affordable housing supply, service coordinators, internet access, and inspections. Find out how advocacy efforts undertaken by LeadingAge and its members influenced policy and funding decisions and how those efforts advanced the goals of nonprofit providers of affordable housing. Gain insights into what actions Congress and HUD are taking today that will impact affordable housing organizations now and in the future.

• Linda Couch, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
• Juliana Bilowich, Senior Director, Housing Operations & Policy, LeadingAge

120-D. State and Federal Initiatives to Finance Long-Term Services and Supports

The growing need for long-term services and supports (LTSS) poses significant challenges to individuals and governments. This session will document the federal government’s continuing failure to tackle these challenges. It will review six state initiatives—in Washington, Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, California, and Michigan—designed to fill the void by establishing social insurance programs to finance LTSS. It will describe a national “catastrophic” public and “front-end” private insurance approach exemplified by the WISH Act. Researchers at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston will share lessons that government officials, consumer advocates, and LTSS providers can use to spur LTSS financing efforts in their states and nationally. Hear about a range of vetted approaches and challenges associated with program startup, administration, monitoring, evaluation, and modification.

• Marc Cohen, Co-Director, LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, UMass Boston Gerontology
• Edward Miller, Professor and Chair, Department of Gerontology, UMass Boston Gerontology
• Eileen Tell, Principal and CEO, ET Consulting

132-D. Creating a High School Internship Program to Recruit CNAs

Searching for talented employees? Come hear representatives of Trinity Woods in Tulsa, OK, describe how they partnered with two local high schools to establish an internship program that supports students who want to become certified nursing assistants (CNA). Students move into caregiving positions at Trinity Woods after working as paid interns for up to 12 weeks. Along the way, employee mentors offer them help and encouragement while also learning the skills they need to be trainers. Learn how the internship program was established and expanded, how it develops the skills of employee mentors, and how it adapted to inevitable challenges. Find out how you can create a talent pipeline for your campus while providing myriad benefits to students and current employees.

• Jacob Will, Executive Director, Covenant Living at Inverness
• Bonnie Polak, Vice President of Philanthropy & Community Engagement, Trinity Woods (formerly Oklahoma Methodist Manor)

7-E. Can Technology Help You Tackle Staffing Shortages?

Technology and automation can help alleviate pain points associated with the workforce challenges and staffing shortages plaguing every provider in the field of aging services. But how? During this session, information technology (IT) experts will discuss how providers of aging services can address the workforce crisis by conducting strategic IT planning, creating a strong IT infrastructure, and implementing innovative technology solutions. Discover what foundational IT elements must be in place to help you automate digital tasks that team members must carry out each day. Hear how one provider used technology to pioneer new approaches to how care is provided. Identify key technology solutions that are destined to make waves in the field of aging services.

• Travis Gleinig, VP of Innovation & CIO, United Methodist Communities
• Steven VanderVelde, Director of Senior Living Partnership, ProviNET Solutions
• Sheri Rose, CEO, Thrive Innovation Center
• Majd Alwan, President/Owner, ALWAN AIVantAge

20-E. Take a Peek Inside a Small House Design Project

After six years of extensive planning, an innovative small house community in Augusta, Maine has opened its doors. During this session, leaders from the Maine Veterans’ Homes will give you behind-the-scenes glimpses at why the organization decided to launch the project, how it chose the design team, and how the design process evolved. Two architects will also be on hand to explain how they collaborate with senior living professionals to create interior spaces that support quality of life. Listen as presenters share the measurable outcomes that residents of the new setting experienced, learn about challenges and successes, and offer advice you can use to ensure that consistent design principles always drive project-related decisions.

• Deb Fournier, Chief Operations Officer (Retired), Maine Veterans' Homes
• Mary Turgeon, Principal, Gawron Turgeon Architects
• Larry Schneider, Partner, Plunkett Raysich Architects
• Jacob Anderson, Administrator, Maine Veterans' Home-Augusta

33-E. Shaping An Organizational Culture That Supports Race Equity

Mindful that talent systems and quality of services and supports are powerfully intertwined, this session will consider the impact of race on the lived experience of both team members and older adults within aging services organizations. Guided by Clair Minson of Sandra Grace LLC, session participants will explore the historical context of race within organizational systems and understand how policies and practices either reinforce or disrupt racist cycles. Consider how your organization’s mission and values can align with and even drive an antiracist approach that helps engender a sense of inclusion and belonging for everyone.

• Clair Minson, Founder & Principal Consultant, Sandra Grace LLC

46-E. Lessons from New CEOs: Leaders in Residence

The LeadingAge Fellowship Program for New CEOs is a virtual program offering new leaders in the field of aging services an opportunity to take stock of their leadership journey and enhance their confidence and effectiveness through deep thinking, introspection, and the support of a peer network. During this session, you’ll have an opportunity to engage in rotating table conversations with participants in the New CEOs Fellowship Program. They’ll reflect on the lessons they learned while taking on their new leadership roles, what excites them about their jobs, the surprises they’ve encountered, the boundaries they’ve had to establish, and the self-care strategies that have sustained them. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from and network with new CEOs while reflecting on your own leadership journey.

• Kelly Papa, CEO/President, Duncaster
• Marianne Ratcliffe, CEO, Carol Woods Retirement Community
• Jill Vitale-Aussem, President and CEO, Christian Living Communities
• Nicole Pretre, President & Chief Executive Officer, Cedar Community
• Ashley M Tanner, Senior Executive of Long Term Care Services, Sidney Health Center – Extended Care
• Heather March, Executive Director, Croasdaile Village Retirement Community
• Cindy Jerome, Managing Principal,
• Jeff Weatherhead, CEO/President, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay
• Erin Kolb, CEO, Poydras Home
• Vennita Jenkins, CEO, Senior Housing Options, Inc.
• Aline Russotto, Executive Director, Orchard Cove
• Danie Monaghan, CEO, Riverview Retirement Community

47-E. How Board Committees Lead to Board Effectiveness

The work of life plan community board members involves preparing for, attending, and participating in meetings of the full board. In addition, effective board members also lend their diverse talents and skills to the work of specialized board committees. This session will provide attendees with a nuts-and-bolts overview of the board committee structure at a midwestern life plan community. Speakers will review the roles and responsibilities of specialized board committees and share strategies for enhancing board performance through committee work. They’ll also outline how they developed three specialized board committees—Campus Administration, Policy, and Governance; Finance; and Health and Wellness—and how the board promotes communication within and across committees.

• Jane Zaccardi, Vice Chair Board of Directors,
• Doug Moorman, Board Chair, Santa Marta
• Chet Surmaczewicz, Executive Director/President,

61-E. Serving Special Populations and Affinity Groups

Join this panel discussion on how to envision, design, and develop the next generation of senior living communities for special populations and affinity groups. A Boston-based architectural firm will introduce the session with an overview of innovative development projects that are revolutionizing the field of aging services. Then, a panel of LeadingAge members will describe the unique projects their organizations developed: a gender-inclusive community designed to serve the LGBTQ+ population, an income-inclusive community housing older adults of all income levels, and a mid-market community focused on spirituality and well-being. Learn how to think creatively and gain support for innovative initiatives from both inside and outside your organization.

• Amy Schectman, Saul and Gitta Kurlat Chief Executive Officer, 2Life Communities
• Philippe Saad, Principal, DiMella Shaffer
• Aileen Montour, President & Chair, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc
• Sean Kelly, President & CEO, Front Porch

62-E. Adding Home Health and Hospice to a Life Plan Community

Looking for a way to expand your life plan community’s mission and serve more older adults? Consider offering home and community-based services (HCBS) on your campus. Given the recent growth of value-based payment models and the increased consumer desire to have healthcare needs met at home, an HCBS service line could make perfect sense for your organization. Presenters of this session will show you how you can integrate a newly formed home health or hospice service line with your community’s existing care management services. Learn how to assess current care management services in your market and identify gaps that your organization can fill. Take home practical tips for offering new services to older adults living on your campus and in the wider community.

• Brooke Rivera, Executive Director HCBS, St. John's United
• Joan Punch, President, Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay
• Donna Selby, Administrator, First Choice Home Health Services, LLC
• Michelle L Bridges, Senior Director of Business Development, Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay

77-E. Boost Your Marketability with Intergenerational Planning

The design and operations of life plan communities are constantly evolving as providers respond to consumer preferences for homelike environments, plentiful choices, and a person-first operations philosophy. This session will highlight still another evolution in consumer preferences—the wish of many older adults to live in an environment that does not define them or segregate them by age and keeps them connected to and engaged in the larger community. You’ll be introduced to seven principles of intergenerational planning that can be applied to large or small projects on existing or new campuses. Take home guidelines for implementing intergenerational planning strategies that can have a profound impact on your life plan community’s future marketability.

• Mark Strautman, CEO/President, Three Pillars Senior Living
• Craig Kimmel, Partner, RLPS Architects
• Craig Witz, Principal, Witz Company

90-E. Building a Culture of Excellence through LiveWell

Oregon’s LiveWell quality assurance and performance improvement program has helped team members in more than 80 assisted living communities and residential care settings work together to improve teamwork, communication, and resident health and well-being. Evaluators from Portland State University's Institute on Aging found that LiveWell increased staff engagement and morale, decreased staff absences, reduced falls and medication errors, and increased the bottom line for providers. Presenters will help participants understand the foundations of quality improvement and recognize the connection between quality of care and team members’ sense of purpose, autonomy, and mastery.

• Barbara Kohnen Adriance, CEO, Malden Collective
• Merry Killam, Education and Communications Director, LeadingAge Oregon

104-E. Fostering Normalcy for People Living with Dementia

Thirty years ago, the design of memory support environments took a leap forward when small, homelike environments began to replace their institutional predecessors. Now, another revolution is beginning to emerge. Increased awareness of social justice for people living with dementia is reshaping “best practices” for residential and community-based programs. This session will present a roadmap for realigning programs so older adults are empowered and free to live authentically, regardless of their cognitive ability. Three pioneering providers will discuss how their residential and community-based programs overcame traditional barriers to normalcy for people living with dementia. Come prepared to realign your thinking about dementia and take home actionable initiatives that prioritize normalcy over constraints in the environment.

• Pam Garofolo, Corporate Director of Tapestries, United Methodist Communities
• Carrie Chiusano, Executive Director, Dementia Center, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network
• Max Winters, Senior Designer, RLPS Architects
• Maley Hunt, COO & Residential Services Administrator, LiveWell

105-E. ZoeLife: Helping Residents Thrive

A funny thing happened while Glencroft Senior Living was developing a fall prevention strategy for its 50-year-old, 40-acre campus in Glendale, AZ. During the planning process, Arizona’s largest life plan community shifted its thinking, rebranded itself as Glencroft Center for Modern Aging, and designed a model called ZoeLife to promote healthy living by investing in the human needs for self-fulfillment, self-esteem, and belonging. During this session, let ZoeLife Co-founder Steve Heller, a former exercise physiologist and trainer of professional athletes, tell you how the new model helps Glencroft retain talent and differentiate itself from the competition. Discover how your campus, no matter what its size or location, can create a similar program to help residents thrive.

• Steve Heller, VP, Director of Glencroft Center for Modern Aging, Glencroft Center for Modern Aging

121-E. Hot Topics in Employment Litigation

Employment issues are becoming increasingly difficult for nursing homes and assisted living communities to navigate, given national staffing shortages, a global pandemic, and a changing legal landscape. Attorneys with experience in employment litigation will identify the leading legal pitfalls that healthcare providers face, and will provide practical tips for avoiding those pitfalls. Presenters will focus on state employment laws, including those governing unpaid wage claims, non-compliant meal periods, and unreimbursed business expense claims. They will also explore national legal trends focusing on COVID leave, supplemental leave, arbitration agreements, and the hiring of nurses through staffing companies and agencies. Take home tools your organization can use to spot, assess, and troubleshoot ongoing and emerging legal issues.

• Lindsey Romano, Partner, Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani
• Mollie Burks, Partner, Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani
• Heather Gwinn Pabon, Partner, Gordon & Rees Scully Mansukhani

122-E. Working to Bolster Medicaid in Your Own Backyard

Medicaid is critical to delivering care and services in nursing homes, assisted living communities, adult day centers, and home-based care settings. But advocacy to change Medicaid can’t take place only in the nation’s capital. LeadingAge members must also become advocates for positive change in their states and local communities. During this session, you’ll discover how LeadingAge members are partnering with their local elected officials, state Medicaid leadership, and LeadingAge state partners to advocate for improved access and quality of Medicaid services. Members and state partners will share their relationship building strategies and successes. You’ll take home a set of tools you can use to make your voice heard in your own backyard—where it matters most.

• Joe Franco, Vice President of Programs and Development, The Washington Campus
• Deborah Lively, CEO/President, LeadingAge Colorado
• Colin Laughlin, Deputy Office Director, Office of Community Living, State of Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing

133-E. Cultivating Emotional Well-Being in Your Community- CANCELLED

After more than two years of loss, trauma, and grief, providers of aging services are acknowledging the toll that COVID-19 has taken on team members, older adults, and family members. In particular, the pandemic is shining a bright light on the problem of burnout among team members and underscoring the need to shift organizational systems to bring about positive change. This session will explore sustainable strategies for supporting the emotional well-being of all members of a senior living community. You’ll be invited to consider how a holistic approach to wellness and well-being acknowledges the fundamental connection between mind, body, and spirit. Come and explore ways to address workforce retention, social isolation, and satisfaction by positively influencing the emotional well-being of every community member.

8-F. Aligning Business and IT Strategies to Deliver Better Care

A comprehensive information technology (IT) strategy that is aligned with an overall business strategy can help aging services organizations meet new standards of care, achieve their business goals, mitigate cybersecurity risks, and improve the consumer experience. This session will help senior living and affordable housing organizations understand the elements of a good IT strategy, including how it can foster integration of IT systems, automation of reports and processes, and delivery of better, more trusted information. Find out how to optimize your IT resources, evaluate and introduce new technologies, and establish IT governance. Hear from aging services executives on keeping your data and systems safe by adopting a cyber risk management program.

• Carol McKinley, President & CEO, Simpson
• Alexandra Bretschneider, Vice President and Cyber Practice Leader, Johnson, Kendall & Johnson
• Adam Arker, Chief Information Officer, Hartman Executive Advisors

21-F. AIA Design for Aging Review Awards: Meet the Winners

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Design for Aging Review Awards offer architects, their design teams and provider clients the opportunity to demonstrate innovative senior living design solutions that improve quality of life. During this session, two of the competition’s jurors and two award-winning architects will review eight senior living projects that received Merit and Special Recognition awards during the 16th awards competition, which took place in 2021. The session will feature two case studies of affordable senior housing projects and their unique challenges. A new affordable housing category was added to the 2021 competition in an effort to bring recognition to innovative work in this area of senior living. * Please note: This sessions has been approved for AIA LU/HSW credit, with DFA as the provider.

• Cynthia Shonaiya, PrincipalPrincipal, Senior Living | Affordable Housing Market Sector Leader, Hord Coplan Macht
• Mohammad Lawal, Lead Designer, LSE Archiects
• Marc Tolson, Owner/Managing Principal, ARRIVE Architecture Group
• David Pollak, Founding Partner, Abacus Architects + Planners

34-F. Honoring Cultural Preferences: Lessons from Alaska

Honoring the cultural preferences of nursing home residents is an admirable goal, but it can sometimes be more complicated than it first appears. This session will describe a nursing home’s eight-year journey to bring traditional native foods back into the diet of Inupiat residents. The organization worked with federal, state, and local authorities, and two universities, to overcome regulatory restrictions on serving seal oil and wild game. The presenter will share obstacles to and strategies for meeting the cultural preferences of residents, describe efforts to create connections between residents and the hunters who provide their food, and make the case for improving quality of life for nursing home residents by improving their diets.

• Valdeko Kreil, Administrator, Embassy of Ivy Hill

35-F. Enhancing Age and Ability Inclusion

A new online toolkit will help providers of aging services reduce negative attitudes toward aging (ageism) and negative attitudes toward different physical and cognitive abilities (ableism) within their communities. Don’t miss this opportunity to preview and offer feedback that will be incorporated into the final version of the Age and Ability Inclusive Toolkit. By the end of this session, you’ll recognize the existence and impact of ageism and ableism in senior living environments. Plus, you’ll have the tools you need to identify and change attitudes. Help raise awareness of ageism and ableism and do your part to recognize and illuminate the powerful potential of older adults.

• Mia Mullen, Chief of Staff and Director of Strategic Initiatives, LeadingAge
• Kirsten Jacobs, Vice President, Shared Learning Initiatives, LeadingAge
• Jenny Inker, Assistant Professor & Co-Director, Assisted Living Administration Specialty Area, VCU, Virginia Commonwealth University, Department of Gerontology
• Penny Cook, Chief Culture Officer,

48-F. To Address Workforce Challenges, You’ll Need Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence or emotional quotient (EQ) is the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges, and defuse conflict. In this challenging employment landscape, EQ can alleviate workforce pressures that impact every level of an organization’s operations. This session will explore the key components of EQ, which include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Presenters will reflect on the importance of EQ and suggest ways in which leaders can embed EQ in their organization’s culture. Discover why leaders who demonstrate EQ in their daily practice are significantly better at communicating, inspiring, and supporting stakeholders, and in hiring, motivating, and retaining staff.

• Anita Holt, President/CEO, The Forest at Duke
• Francis Battisti, Principal, Battisti Managment Affiliates

63-F. Leadership Engagement in Fund Development

At a time when funds for capital improvements are scarce, philanthropy has become a necessity for both large and small senior living communities. But starting a new fund development program entails more than just hiring a fundraising manager and hoping for the best. An organization’s leadership—starting with its board of directors—must be engaged both in generating outside gifts and exercising good stewardship over the organization’s resources and investments. This session will demonstrate how individual communities and multisite organizations can build and maintain a successful fund development effort through leadership engagement. Let a fund development expert and executives at a LeadingAge member organization help you identify philanthropy models that will resonate with your organization’s leaders.

• William McMorran, Sr. Partner, Green Oak Consulting Group
• James Bernardo, Advisor, Presbyterian Senior Living
• Maggie Bowley, Vice President of Resource Development, Presbyterian Senior Living

64-F. When Healthcare Providers Focus on Healthy Aging

When older Connecticut residents and their caregivers are looking for services and supports, they frequently call the Center for Healthy Aging (CHA), a one-stop shop sponsored by Hartford HealthCare (HCC), a comprehensive health care and senior living organization. This session will focus on how CHA connects older adults and their families with a variety of community-based health and wellness programs, how it improves quality outcomes in its community, and how it helps foster connections between the community and HCC. Presenters will explore the importance of helping older adults and families navigate the health and social service systems. They’ll also describe the benefits of CHA’s Dementia Specialist program, which provides ongoing coaching, support, and education to caregivers of people living with dementia.

• Nancy Becker, Director, Center for Healthy Aging, Hartford HealthCare Senior Services

78-F. Optimizing the Move-In Process

Anyone who has moved from one home to another knows the process can be fraught with both physical and psychological challenges. Those challenges are often magnified for older adults moving to a senior living community. This session will use stories and data to convey the importance of optimizing the move-in process. Take this opportunity to evaluate your community’s current move-in process and consider ways to optimize that process for all parties by making it more predictable and less confusing. Discover how technology can help alleviate paperwork, prevent delays, and give staff more time to bring a human touch to move-in day.

• Neil Krauss, Director of Operations, Senior Sign

91-F. Where Do You Stand? What Benchmarks Can Tell You

Knowing where you stand compared to other providers of aging services is essential to ensuring your organization’s operational excellence. That’s why benchmarking is such an important tool for executive and operational leaders. This session will offer important insight into what benchmarks mean, where your organization stands on the benchmarking index, and how to use benchmarking data to start internal conversations about organizational priorities and improvements. Presenters will share data from over 1,000 senior living communities and identify 110 management benchmarks that you can use to compare your organization with others in the field. Hear best practices they’ve established for improving their benchmark scores, differentiating themselves from other organizations, and better serving residents.

• Josh Malbogat, Senior Living Sales Director, Brightly a Siemens Company

106-F. Housing-Based Services: Impact on Health and Well-Being

Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3), a housing plus services program in Massachusetts, features two on-site wellness teams that coordinate a package of enhanced services for residents of five affordable senior housing communities. The program has two goals: to help residents live independently for longer, and to lower health care spending by reducing unnecessary health care utilization. During this session, researchers at the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston will draw on their evaluation of the R3 program to highlight the potential role service-enriched housing can play in improving health, quality of life, and access to health-related services and supports among older residents of affordable housing. Presenters will also explore the potential of service-enriched housing to reduce healthcare costs.

• Marc Cohen, Co-Director, LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston, UMass Boston Gerontology
• Edward Miller, Professor and Chair, Department of Gerontology, UMass Boston Gerontology

107-F. CEO: The “E” Stands for Engagement

Most people refer to Tina Sandri as the chief executive officer of Forest Hills of DC, a senior living community in the District of Columbia. But Sandri sees herself as the community’s chief engagement officer. During this session, Sandri will tell you how she boosts engagement throughout her organization, beginning with herself, with those she leads, and in the greater community. Her goal: to personally contribute to the work of the organization’s life enrichment team and, in the process, to enhance the resident experience. Sandri will be joined during this session by a resident engagement expert who will share market-level engagement trends and introduce you to a future in which leadership-led engagement is the norm and the “E” in CEO stands for “engagement.”

• Tina Sandri, CEO, Forest Hills of DC u2013 Inclusive Senior Living
• Charles de Vilmorin, CEO & Co-founder, Linked Senior Inc.

123-F. Trends in Reimbursement: The Future of Accountable Care

Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement is changing dramatically for providers across the continuum of aging services. Providers who once participated in a straight fee-for-service model are now moving to value-based, accountable care models, including pay-for-performance and capitated payment arrangements. Did providers that receive value-based payments do better during the pandemic than their fee-for-service counterparts? Policymakers think so. That’s why the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adopted a strategic goal to enroll all Medicare beneficiaries in accountable relationships by 2030. This session will feature an overview of accountable care models and other trends in reimbursement. Presenters will explore lessons learned during the pandemic about what payment mechanisms worked and why, where gaps exist, and where advocacy efforts should be targeted.

• Nicole Fallon, VP, Integrated Services and Managed Care, LeadingAge

134-F. Creating Career Ladders and Lattices to Support Retention

Research from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston demonstrates the importance of offering direct care professionals an opportunity to pursue meaningful careers in the field of aging services. Career advancement can be achieved through career lattices that allow direct care professionals to become condition-specific specialists, take on advanced caregiving roles, participate in integrated care teams, or perform a full range of health maintenance tasks under the supervision of a registered nurse. Career ladders allow direct care professionals to pursue careers in other fields, including nursing, social work, therapy, and management. Hear from providers who have put career ladders and lattices into practice in communities around the country. Learn how to structure caregiver advancement programs, finance those initiatives, and support this important work.

• Dana Parsons, Vice President & Legislative Counsel, LeadingAge Virginia
• Jenna Kellerman, Senior Director, Workforce, PHI National
• Julie Apold, VP of Quality and Performance Excellence, LeadingAge Minnesota

135-F. Data Analytics: Unexpected Hero of the Staffing Crisis

Providing hands-on care to older adults is the most rewarding part of a clinician’s day in a mission-driven nursing home. But what happens when team members spend more time completing administrative paperwork than interacting with residents? This session will highlight how one provider avoided that scenario by using live, post-acute data analytics to prioritize care management and allow care teams to spend more time with residents and less time behind a desk. Two registered nurses will explain how to use real-time resident data to standardize care delivery and documentation without requiring additional work or data entry. They’ll explore how care settings can trade spreadsheet fatigue and outdated reporting for operational efficiencies, faster staff engagement, and better clinical decision-making.

• Kathleen Derleth, Senior Clinical Account Manager, Real Time Medical Systems
• Angela Huffman, Clinical Services Coordinator, Affinity Health Services

9-G. Robotic Applications in Aging Services

Robots are becoming much more capable, reliable, and affordable, making them ripe for incorporation into aging services communities as staff helpers and extenders. This session will provide an overview of the most promising robotics applications and shed light on how these applications can help your organization supplement, support, and enhance its workforce by driving efficiencies and reducing or eliminating redundant activities. Learn more about physical robotic applications that have shown promise in healthcare, hospitality, and aging services. Explore the adaptations that providers have made to processes, operations, and staffing as they welcomed robotic technology to their organizations. Learn about the costs, benefits, and efficiencies that robots could bring to your organization.

• David Finkelstein, CIO, RiverSpring Living
• Joe Velderman, Board Member, Parker Health Group, Inc.
• Majd Alwan, President/Owner, ALWAN AIVantAge
• Shawn Fontaine, General Manager of Dining Services CCRC, Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line

22-G. Moving Beyond Renovation to Reposition Your Community

What do you do when standard renovation and expansion options just aren’t enough to help you successfully reposition your community in its local market? Learn from the experience of Friendship Village, an Iowa-based life plan community, which decided to transform an outdated and inefficient campus located on a crowded site in a prime location—all during the pandemic. The organization’s CEO, an architect, and a development consultant will share the logistical challenges they faced after deciding to undertake a multiphase demolition and construction process that eventually replaced all the community’s components. After the presentation, you’ll understand how master planning, financial modeling, a collaborative approach to problem-solving, and effective strategies for managing stakeholder expectations set the stage for the successful multiyear transition.

• Lisa Gates, President/CEO,
• Howard Shergalis, Principal,
• Brad Straub, Executive Vice President, Greystone

36-G. Advancing Leadership Diversity through Strategic Partnerships

Strategic partnerships play a critical role in supporting the recruitment and retention of a diverse group of leaders in the field of aging services. This session will show you how these partnerships work, the successes they’ve achieved, and the potential they hold. LeadingAge provider members will describe how partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) are helping their organizations increase diversity. Presenters will also describe two LeadingAge initiatives to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion: a partnership with UNCF, the largest minority education organization in the U.S.; the HBCUs-LTSS Careers Initiative, which helps LeadingAge members improve racial and ethnic diversity in mid- and upper-level positions; and the Leaders of Color Network, which supports retention and career advancement among leaders of color at LeadingAge member organizations.

• Natasha Bryant, Senior Director of Workforce Research & Development, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Adrienne Powell Ruffin, VP and Head of LTSS Strategic Initiatives and Operations, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Deke Cateau, Chief Executive Officer, A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab
• Karen Gipson, Chief Mission Advancement Officer, Aldersgate
• Moniqua Acosta, Director of Volunteer Services, Landis Homes

49-G. Building Community with Care, Trust, and Curiosity

Your team members are unlikely to keep showing up for work each day if they don’t feel they belong in your organization and don’t have a sense of purpose. How can nonprofit providers of aging services build a sense of community among the team members who help them provide services and supports to older adults? In this session, Murry Mercier of PointClickCare and James Robilotta, a motivational speaker and trained improvisational comedian, will discuss leadership strategies that can help you build strong teams that feel valued, are mission-focused, and know they matter. Presenters will convince you that organizational leaders who listen to and trust the people around them can make change happen.

• Murry Mercier, Senior Living Market Director, PointClickCare
• James Robilotta, Authentic Leadership Speaker and Personal Coach, JamesTRobo LLC

50-G. Energize Your Workforce with Appreciative Inquiry

The workforce crisis within senior living communities has reached a critical point and threatens to jeopardize the health and safety of residents and staff. A review of the literature suggests that engagement, compensation, high-quality communication, and management involvement can help increase retention among team members. During this session, participants will be guided through the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) model, which helps management teams focus on their organizations’ positive, life-giving aspects and then implement changes that heighten the energy, sharpen the focus, and inspire the creative actions of team members. Understand how AI can help you invigorate and articulate your organization’s workforce strategy. Take home tips for implementing an AI model and creating an innovative person-centered culture for residents, staff, and families.

• Francis Battisti, Principal, Battisti Managment Affiliates
• Jeff Weatherhead, CEO/President, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay

65-G. The Missing Middle: Expanding Access to Housing and Services

Nonprofit senior living organizations find themselves under increasing pressure to fulfill their missions by addressing pressing societal issues, including the lack of access to appropriate and affordable housing for many groups of older adults. Using their Affordable Equation, this expert panel of senior living providers and architects will present a roadmap for addressing these issues by developing affordable housing and services for middle-market older adults in your community. Presenters will help you define the middle market based on your location and will share the lessons they learned about the design, operations, funding, and construction of middle-market communities. Come join in this collaborative discussion about how to serve the unserved.

• Melissa Pritchard, Managing Principal,
• Teresa Stephens, Affordable Communities VP, Givens Gerber Park
• Laura Lamb, President & CEO, Episcopal Retirement Services
• Emily Jimerson, Principal, SFCS Architects

66-G. Should Your Organization Join the PACE Movement?

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is recognized as the gold standard in community-based care for older adults with chronic illnesses. Through PACE, an interdisciplinary team of health professionals provides a comprehensive service package of supports and services to help older participants maintain a high quality of life while remaining in their communities. Interested in becoming a PACE provider? This session will explore the opportunities and barriers you’ll face. Presenters will also introduce you to ways LeadingAge members are participating in PACE by partnering with PACE organizations. Take this opportunity to delve into the current state of PACE policy and discern whether your organization should join the PACE movement.

• Michael McHale, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Paul's Senior Homes and Services
• Stephen Gordon, CEO, Edenbridge PACE
• Mollie Gurian, VP, Policy & Government Affairs, LeadingAge

79-G. Putting the Brakes on Ageism by Reframing Our Conversations

Ageism springs from unconscious attitudes that take hold at early ages and ultimately cause discrimination against and marginalization of older adults. Ageism in the greater society leads to negative physical and mental health outcomes that cut our lives short. Ageism in the workplace affects hiring and firing and leads to financial insecurity. During this session, you will learn about The Gerontological Society of America’s Reframing Aging Initiative and how to recognize implicit and explicit bias and understand how common patterns of thinking and communicating trigger ageist attitudes. The presentation will help you identify ways to replace ageist tropes and negative language with well-framed messages that highlight the contributions of older people to workplaces and communities.

• Trish D'Antonio, Senior Director of Professional Affairs and Membership, The Gerontological Society of America
• Hannah Albers, Program Director, National Center to Reframe Aging, Gerontological Society of America

92-G. Asset Management in Affordable Senior Housing

Whether your organization operates one or 100 affordable senior housing communities, you must ensure that your assets are protected so you can continue fulfilling your mission without unnecessary surprises. This session will help you determine how to optimize the health of four asset management areas: income, expenses, physical structures, and the changing needs of residents and team members. Presenters will review all four areas, paying particular attention to how U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs, regulations, and opportunities intersect with each area. You’ll take home a sample Healthy Asset Management Checklist, learn how to make sure all subsidy is optimized, and identify key team members who can ensure your asset management is the best it can be.

• Gates Kellett, Founder, Gates Development Group, LLC

93-G. Nursing Home Quality: Implementing the New NASEM Study

In 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) appointed an ad hoc committee of 18 national experts to examine how our nation delivers, finances, regulates, and measures the quality of nursing home care, with particular emphasis on challenges that have arisen during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this session, members of the NASEM committee will describe the report’s findings and recommendations. Presenters will discuss a framework and general principles for improving the quality of care in today’s nursing homes, explore how committee recommendations can be implemented in nursing home settings, and point out how the findings are also relevant to other aging services settings.

• Ruth Katz, CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)
• Janine Finck-Boyle, Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
• Isaac Longobardi, Director, Nursing Home Reform Coalition,

108-G. Reimagining Your Community for Wellness

Well-being—the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy—took on a whole new meaning when John Knox Village, a life plan community in Pompano Beach, FL, reimagined itself and ingrained well-being into its ethos. During this session, you can follow the community through its award-winning planning effort, which found connections between individual wellness and environmental wellness and used design and planning to elevate the resident and staff experience. A diverse panel of speakers will share how-to steps, lessons learned, and best practices for creating a wellness-oriented community and brand. Explore how design, branding through storytelling, and operations can embody well-being. Take home tools you can apply in your own community.

• Thomas McKay, Resident,
• Hillary Owen, Principal, Studio Practice Leader, HKS, Inc.
• Brandon Dilla, Senior Associate, Perkins Eastman
• Monica McAfee, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer,

109-G. How Interdisciplinary Dialogue Can Foster Creative Aging

How can arts organizations, academic institutions, and providers of aging services work together to help older adults age creatively through social connection, self-expression, and well-being? Representatives of Georgetown University’s Aging & Health Program, the Kennedy Center’s Office of Accessibility/VSA, and Mather, a senior living organization, will use this session to answer that question. Presenters will share findings from interdisciplinary forums they held to explore innovations in creative aging, especially around social isolation and loneliness. Gain an understanding of the history of creative aging, explore how creative engagement can help address societal issues around aging, and discover how providers can drive transformation in senior living settings through interdisciplinary dialogue and idea generation.

• Caroline Edasis, Assistant Vice President of Resident Engagement, Splendido at Rancho Vistoso dba Tucson Mather Plaza, LLC
• Betty Siegel, Director, Office of Access/VSA, John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• Pamela Saunders, Director, Georgetown University Aging & Health Program, Georgetown University Master's in Aging & Health Program

124-G. Federal Advocacy: A Must for Life Plan Communities

Life plan communities and other multiservice providers are neither federally financed nor regulated. But that doesn’t mean federal policy decisions don’t affect them. If your organization receives public funds from Medicare and Medicaid, you have a vested interest in federal policy governing those programs. And don’t forget about federal tax and labor policies, which affect all providers. How can you engage in meaningful advocacy at the federal level? Let a panel of life plan community leaders tell you how they engage with federal policy and how they involve residents and families in their advocacy efforts. LeadingAge Policy Team members will let you know how you can work with them to become engaged and effective at the federal level.

• Dana Parsons, Vice President & Legislative Counsel, LeadingAge Virginia
• Adam Marles, President & CEO, EverTrue
• Dee Pekruhn, Senior Director, Life Plan Communities and CCaH, LeadingAge
• Anne Thomas, President & CEO,
• Charlotte Sibold, Executive Director, Sunnyside Presbyterian Retirement Community
• Sharon McCartney, Executive Director,

136-G. Hiring Trends: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Headed

The field of aging services has persevered through several years of workforce volatility caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the great resignation. But providers still don’t understand the full impact of these events on their communities. That’s where data comes in. During this session, a predictive analytics expert will explore current labor trends that emerged from workforce data collected from 3.7 million job applicants, 1,500+ senior living communities, thousands of job postings, and other sources. Hear the story behind the numbers so you can understand current and future hiring and turnover trends and challenges. Get the help you need to compare these trends against your own experience so you can begin planning for the future.

• Myra Norton, CEO & President, Arena Analytics

10-H. How Can Affordable Housing Promote Digital Inclusion?

COVID-19 exacerbated the country’s growing digital divide. Older adults with low incomes found themselves unable to afford, access, and adopt technology solutions that had quickly become a lifeline for those experiencing pandemic-related social isolation and lack of connection with healthcare and wellness professionals. Fortunately, providers of affordable housing are in a unique position to support digital inclusion. This session will describe sustainable, housing-based program models that address broadband access, device adoption, training, and technology support for older adults. Presenters will discuss case studies of housing providers that launched digital inclusion programs; identify best practices and opportunities to improve technology affordability, access, and adoption; and share resources to support your digital inclusion efforts.

• Davis Park, VP of Transformation, Front Porch
• Ryan Elza, Vice President of Innovation & Technology, Volunteers of America
• Tim Bete, President,
• Meghan Lang, Business Development Manager, PCs for People

23-H. Reimagining Bayview: The Makeover that Made a Community

In 1961, famed architect John Graham designed Bayview, a single-site life plan community and architectural gem with spectacular views. Fast-forward to 2014 when Bayview found itself with a 70% occupancy rate, an outdated physical presence, and lots of competition in its Seattle, WA, market. The choices for the Bayview leaders were clear: affiliate with a larger organization or get to work reimagining their 54-year-old community. They chose the latter option. This session will focus on Bayview’s rejuvenation from the perspective its leaders, marketing staff, residents, and design team. Find out how a community master plan led to the makeover that put Bayview on a path to the success and strong financial position it now enjoys.

• Jennifer Fleming, Principal, Interior Designer, Rice Fergus Miller Architecture & Planning
• Cynthia Thurlow Cruver, President and CEO, 3rd3rd Marketing
• Jill Chang, Marketing and Sales Director, Bayview

37-H. Facilitating Authentic DEI Transformation in Your Organization – CANCELLED

Nonprofit providers of aging services have a sacred mission to advance better living for the older adults they serve. To carry out this mission effectively, a provider must build and nurture an organizational culture that allows every employee at every level to feel valued, supported, and personally involved in helping the organization achieve its mission. During this session, representatives from National Church Residences will describe how the organization is empowering staff and transforming how teams provide care. They’ll identify the steps you can take to positively impact diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in your organizations, gain C-Suite support for leadership development, and partner with leaders at all levels to promote DEI.

51-H. Compliance and the Board: Tips and Tools

What are the most crucial steps for implementing an effective compliance program? What indicators should the board of directors be monitoring and what questions should board members be asking? What information should the board be requesting from management, and what information should management be providing without being asked? This session will provide answers to these and other questions, so your board of directors has the tools it needs to meet the government’s heightened expectations for governing bodies. Speakers will provide templates, tools, and strategies to help your board successfully implement and exercise oversight of your organization’s compliance and ethics programs.

• Paula Sanders, Principal,
• Jane Mack, President/CEO, Friends Services Alliance

67-H. What Makes You So Special? Key Messages for Fundraising

In a crowded field of causes, organizations, and requests for donations and funding, making your organization’s mission stand out is critical. But how can you differentiate your organization from the 1.6. million other nonprofits seeking financial support for worthy projects? This session will provide strategies you can use to articulate what makes your organization so special. Let executives at Cedar Community in West Bend, WI, guide you through a process that will help you draw on your organization’s history and its unique value proposition to develop a more powerful fundraising narrative. Let this interactive session help you develop consistent, strategic, and relatable messages that you can share with a variety of audiences for maximum impact.

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

68-H. Using Early Advantage Programs to Expand Your Life Plan Community’s Reach

How do life plan communities attract older adults who would rather stay at home a while longer but want assurances that healthcare will be there for them when they need it? Some communities are implementing Early Advantage Programs that offer prospective residents the opportunity to experience a life plan community without leaving home. Program members pay an entrance and monthly fees in exchange for immediate access to life plan community amenities and guaranteed admission to the community once they’re ready to move. During this session, executives at one life plan community will walk you through the steps they took to establish an Early Advantage Program, describe the benefits the program offered their organization, and share the lessons they learned along the way.

• Ben Unkle, President & CEO, Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay
• Perry Aycock, President, Longevity Markets

80-H. Meet the Press: Garnering Coverage in Your Market

At its peak, the COVID pandemic heightened media interest in and scrutiny of aging services. That’s why there’s never been a more important time for providers of aging services to proactively manage media coverage in their markets, and to understand how they can contribute to the national media narrative around older adults and the field of aging services. Join experts in media and public relations to learn how to optimize journalists’ newfound awareness of our sector and to garner media coverage that accurately and authentically portrays the important work you do. You’ll gain a practical understanding of the current media landscape, learn to uncover stories in your community that will resonate with reporters, and discover strategies to help you build and maintain strong relationships with media outlets at local, regional and national levels.

• Pam Sullivan, Vice President of Communications, Christian Living Communities
• Lisa Sanders, Vice President, Communications and Media Relations, LeadingAge
• Chuck Montera, Vice President, Sigler Communications
• Michelle P Fulcher, Colorado Matters Radio & Digital Producer, Colorado Public Radio
• Gary Shapiro, Anchor, 9News, 9News KUSA-TV

94-H. Drafting a Person-Centered Transitions of Care Dataset

More than 50 million times a year, providers of aging services initiate transitions of care for residents in their settings. Efforts to develop standardized transitions typically focus on the information needs of receiving sites. This session takes a different approach, by letting you step into the shoes of an individual experiencing the transition. Let presenters guide you in defining essential information that should be shared with older adults and their families during a care transition. Learn how to draft a person-centered transitions of care dataset that can be used for any transition. Presenters will also explore the significance of transitions of care; why standardization is essential and how to achieve it; and the policy and payment levers that can advance this work.

• Terrence O'Malley, Medical Director, Non Acute Care Services (former), Partners Healthcare
• Holly Miller, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, MedAllies

95-H. Managing Emergencies and Planning for Disasters

In 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated its life safety and emergency preparedness regulations to improve protections for all Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, including those residing in residential care settings. Updates included requirements that nursing homes have expanded sprinkler systems and smoke detector coverage, an up-to-date emergency preparedness plan, and provisions for sheltering in place and evacuation. This session will review the most common citations on the CMS Life Safety and Emergency Preparedness survey and how to avoid them. LeadingAge nursing home providers will come together in a roundtable environment to share their planning process for emergencies and the lessons they learned during COVID and weather-related disasters.

• David Hood, Technical Fellow, Jensen Hughes
• Janine Finck-Boyle, Senior Vice President, Engagement, American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing (AAPACN)
• Carol Silver-Elliott, President & CEO, Jewish Home Family
• Kim Bergen-Jackson, Associate Professor Clinical, University of Iowa – College of Nursing

110-H. Discover Ayurveda, Yoga’s Sister Science

It became painfully clear during the pandemic that providers of aging services must do more to support the wellness of their team members. This session will present one affordable, accessible tool to help overworked professional caregivers maintain their health and well-being. That tool is Ayurveda, a 5,000-year-old sister of yoga that originated in India and is designed to heal us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Ayurveda is based on our personal energy sources, or doshas, which are affected by our environment, diets, age, and other factors. Balanced doshas lead to health, positive levels of energy, and good mood. During this session, two yoga instructors will help you identify your primary dosha so you can establish person-directed dietary and lifestyle practices consistent with that dosha.

• Tina Sandri, CEO, Forest Hills of DC u2013 Inclusive Senior Living
• Sonja Richmond, Medical Director, Vitas Healthcare Corporation

111-H. Dementia-Inclusive Communities: The Staff Perspective

Can practices that offer people living with dementia a sense of belonging and meaning also contribute to a positive experience for team members who work with them? Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, NC, explored this question and decided the answer was a resounding “yes.” In this session, you’ll be introduced to a dementia-inclusive life plan community where there is no separate area for those living with cognitive changes. You'll hear what makes the dementia-inclusive approach work, and how it contributes to a meaningful work experience. And talk about the support needed to deliver inclusive dementia care, and how that support increases well-being and reduces distress for residents and team members alike.

• Jen Wilson, Vice President of Well-Being, Carol Woods Retirement Community

125-H. COVID-19 Litigation: Lessons from Pandemic-Related Claims

COVID-19 continues to challenge the field of aging services on various levels. During this session, attorneys will provide an update on one of those challenges: the increase in pandemic-related litigation involving providers. Presenters will begin by describing recent COVID-19 litigation and defenses. They will then review the lessons providers and their legal advisors have learned from pandemic-related claims and provide practical guidance on how to use those lessons to develop risk-management strategies that could help mitigate future claims. The session will also explore the impact of ongoing workforce challenges on employment claims, professional liability claims, and insurance costs. Come and share litigation approaches that have worked for you and discuss the legal challenges you expect to surface in the future.

• Tara Clayton, Senior Vice President, Senior Care Practice, Marsh
• Cory Kallheim, General Counsel, Covenant Living Communities and Services
• Glenn Fox, Exec VP and General Counsel, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.

137-H. Making the Most of New Employee Orientation

During a staffing shortage, it’s natural to want to get new team members on the job as quickly as possible. But that approach doesn’t always prepare employees for long-term success. This session presents an alternative: win the hearts and minds of new team members by giving them a proper introduction to your organization and providing a strong mentor to guide them as they settle into their new jobs. Find out how Otterbein SeniorLife in Lebanon, OH, took a one-day, compliance-heavy orientation program and turned it into a multi-day adventure that explores culture, communication, connection, and compliance. Let Otterbein executives give you the tools you need to ensure new employees are eager and ready to be part of your team for the long-term.

• Donna Cutting, Founder & CEO, Red-Carpet Learning Worldwide
• Lois Mills, VP Chief People Officer,

138-H. Using Marketing Strategies to Rev Up Recruitment

Finding and hiring great team members is as important to a senior living community’s success as finding new residents. So why aren’t more communities using digital marketing strategies to recruit new employees? During this session, digital marketing experts from Covenant Living Communities and Services in Skokie, IL, will share best practices for reaching potential candidates using the internet, texting and chat apps, and social media platforms. Presenters will offer suggestions for how your website can help or hurt you attract potential candidates and will guide you in building recruitment referral programs. In no time, you’ll be using digital and social strategies to establish yourself as an employer of choice in your community.

• Dylan Pattenaude, National Director of Digital Services, Covenant Living Communities and Services
• Mackenzie Hurlbert, Digital Strategies Manager,

11-I. Bringing Technology to Affordable Housing through Partnerships

Have you ever dreamed about using technology to improve outcomes for residents of your affordable senior housing community—and then decided that dream was beyond your capacity and your budget? This session will change your mind. You’ll hear how Eaton Senior Communities in Lakewood, CO, partnered with a variety of organizations to become a pilot site for developing new technologies while also producing data for research and quality improvement. Eaton’s CEO and its partners will describe how they worked together to connect community residents with technology solutions, including a companion robot and an information-sharing platform for residents with low vision. They’ll also offer tips to help your affordable housing community embrace innovation, promote applied research, and employ data-driven decision-making.

• Kim Wardlow, Director of Community Development for the Audio Information Network, Audio Information Network
• Mohammad Mahoor, President/CEO, DreamFace Tech
• Rachel Rogers, Academic Director and Teaching Asst. Professor, University of Denver
• Diana Delgado, President & CEO, Eaton Senior Communities, Inc.

24-I. Smart-Aging Technology: A Must for Campus Expansions

Before they move to your life plan community, future consumers will want assurances that they’ll have access to smart home technology solutions that facilitate care coordination, resident monitoring, safety, cognitive care, telehealth, communication, and engagement. Plan for these innovations today by building a smart-aging technology infrastructure into the design of every new construction project. During this session, you’ll walk through the smart-aging technology planning process that Clark-Lindsey in Urbana, IL, conducted before its campus expansion. You’ll leave this session with cost and return-on-investment estimates for smart-aging technology, and a list of other considerations to keep in mind as you plan your next construction project. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay current one of the latest trends in senior living construction and renovation.

• Amber Bardon, CEO, Parasol Alliance
• Deb Reardanz, CEO/President, ClarkLindsey

38-I. Welcoming LGBTQ+ Older Adults: A Tool for Inclusion

More than half (60%) of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) older adults fear they would experience verbal or physical harassment if they moved to a senior living community, reports AARP. Those fears—brought on by a lifetime of stigma—often cause LGBTQ+ older adults to avoid seeking the care they need later in life. During this session, representatives of SAGE and the Human Rights Council Foundation will introduce you to the Long-Term Care Equality Index, the first national standard for inclusive LGBTQ+ policies and practices. Learn more about the tool and discover how other providers are using it to prioritize, plan, and implement strategies for inclusion of LGBTQ+ older adults.

• Dan Stewart, Deputy Director, Equality Aging Project, Human Rights Campaign Foundation
• Sherrill Wayland, Manager of National Projects, SAGE | Advocacy and Services for LGBT Elders
• Hope Carwile, Innovations Speciliast, VIVAGE Senior Living

39-I. Modernizing End-of-Life Care for Underserved Populations

How we live our final years, and how we die, are among the most deeply personal considerations of our lives. Yet, traditionally underserved communities often experience disparities in planning for and receiving end-of-life care. This session will explore why African American and Latinx populations are less likely to talk about or document their end-of-life preference, and how providers of aging services can address the issue with grace, humor, and humility. Presenters will review end-of-life care options, explain the difference between palliative care and hospice care, and identify the adverse outcomes that can occur when lower-income populations and racial/ethnic minorities with advanced illness don’t have equal access to end-of-life care. You’ll discover how a Washington, DC-based hospice setting is working to address disparities in care.

• Sonja Richmond, Medical Director, Vitas Healthcare Corporation
• Kimberly Callinan, President & CEO, Compassion & Choices

52-I. How to Plan for a Successful Executive Transition

You might consider yourself lucky if your organization has experienced few executive transitions in recent years. But that shouldn’t keep you from preparing in advance for the planned retirements and sudden departures of your organization’s leaders. During this session, a panel of executive search consultants will review recent trends in executive-level transitions in the field of aging services. Listen as board members who served as the chairs of executive search committees reflect on how to conduct a search process that is a good experience for all stakeholders. Walk away with an enlightening and realistic picture of what a successful executive transition looks like and how board members and leaders should approach the process. Make sure you’re ready for your organization’s next executive transition.

• Elizabeth Feltner, Chief Executive Officer, Deffet Group, Inc.
• Jeff Weatherhead, CEO/President, Plymouth Harbor on Sarasota Bay
• Lisa Brown Alexander, President & CEO,
• Ronald Bolding, CEO, Pilgrim Place
• Roba Whiteley, Board Chair, Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community Inc

69-I. Working with Partners to Manage Population Health

Providers of aging services need to become better at partnering with other providers in the community and across the continuum, working to improve coordination of services for older adults, and focusing on population health, especially in rural areas. Learn how your organization can accomplish these goals by listening to the story of Knute Nelson. The Minnesota-based aging services organization worked with partners, including LeadingAge Minnesota and a Medicare Advantage plan, to address gaps in the aging services continuum, improve coordination of services, track outcomes associated with population health, and enhance the aging journey in rural America. Find out how Knute Nelson developed a long-term population health strategy and infrastructure and hear about the challenges and opportunities it encountered. Take home a roadmap your organization can use to follow in its footsteps.

• Andy Edeburn, Managing Partner, Elder Dynamics
• Lindsey Sand, VP of Population Health, Vivie

81-I. Unlock the Potential of Social Media

Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms can offer you an unparalleled opportunity to educate older adults and their families about senior living, introduce your organization to prospective residents and clients, and change public perceptions of aging. Which social media platforms can help you reach your preferred audiences? What content should you share? How can you gain traction in the crowded online community? During this session, a social media expert and a senior living executive will answer these questions and offer tips to help you create engaging content for each social media platform. Discover why it’s important to be active on social media and how you can use this important communications vehicle to nurture relationships, build your brand, improve staff recruitment, and boost occupancy.

• Nathan Jones, CEO/Founder, Dash Media

96-I. Providing Traction to Improve Operational Results

Westminster Village in Bloomington, IL, found itself dealing with many challenges during the pandemic: staffing shortages, wage pressures, constant change, occupancy declines, and team member struggles, to name a few. The single-site life plan community responded to those challenges by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System™ (EOS), a set of concepts and tools designed to help business organizations increase their focus, organize around what is most important, accomplish initiatives more quickly, and improve communications. During this session, Westminster’s CEO and COO will share how EOS helped their organization make significant improvements in its operations. Presenters will explain why they chose the model, the tools they used, and the outcomes they achieved.

• Barbara Nathan, CEO,
• Matt Riehle, CEO, Westminster Village

112-I. Fostering Resident Wellness after the Pandemic

For the past two years, preventive measures like social distancing and self-isolation have helped to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. But research suggests that these measures also had adverse, long-term effects on older adults, including a heightened risk for physical, cognitive, and psychosocial decline. This session will offer insights into the impact of the COVID pandemic and its related isolation on older adults, particularly those living with dementia. You'll hear about findings from focus groups conducted with post-acute care providers throughout the pandemic. Explore practical strategies that these providers used to address and prevent decline and trauma in residents. Take home a roadmap for reversing the impact of COVID-related conditions like fatigue, pain, reduced physical capacity, anxiety, and depression.

• Dr. Kathleen Weissberg, Director of Education, Select Rehabilitation, LLC
• Julie Apold, VP of Quality and Performance Excellence, LeadingAge Minnesota

113-I. Community Collaborations in Dementia and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Support

Three federally funded projects in Ohio are using innovative approaches to engage community organizations in addressing the needs of people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and dementia. During this session, two speakers will describe those projects and share community-based implementation strategies for increasing dementia knowledge, reducing stigma, and developing person-directed care, support, and services. Gain an appreciation for the need for collaboration across local, state, and national organizations when disseminating information and resources to help individuals with IDD and dementia live with meaning, purpose, and joy. Take home tips for adapting existing dementia education and support programs to meet the unique needs of individuals living with IDD and learn best practices for sharing the outcomes of evidence-based dementia programming.

• Marty Williman, Program Director, Ohio Council for Cognitive Health

126-I. In Compliance: Tracking Regulatory Changes and Survey Trends

Skilled nursing and post-acute care providers often feel overwhelmed by their responsibility to ensure that their organizations are in compliance with federal rules that change frequently. Experienced attorneys will clear up the confusion by presenting an organized roundup of the latest regulatory revisions and additions, both proposed and final. You’ll get answers to your questions about the status of the 2019 proposed SNF burden reduction regulations for skilled nursing, newly issued Phase 3 of the Requirements of Participation, and the COVID-19 Emergency Declaration Blanket Waivers. You’ll also get updates on the latest survey trends, including the top citations being issued by regulators.

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

139-I. Using Culture Change Principles to Enhance Your Workplace

Thirty years ago, the culture change movement set out to overcome “the three plagues” of people living in nursing homes: helplessness, loneliness, and boredom. Today, the same three plagues affect team members working in senior living communities. Those team members feel helpless because they’re not properly equipped for success, lonely because they don’t feel known or valued, and bored because they don’t feel engaged in meaningful work. A leadership development expert will use this session to demonstrate practices that can address these plagues and enhance the workplace experience for all team members. Learn how to walk beside your employees, harness their collective genius, and inspire them to take an active role in supporting and enhancing the well-being of everyone in the community.

• Bruce Berlin, Founder & Chief Experience Officer, Prioriteams

140-I. Manage Staff Compensation without Breaking the Bank

A tight labor market presents challenges to all providers of aging services. But those challenges are exacerbated when organizations try to recruit new team members without offering them competitive wages. This session will emphasize the importance of conducting periodic reviews of what you’re paying team members and then resetting compensation levels, as appropriate, using an effective salary administration system. Let two compensation experts walk you through the steps involved in establishing a formal compensation philosophy that sets clear ground rules for pay decisions. Learn how to review external market data to ensure your salaries are competitive, build a salary structure based on market practice, create a fair and realistic pay-increase system, and update that system regularly to ensure it aligns with local market trends.

• matt leach, Principal and Senior Consultant, Total Compensation Solutions
• Matt Stokes, Senior Compensation Analyst, Total Compensation Solutions

12-J. Navigate Your Data Maze with Artificial Intelligence

Providers of aging services use an array of software applications, spreadsheets, forms, and databases to help them manage medical records, admissions, accounting, human resources, and resident engagement. Employees tasked with navigating this information maze often find themselves spending countless hours completing mundane and duplicative tasks. This session will present an alternative: artificial intelligence (AI) bots that automate daily tasks and allow employees to spend their time on more valuable and productive work. The speakers will show you how AI-driven automation technology is helping providers of aging services deliver valuable experiences for residents and clients while improving the efficiency of back-office teams. You’ll take home tips to help you jumpstart your organization’s AI journey.

• Travis Gleinig, VP of Innovation & CIO, United Methodist Communities
• Vipin Bhardwaj, CEO, NuAIg
• Majd Alwan, President/Owner, ALWAN AIVantAge

25-J. Building a Zen-Inspired Life Plan Community

How can the built environment contribute to mindful aging, foster acceptance, and help its residents achieve inner peace? This session will answer that question by exploring the transformative model of care and design at Enso Village, the nation’s first Zen-inspired life plan community developed by the San Francisco Zen Center and the Quaker-based Kendal Corporation. The community’s architect and spiritual director will explore ways providers of aging services can offer “contemplative care,” which focuses on individual dignity and acceptance. Presenters will explore what Zen Buddhism and Quaker principles teach about our environment and will describe the challenges associated with creating living spaces that allow individuals, their loved ones, and caregivers to find comfort, connection, and healing in the shared human experience of death and dying.

• Christophe Laverne, Principal, HKIT Architects
• Susan O'Connell, Spiritual Director, Zen Inspired Senior Living Project, Enso Village a Kendal Affiliate
• Stephen Bailey, Senior Strategy Advisor, The Kendal Corporation

40-J. Creating Inclusive Communities For LGBTQ+ Older Adults

Three-quarters (75%) of older LGBTQ+ adults go back into the closet after entering a senior living community because they fear discrimination or are worried that they will receive poor care. This session will explore how Christian Living Communities in Denver opened the hearts and minds of team members and offered them the tools they needed to help LGBTQ+ residents feel welcome and heard. Presenters will explore the unique health care challenges faced by LGBTQ+ older adults, offer concrete strategies for interacting with LGBT+ older adults, describe an evidence-based staff training program that Christian Living Communities developed with help from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and screen a video developed for that program.

• Stormie Foust Maley, Annual Giving Manager, Christian Living Communities
• Carey Candrian, Associate Professor, University of Colorado Health Science Center
• Jim Kok, Director of Chaplain Services,
• Amy Dore, Professor & Program Director, Aging Services Leadership, Metropolitan State University of Denver

53-J. What’s Your Executive Compensation Philosophy?

Executive retention emerged as one of the most important issues facing the field of aging services during the pandemic, when executive turnover rates began an upward climb and the need to recruit and retain the best talent became more critical than ever. This session is based on the belief that recruiting and retaining the best executive team starts with implementing a compensation and rewards system that aligns the interests of the executive with the organization’s unique culture and mission. Speakers will share how Covenant Woods in Mechanicsville, VA, developed its compensation philosophy in 2018, built a formal incentive plan in 2019, and adopted its total compensation and rewards package before recruiting a new CEO in 2021.

• matt leach, Principal and Senior Consultant, Total Compensation Solutions
• Elizabeth Feltner, Chief Executive Officer, Deffet Group, Inc.

70-J. J.J. Carroll: A Case Study of Housing and Healthcare Integration

In 2014, 2Life Communities in Boston, MA, began an aggressive campaign to double its portfolio to meet the growing need for affordable supportive senior housing in New England. This session will highlight the redevelopment of Boston Housing Authority’s J.J. Carroll property, a 64-unit federal public housing project featuring innovations in design, financing, and resident engagement. Session leaders will explore each of these innovations and will describe how PACE center, located in the building, will allow 2Life to integrate housing and healthcare and help frail residents age in community for longer. Presenters will provide tools that session participants can use to undertake similar developments supporting aging in community.

• Lizbeth Heyer, President, 2Life Communities
• Robert Wakefield, Jr., CEO, Element Care
• Jonathan Evans, Principal, Mass Design Group

82-J. Taking Digital Marketing Success to the Next Level

If you built digital marketing into your organization’s budget before the pandemic, you’ve probably had an easier climb back to normalcy. But you can’t be satisfied with past success. As time, technology, and your competitors march on, you must build on your solid foundation by learning to rely on two high-tech tools. Speakers will introduce you to “data-driven persona refinement,” which will help you better understand your target audiences, and “marketing automation,” which provides a more personalized experience for your customers. You’ll walk away with a solid understanding of the digital marketing landscape and an actionable plan that pairs your own data with search engine optimization and marketing automation to maximize lead-generation opportunities.

• Glenn Hadley, Enterprise Strategist,
• Kaley Lockaby, Director of Marketing, Buckner Retirement Services, Inc.

97-J. PDPM: Increasing Per Diems Through Excellent Clinical Care

Did you know that some clinical practices can increase per diem rates from $10 to $50 under the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM)? If you aren’t familiar with those practices, you won’t want to miss this session. Let a healthcare consultant introduce you to high-level, effective strategies to improve your PDPM accuracy and reimbursement and support the ongoing needs of your community. Check out a unique assessment tool that will help you remove the impact of the PDPM wage index from your per diem rates and improve Minimum Data Set data accuracy, which is often associated with increased per diem rates. Hone your PDPM skills by listening to case studies, reviewing anonymous PDPM audit results, and reviewing independent research.

• Melissa Brown, Chief Operating Officer, Gravity Healthcare Consulting
• Patrick Crump, President & CEO, Morningside Ministries

114-J. Embrace Employee Well-Being to Promote Resident Well-Being

Erickson Senior Living takes a comprehensive approach to fostering a prevention-rich, wellness culture that emphasizes eating wisely, exercising daily, learning consistently, and relaxing meaningfully. Join Erickson’s Chief Medical Office Matt Narrett and colleagues as they explore the Erickson wellness strategy for employees and residents. They’ll offer an overview of the core competencies, guiding principles, and collaborative approaches that drive this strategy, share the lessons Erickson learned while promoting employee well-being and engagement, and reflect on how employee wellness helps residents live better lives. Find out why wellness matters in an increasingly challenging national environment touched by the pandemic, divisive politics, and social and racial injustice.

• Matt Narrett, Chief Medical Officer, National Senior Communities
• Margaret Kimbell, VP of Community Living,

127-J. Workforce Policy Update

LeadingAge member organizations are posting job openings that attract no applicants and turning away potential residents because they don’t have enough employees. Turnover is increasing across their organizations and leadership positions are vacant. What’s the solution to these growing workforce challenges? During this session, members of the LeadingAge Policy Team will consider how federal and state action could help address workforce challenges in the field of aging services. They’ll review potential solutions at the federal level that could help expand the pipeline of workers and increase immigration. They’ll also describe exemplary state-level activities that promote recruitment and retention. Find out what’s happening —or could happen—to address the workforce crisis. Learn how to make sure policymakers understand your workforce concerns.

• Ruth Katz, CEO, Association of Jewish Aging Services (AJAS)
• Andrea Price-Carter, Director, Workforce and Technology,
• Linda Couch, Senior Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, LeadingAge
• Dee Pekruhn, Senior Director, Life Plan Communities and CCaH, LeadingAge

141-J. Careers to Love: A Campaign to Improve Recruitment

The COVID-19 pandemic forced some providers of aging services to compete against each other as they attempted to attract potential employees from a dwindling pool of candidates. This session will focus on how LeadingAge Pennsylvania addressed these recruitment challenges by launching a six-week digital campaign designed to showcase the vibrancy of senior living communities and educate the public about available career opportunities. Attend this session for details on how the “Careers to Love” campaign was designed and implemented and how it resulted in the submission of nearly 800 employment applications to LeadingAge Pennsylvania member organizations. Learn about the campaign, the challenges it encountered, and the lessons it holds for providers around the country.

• Erin McDermott, Director, Member Engagement & Workforce Solution, LeadingAge PA

13-K. Meeting Future Expectations and Best Practices for Digital Transformation

Research suggests that most older adults currently rely on technology to stay connected with family and friends, and that many older adults are comfortable using connected devices like tablets, wearables, and smart TVs. These findings should convince you that future consumers of aging services will expect to use technology wherever, whenever, and however they want. How will you meet these expectations? The presenters will help you answer that question during this session. They’ll offer guidance on selecting technology products, developing a technology implementation strategy, and finding affordable technology options. Find out how an investment in technology can help you meet those expectations, improve resident engagement, and differentiate your community from the competition.

• Liz Cramer, Healthcare Strategist, CDW Healthcare
• Glen Tibbitts, Corporate Director of IT | HIPAA Security Officer, United Church Homes
• Michael Hughes, Sr Executive VP and Chief Transformation and Innovation Officer,
• Lorelei Heineman, Director, Clinical Services Operations, United Church Homes

26-K. Micro Venues: The Future of Dining Services

Nonprofit providers of aging services understand that dining is a marketable amenity. That’s why they’ve spent considerable time in recent years reimagining food preparation and floor plans and redesigning the venues in which residents eat their meals. This session will provide an overview of innovations currently influencing the senior living dining experience. Presenters will focus on the micro venue concept, which offers a 360-degree dining experience that breaks the monotony of traditional food service, is visually appealing, and allows dining operations to flex, depending on demand and staff availability, while still maintaining a high level of service. Learn how providers are leveraging design, branding, and technology to create dining experiences that support resident health and well-being, improve operations, and enhance a community’s marketability.

• John Cronin, Principal Senior Associate, AG Architecture
• Bruce Hurowitz, President, MDP | Merlino Design Partnership
• Andrey Teleguz, Principal, Scopos Hospitality Group
• Marti Jatis, Executive Director, Smith Village

41-K. Pathway to a Welcoming and Affirming Culture

Aging services organizations can create welcoming, affirming, and safe cultures by applying principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) to every aspect of their operations. That means putting DEIB at the heart of their services and empowering leaders who are committed to understanding the perspectives and perceptions of all team members. During this session, three leaders of aging services organizations will help you understand the evolution of DEIB and how to drive DEIB efforts in your community. Explore hot-button topics like privilege and cultural appropriation and learn exercises and activities that can deepen understanding among diverse groups from your board room to your break room.

• Cecily Laidman, Senior Living Consultant,
• Jeremy Neely, Senior Vice President of Community Operations, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.

54-K. Board and Leaders: Engage, Communicate, Collaborate

In these uncertain times, successful senior living organizations must work deliberately to bring their leaders and board members together to engage, communicate, and collaborate. During this session, a seasoned leader in the field of aging services and a provider member will share techniques you can use to engage your leadership and board in the task of aligning your organization’s vision and values with its business strategies and operational realities. Discover how you can facilitate highly collaborative conversations and learning experiences that will give leaders and board members a shared sense of ownership as they guide your organization’s strategy. Take home actionable steps to help you leverage the individual and collective strengths of board members to help your leadership team navigate challenges, uncertainties, and opportunities.

• Adam Marles, President & CEO, EverTrue
• Diane Burfeindt, Managing Principal, Trilogy Connect

71-K. Taking Advantage of Consolidation Opportunities

Since 2010, the field of aging services has seen a significant uptick in the number of mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, joint ventures, and dispositions. This thought-provoking session will explore how two very different organizations positioned themselves to take advantage of consolidation opportunities. Representatives from United Church Homes in Marion, OH, and Lifespire of Virginia in Culpepper, VA, will share the lessons they learned while evaluating consolidation opportunities, establishing priorities, and driving organizational change. They’ll tell you how your governance and organizational structures can improve or hinder your ability to capitalize on consolidation opportunities. Take home practical strategies that can help you and your board make good decisions the next time opportunity knocks.

• Tom Bowden, Senior Vice President, HJ Sims
• Dan Carlton, Trustee, LifeSpire of Virginia
• Lynn Daly, Executive Vice President, HJ Sims
• John Renner, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Finance and Administrative Officer, United Church Homes
• Lisa Legeer, Chief Strategy and Integration Officer, LifeSpire of Virginia

83-K. How to Delight—Not Bore—Consumers

Do you like it when things are easier than you planned, people are more fun than you expected, and experiences and interactions turn out better than you thought they would be? So does every consumer who interacts with your life plan community. In this session, you’ll hear from life plan community leaders who have broken new ground by creating great customer experiences featuring anything-but-ordinary programs, services, and partnerships. Presenters will help you surprise and delight consumers by leveraging simple ideas, modest dollars, and technology while inspiring your team to be part of customer-first innovations. Learn what customer experience means in the field of aging services and discover how to cultivate innovative customer outreach.

• Kelsey Pangborn, Director of Customer Experience, Three Pillars Senior Living
• Josh Van Den Berg, Chief Strategy Officer, Three Pillars Senior Living

98-K. Financial Underwriting: New Methods for Changing Times

Financial underwriting is the process by which a life plan or rental community measures the risk that a prospective resident will outlive their income and assets and require subsidies to cover future fees. Financial underwriting of prospective residents has always been important to life plan communities. But older methods of underwriting are not adequate to address the current complexity of residents’ finances, or the financial risks associated with managing a community’s benevolence funds over the long term. This session will provide insight into new, sophisticated, and scientific methods of financial underwriting that can help you manage individual and aggregate resident subsidy risk, help prospective residents determine what they can afford, and give residents and communities the information they need to plan for a secure future.

• Christopher Borcik, Principal, Continuing Care Actuaries
• Tripp Higgins, President, MyLifeSite
• Ashley Wade, Executive Director, Broadview-Senior Living at Purchase College (UC)
• Jolynn Whitten, Executive Director,

115-K. Housing the Whole Person on a Budget

Wellness programming in affordable senior housing doesn’t require a large outlay of resources, or a lot of staff time. But it does require a healthy measure of creativity. Listen while a representative of Westminster Communities of Florida describes the organization’s approach to “Housing the Whole Person” using eight dimensions of wellness. You’ll be amazed at what a small team can achieve by gathering information and feedback from residents, synthesizing that data, strategizing together, and then developing and implementing a plan to meet the needs of the whole community. Get to know the eight dimensions of wellness and learn how to align the feedback of residents with the wellness model to bring out the best in residents and team members.

• Alex Piriz Mookerjee, Executive Director, Westminster Communities of Florida, Inc.

128-K. Employee Benefits: Policy, Compliance, and Legal Issues

An employee benefits plan can support—or impair—recruitment and retention in your organization. That’s why it’s important to make sure board members and leaders are well-versed in benefits-related compliance issues. During this session, executives of LeadingAge member organizations will join an insurance and risk management expert to educate you about policy, compliance, and legal issues associated with employee benefits. Presenters will detail recent changes in Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations and mandates and point out costly pitfalls that organizations should avoid as they strive to comply with the ACA. Invite members of your board and leadership team to this session so everyone in your organization is on the same page when it comes to employee benefits.

• Carol McKinley, President & CEO, Simpson
• David Glenn, VP of Human Resources, United Methodist Communities
• Aaron Marsden, Producer Partner, Lockton Insurance Brokers
• Mark Holloway, Attorney and Director of Compliance Services, Lockton Insurance Brokers

142-K. It Takes a Village to Build Staff Morale- CANCELLED

Employees perform better when they enjoy what they do and have a positive relationship with co-workers and supervisors. So why leave staff morale to the Human Resources department or individual managers? Everyone in your organization—including the CEO, vice presidents, managers, and supervisors—can play a role in building and sustaining staff morale by getting to know employees, learning what’s important to them, and helping them achieve their professional and personal goals. This session will make you aware of how morale affects employee relationships with residents, family members, visitors, vendors, and the public. Learn how to use that awareness to create a culture in which employees feel empowered and are encouraged to hold themselves and each other accountable for high performance.