Given the complexity of life plan communities and the scope of management responsibilities, boards of directors often focus primarily on their financial and fiduciary duties. This session offers a different approach. Presenters will unpack the board’s responsibility to dig deeper into compliance measures to understand what they reveal about a life plan community’s quality of care and quality of life. These insights will help the board participate in developing person-centered solutions that advance the organization’s mission. You’ll learn how a governance approach grounded in accountability, learning, and compassion fosters transformative collaboration among organizational leaders and how that collaboration can enhance the quality of life for older adults.

Are you seeking up-to-date information on how federal funding and policy decisions are likely to affect your service lines? Or are you simply curious about the broader policy landscape shaping the aging services field? Either way, you’ll leave satisfied after attending this speed round of Washington updates. The LeadingAge Policy Team will be on hand to fill you in on the latest developments affecting Medicare and Medicaid, workforce policy, affordable housing, and the federal legal landscape. You’ll also receive advocacy tips to ensure your voice is heard in Washington, DC.

You’ve undoubtedly heard about the “transformative power” of Artificial Intelligence (AI). But what would an AI-fueled transformation look like for your organization, and what tools would you need to make it a reality? This session will guide you through a comprehensive, multi-week AI assessment to help your organization evaluate its technology maturity, identify quick wins, and build a realistic three-year AI roadmap. Three senior living providers will share strategies to help mid-size and smaller organizations use AI to manage change, expand internal capacity, and focus on outcomes for residents and staff. You’ll gain tools to adopt AI solutions gradually and in ways that fit your organization’s unique circumstances.

Nearly half of U.S. veterans are 65 or older. Yet most aging services professionals lack training to address this population’s unique needs, and aging-focused resources rarely address them. This session aims to fill those gaps. Presenters will explain how military culture, trauma, service-related injuries, and the complexity of benefit eligibility shape veterans’ needs as they age. They will also discuss cultural and trauma-informed approaches to supporting veterans across housing, health, and social-service settings, including a pilot program that helps high-acuity veterans with low incomes age in place. You’ll gain insights into the program’s implementation and early outcomes and take home lessons you can adapt to your care and service settings.

Federal oversight of programs funded by Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, and other programs has intensified in recent years as regulators and policymakers sharpen their focus on program integrity in home and community-based settings. This session will provide an overview of evolving federal compliance expectations and how they shape state expectations. Presenters will offer insights into emerging compliance themes across agencies, the operational implications of policy and enforcement trends, and proactive measures to strengthen your compliance infrastructure. You’ll leave with strategies to enhance internal controls, align training and governance practices, and build a culture of accountability that can withstand evolving federal and state oversight.

Young people pursue various pathways to launch careers in aging services. Which of these pathways work well, and where are the gaps? This session will offer evidence-based answers to those questions. Presenters will share findings from new national research on academic programs, internships, mentorships, and Administrator-in-Training (AIT) programs that have helped students pursue careers in aging services and gerontology. They’ll also share strategies and case studies to help you create similar programs. You’ll hear success stories about how organizations with modest budgets have attracted new talent. You’ll also take home a clear, customizable framework to reduce vacancies, strengthen career pathways, and develop the next generation of aging services leaders.

Senior living professionals are familiar with traditional sales tactics but often lack experience using earned media as a strategic touchpoint with prospective residents. This session fills that knowledge gap by introducing a communication approach that builds relationships with prospects through media coverage that validates a community’s strengths, highlights resident experiences, and reinforces trust at key decision points in the prospect’s decision-making journey. Presenters will teach you the fundamentals of developing strong story ideas, pitching them to the media, and integrating media coverage into sales strategies. You’ll take home tools to help your community kick-start or enhance its media relations programs, improve conversions, and accelerate prospects’ decision-making.

Federal policy is increasingly focused on strengthening the domestic workforce to address persistent recruitment and retention challenges across the aging services continuum. This session will provide an overview of key workforce policy developments, including those affecting training and education pathways, worker supports, funding opportunities, and emerging regulatory requirements. Presenters will explain how these changes are likely to affect aging services organizations and where new challenges may arise. Join us for a timely, balanced conversation about how federal policy is shaping—and at times complicating—the future of the aging services workforce. You’ll take away practical tips to help you engage in the national conversation.

Life plan communities offer residents myriad opportunities to participate in rich programming across a range of digital platforms. But how can providers prevent technology saturation and uneven adoption? This session will highlight one provider’s technology-enabled engagement system, which integrates digital communication platforms, automation, data and analytics, and artificial intelligence tools. Presenters will describe the system’s components, including streaming, video libraries, and in-house digital channels; dashboards that help community leaders understand engagement patterns; and automation solutions that reduce manual tasks for program staff. You’ll return home with a framework for viewing resident engagement as a scalable system rather than a collection of disconnected tools.

Knowledgeable, experienced, and engaged board members are essential to the success of senior living organizations. Yet few board members arrive at their first board meeting with all the knowledge needed to fulfill their roles. This session will explore how one organization expanded board members’ capacity by dedicating the first 60-90 minutes of its bimonthly board meetings to a wide range of enrichment activities. Presenters will outline how they implemented the revised board agenda and how it improved the board’s effectiveness. You’ll learn strategies for assessing board members’ current knowledge and addressing gaps. Discover how enrichment sessions can strengthen your board and help its members become confident change agents and change makers.

Many senior living organizations are adept at implementing new technology solutions and devices to improve older adults’ daily lives. Yet these organizations often overlook an important truth: the success of any new technology depends not on a high-tech device but on the user’s confidence and ability to use it. That’s where digital literacy comes in. This session will show you how to foster curiosity rather than hesitation among older adults, enabling them to learn the digital skills needed for meaningful engagement with technology. Presenters will provide strategies to help you design digital literacy programs that empower older adults and ensure they are not left behind in the digital age.

The ability to lead with clarity and communicate with intention has never been more essential or more challenging for senior living organizations navigating expansion, contraction, repositioning, or affiliation. This session will help. A senior living executive and a strategic communications counselor will share strategies for guiding teams and communities through uncertainty and staying mission-steady amid sector-wide fluctuations. They’ll show you how to communicate consistently, choose communication methods wisely, align the leadership team to prevent inconsistent messaging, and balance transparency with openness to build trust without triggering fear and confusion. You’ll gain strategies to strengthen your leadership presence and build goodwill among teams, residents, families, and other key partners.

Medicaid cuts, the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the escalating caregiving crisis are compelling states and the federal government to confront a long-ignored issue: how Americans will pay for long-term care. It remains uncertain whether a lasting solution will come from the states, Congress, or both. But presenters in this session will argue that the opportunity for meaningful discussions about long-term care financing is finally here. Join them to explore why more people are discussing financing reform, what proposals are under consideration, and the distinct coverage, cost, and access trade-offs each entails. You’ll learn how to lend your voice to long-term care financing conversations at the state and federal levels.

Educators, providers, policymakers, and workforce leaders nationwide are rethinking how aging services providers recruit, train, support, and retain frontline caregivers. This session will highlight this collaborative effort. Presenters will describe a recent national meeting that examined the potential for multi-state collaboration to standardize certified nursing assistant (CNA) career pathways through state-based Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Programs. They’ll share lessons learned from convening stakeholders across education, workforce development, aging services, finance, policy, and care delivery systems to discuss workforce solutions. You’ll discover how stakeholder collaboration can drive system-wide changes in policy, practice, and workforce development.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming senior living and healthcare, offering unprecedented opportunities to improve care delivery, streamline operations, and enhance resident engagement. Unfortunately, AI can also heighten cybersecurity risks and create complex legal issues for your organization. This session will highlight privacy laws, liability risks, and contractual obligations that could affect your use of AI. Technology experts and a senior living provider will guide you through steps to evaluate AI opportunities and build a technology roadmap that minimizes risk and aligns innovation with compliance and security best practices. Join this session to explore evolving issues that senior living executives can’t afford to ignore.

Identifying your organization’s fraud and abuse risks and building effective programs to mitigate them can be challenging. Fortunately, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services can help. This session will review a set of voluntary, nonbinding resources the OIG compiled to help providers strengthen their compliance programs, understand their fraud and abuse risks, and prepare for new compliance expectations. Presenters will review OIG’s general compliance guidance, examine its sector-specific guidance for skilled nursing and managed care, and discuss hospice guidance currently being updated. You’ll gain practical insights to help your organization enhance the quality of care, strengthen internal controls, and foster a culture of organizational integrity.

Immigration policy has become increasingly important to aging services providers, shaping both the immediate availability and the long-term sustainability of the caregiving workforce. This session will feature a panel presentation and an interactive exchange that explore immigration’s key role in helping providers meet the service and support needs of older adults. Presenters will examine how immigration policy affects providers’ ability to attract and retain essential caregiving talent. They’ll also explore specific policies that could help address current and future workforce needs. You’ll leave this session equipped with strategies to make your immigration-related advocacy as effective as possible.

When team members see a future for themselves at your organization, they will stay, grow, and thrive. This session will show you how in-house career coaching makes that possible by establishing clear career pathways, building trust-based coaching relationships, and supporting skill development. Presenters will outline a scalable career-coaching model used by a life plan community to foster workforce engagement, increase retention, and improve organizational culture. You’ll gain tools to build your own coaching program, including strategies for identifying champions, defining success metrics, and embedding coaching into everyday workflows. Don’t miss this opportunity to create a future where every team member thrives.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining recognition worldwide. But what is AI’s real impact on aging services providers today, and how could it shape the future of care? This session will cut through the hype to answer the questions on every provider’s mind: Which parts of AI are real? Which are a waste of resources? A panel of senior living leaders will share how they’ve used AI to improve operational efficiency, support team members, and engage residents more effectively. They’ll also explain how AI helps them manage data security, integrate organizational systems, and enhance operations and services. You’ll discover AI’s transformative possibilities and learn how to develop your own AI implementation plan.

Do team members’ eyes glaze over when you mention your organization’s strategic plan? Or is the plan a living document that guides their day-to-day work? If you’re experiencing the first scenario but hoping for the second, this session is for you. Presenters will introduce you to EOS, a strategic planning model designed for weekly use and quarterly updates. Follow a multisite organization’s journey to implement EOS by defining its mission, vision, and values, addressing barriers to progress, and measuring weekly performance. You’ll learn to distill your strategic plan into a one-page document, use data to make decisions, and involve every team member in achieving organizational goals.