The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) employs surveys as a primary tool in its fight against hospice fraud. With changes to the Hospice Special Focus Program on the horizon, now is the perfect time to deepen your understanding of the hospice survey process and sharpen your survey skills. Join this session to learn what types of fraud CMS and its survey contractors look for during a survey. You’ll gain insights and tips for using mock surveys to prepare your hospice team for its next survey.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is pursuing a new strategic direction aimed at reducing healthcare costs, shifting more financial risk to providers, and modifying existing CMMI models. At the same time, Congress is discussing significant changes to Medicare Advantage that could dramatically impact provider revenue streams, contracting strategies, and payer mixes. During this session, you’ll gain insights into these federal policy shifts and how they could reshape revenue models and affect the financial stability of aging services organizations. Presenters will share strategic approaches to help you manage risk and adapt to a rapidly evolving payer landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your organization’s long-term viability in a changing healthcare environment.

First Nations Australians often wait up to 12 months to see healthcare clinicians who can only reach rural and remote communities by airplane. As a result, these Indigenous individuals face significant health challenges, which are especially acute for older community members. This session will describe a next-generation virtual healthcare service that provides First Nations Australians with on-demand access to registered nurses and allied health practitioners seven days a week. Presenters will outline the virtual health delivery model, its potential to bridge care gaps, and its ability to facilitate culturally competent care. They’ll also discuss factors to consider when implementing virtual healthcare, including technology requirements, community engagement, training, and infrastructure challenges.

Eighty home health and hospice agencies recently worked together to identify ways to improve satisfaction among their caregivers and care recipients. This session will describe the National Patient and Caregiver Satisfaction Quality Improvement Project, which invited patients and caregivers to share what they value most about their healthcare experiences at home. Presenters will help you use their findings to implement a patient-centered care model that prioritizes the unique needs and preferences of clients and their families while increasing employee engagement. You’ll take home tools designed to help your agency boost staff morale and caregiving outcomes while ensuring compliance with new regulations like the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing program, which ties patient and caregiver satisfaction directly to reimbursement.

Interoperable data exchange among health and service providers is becoming increasingly common nationwide. How can your organization maximize the business- and care-related benefits of data exchange? This session can help. Presenters will demonstrate how data exchange can support your organization’s work, whether you’re sending care plans and treatment goals to a resident’s healthcare providers, sharing diagnoses and medication management information during care transitions, or receiving alerts about a hospital discharge. They will also explore the unique considerations you should prioritize as you develop your data exchange ecosystem. You’ll learn how to influence national and state data security policies and address common challenges that might arise as you integrate new systems and practices into daily workflows.

The Digital Support Hub model helps Scottish aged care organizations provide scalable, person-centered care to older adults by blending digital tools with human interaction. This session will explore how the Hub uses a simple, one-button computer and regular welfare calls to engage with older adults living in the community, address gaps in traditional care delivery, tailor care to individual needs, and reduce reliance on in-person services. Presenters will outline strategies for using the Hub model to address workforce shortages, improve staff retention, and empower caregivers and care recipients. You’ll take home practical steps for using a Digital Support Hub to reduce hospitalizations, support transitions to independent living, and preserve autonomy—all while achieving significant cost savings.

Direct care professionals are essential to long-term care, yet this workforce faces persistent challenges, including high turnover, low wages, and limited career advancement opportunities. This session will introduce a Universal Worker framework that enhances job quality and client outcomes by providing direct care professionals with advanced roles. Representatives from PHI, a national workforce organization, will describe one such role: a Care Integration Senior Aide (CISA) who observes, documents, and reports clients’ clinical conditions to their care team. Home care providers will explain how they partnered with PHI to implement the CISA role. Discover how to use the Universal Worker framework and CISA role to transform workforce challenges into opportunities that ensure sustainable, high-quality care delivery.

Studies have consistently shown that older adults prefer to age at home. Despite these trends, investments in home health, hospice, and other Medicare-funded home and community-based services remain misaligned with growing consumer demand for these essential services. Join this session to acquire up-to-date knowledge about home health and hospice policy. Presenters will examine changes to Medicare that are helping—and hurting—home-based providers striving to meet the needs of older adults who wish to age in place.

The Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Practice Recommendations offer 56 guidelines for professional care providers working with individuals living with dementia. This session will review the report’s recommendations, which are based on a comprehensive review of evidence, best practices, and expert opinions. Presenters will explore several programs across the country that are implementing practices to enhance the quality of care for residents living in residential care settings. You’ll get a close-up look at one coaching program that helps long-term care communities implement system-changing best practices in dementia care. Don’t miss this chance to explore the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from coaching initiatives in both urban and rural communities.

Are you managing multiple service lines across the continuum, or just curious about the broader policy landscape affecting aging services? This session is designed for you. The LeadingAge advocacy team will be on hand to review this year’s federal policy successes and challenges. You’ll gain a clear understanding of key federal legislative and regulatory changes impacting nursing homes, hospice, affordable housing, home health, adult day services, and Medicaid home and community-based services. You’ll also hear the latest updates on legal matters, workforce development, and Medicare Advantage. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch up on 2025’s policy news and prepare for the advocacy initiatives that are expected to emerge in 2026.

An older adult with serious illnesses can benefit greatly from palliative care. Unfortunately, inadequate or nonexistent Medicaid payments restrict beneficiaries’ access to these services and prevent providers from delivering the support older adults need. This session will provide some hope for patients and providers. Presenters will explain how Medicaid agencies across the country are working to create and implement statewide benefits for palliative care by employing value-based payment and bundled payment models to increase reimbursement rates. You’ll discover how paying for palliative care can lead to better and more equitable care, improved quality of life, and better outcomes for Medicaid recipients and their families.

The aging services sector faces two significant challenges: a nationwide shortage of home health aides and a growing demand for culturally competent respite care for individuals with dementia and their caregivers. This session will explore how Hebrew SeniorLife addressed both challenges through one innovative program. Representatives from the Boston-based housing and service provider will explain how their in-home respite care program trains students and young professionals interested in clinical careers to provide cognitive support and culturally competent care to older adults. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about and replicate this workforce-building and caregiver-supporting model.