Alex Piriz Mookerjee

Director, Engagement Strategy
Westminster Communities of Florida, Inc.
Orlando, FL, US
  • 118-H. Modernizing Your Approach to Affordable Housing Operations

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    118-H. Modernizing Your Approach to Affordable Housing Operations

    *Closed to Press* Affordable housing providers will soon be required to navigate significant changes in the rules governing who lives in federally subsidized communities, the federal rental assistance each household receives, and how providers communicate with, screen, and accommodate applicants and residents. This session will encourage you to view these upcoming changes as opportunities for modernization and optimization. Presenters will introduce effective practices to help you achieve the mission of affordable housing while adhering to new rules and policies. They will discuss mission-driven approaches to implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), recommend adjustments to criminal background screening, and help you foster positive resident outcomes and streamline workflows for housing staff.

Kim Pratt

Vice President/Chief Human Resources Officer
Brookhaven at Lexington
Lexington, MA, US
  • 24-I. Operationalizing a Culture of Inclusion and Belonging

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    24-I. Operationalizing a Culture of Inclusion and Belonging

    Many organizations struggle to create inclusion and belonging initiatives that are impactful and sustainable. During this session, representatives from Brookhaven at Lexington, a life plan community in Lexington, MA, and Orange Grove Consulting, a talent management consultant, will demonstrate how to enhance inclusion by evaluating your organization’s levels of belonging and measuring its progress in achieving key inclusion goals. Presenters will provide an overview of the data collection process they used to evaluate Brookhaven’s current culture of inclusion and belonging, including its talent management practices. With Brookhaven as your guide, you’ll discover how to launch similar initiatives that will enable your organization to operationalize a culture of inclusion and belonging.

Nicole Pretre

President & Chief Executive Officer
Cedar Community
West Bend, WI, US
  • 26-C. Leveraging Your Leadership Team to Move the Needle on Benevolence

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    26-C. Leveraging Your Leadership Team to Move the Needle on Benevolence

    Everyone is a fundraiser. That’s the message of this session, which will help you support key strategic priorities in your senior living community by connecting donors, both emotionally and programmatically, to specific activities or divisions on your campus. Presenters will show you how to leverage the strategic vision of your board, executive team, divisional leaders, and key frontline staff to move the needle on benevolence. You’ll learn to build relationships with diverse team leaders across all care levels and lifestyle divisions, then work together to prioritize fundraising opportunities that align with donor interests and your strategic plan.

Lorna Prophater

Sr. Director, Care Professional Services
Alzheimer’s Association
Chicago, IL, USA
  • 101-I. Implementing Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Person-Centered Dementia Care

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    101-I. Implementing Evidence-Based Practices to Improve Person-Centered Dementia Care

    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.

Lola Rain

Strategist
Sequoia Living
San Francisco, CA, US
  • 60-C. Manage Your Online Images to Minimize Liability

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    60-C. Manage Your Online Images to Minimize Liability

    Standout photography and high-quality graphics can enhance your organization’s brand awareness, especially when prominently displayed on your website. But what happens when your online images don’t reflect the diversity required by Fair Housing regulations or lack proper alternative text or “alt tags” that improve website accessibility? This session will help you minimize liability related to accessibility and compliance. Presenters will outline steps you can take to coordinate an on-location photo shoot, select the right photos for your website and other marketing materials, and understand how individuals with disabilities interact with your brand online. You’ll learn how to create an optimal web experience for all prospective residents.

Cindy Ray

Senior Communications Specialist
  • 96-G. Body & Soul: Connecting Spirituality, Health, and Wellness

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    96-G. Body & Soul: Connecting Spirituality, Health, and Wellness

    Spiritual care helps older adults find purpose, increase resilience, build coping mechanisms, and address concerns about suffering and mortality. This session will explore innovative approaches to meeting residents’ increasingly diverse cultural and religious needs. Presenters will discuss activities that nurture spirituality, such as nature outings, organized social interactions, and dedicated spaces for prayer or meditation. They’ll also demonstrate how training staff to provide high-quality spiritual care can positively impact employee morale, job satisfaction, and personal growth. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the link between spirituality and health, the benefits of integrating residents’ spiritual preferences into their care plans, and the value of making high-quality spiritual care a strategic and mission priority for your organization.

Vic Rayner

Chair of the Global Ageing Network and CEO
National Care Forum
UK

Katie Reilly

Corporate Director of Cognitive Well-Being
Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
Fort Washington, PA, USA
  • 89-B. Thriving Your Way: Supporting Person-Directed Living Across the Continuum

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    89-B. Thriving Your Way: Supporting Person-Directed Living Across the Continuum

    Senior living professionals aspire to implement holistic, person-centered living in their communities. But how can this be achieved most effectively? During this session, leaders from Acts in Fort Washington, PA, will describe practices to help team members know, value, and connect with residents as unique individuals. You’ll examine common barriers to creating a more inclusive community culture, underscore the importance of breaking down silos between levels of living to promote inclusive engagement, and underscore the role all team members can play in supporting person-directed living. This session will emphasize the value of offering holistic engagement opportunities and well-being practices across the living continuum.

Daniel Reingold

Board Vice Chair
RiverSpring Living
Riverdale, NY, USA
  • 35-L. Thriving Amid the Turbulence by Managing Change

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

    35-L. Thriving Amid the Turbulence by Managing Change

    The aging services sector is facing upheaval that will inevitably affect the services we offer, the settings where we provide care, and the structure of our organizations. In response, we must be willing to abandon old approaches and rely on creativity, perseverance, and stakeholder engagement to chart a new course. During this lively, interactive discussion, two senior living leaders will introduce you to change management models and offer guidance on applying them in various situations. You’ll hear about organizations that couldn’t let go of the past and those that have made significant changes with meaningful results. Discover how to thrive amid the turbulence by understanding the changes and opportunities ahead and learning to manage them at a rapid pace.

Julian Reisenthel

Homecare Director
Full Life Care
Seattle, WA, US
  • 51-I. Surviving the HCBS Squeeze: Sustainability Solutions

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    51-I. Surviving the HCBS Squeeze: Sustainability Solutions

    Sixty percent of home and community-based service (HCBS) providers have faced negative margins or program closures over the past three years because of stagnant reimbursement rates and rising costs. This session will offer several solutions to help your HCBS program survive the squeeze. Presenters will share how their agency navigated severe reimbursement challenges, made tough program decisions, and used innovative practices to restore its financial health. Discover how they implemented geographic clustering of clients to improve staffing efficiency and leveraged a remote global administrative workforce to reduce overhead. You’ll gain strategies to right-size your agency, maximize your bottom line, and better support clients and communities amid funding challenges.

Melissa Ressler

Executive Director
Lancaster Downtowners
Lancaster, PA, USA
  • 47-E. A Community-Based Partnership to Enhance Quality of Life

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    47-E. A Community-Based Partnership to Enhance Quality of Life

    Villages are nonprofit, community-based, grassroots organizations created by caring individuals to help older neighbors age in their homes and communities. Villages offer social and educational programs, health and wellness activities, technology coaching, and volunteer assistance with transportation and light home maintenance. This session will explore how villages and life plan communities collaborate and the benefits their affiliation offers both entities. Join representatives from several life plan communities and the 300-member Village to Village Network to learn how partnerships with villages can enhance a life plan community’s mission and growth. You’ll also hear about evidence-based programs that have enriched these partnerships.

Michael Rethage

Chief Operating Officer
Uniguest
Nashville, TN, USA
  • 5-D. Using Technology to Foster Meaningful Relationships

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    5-D. Using Technology to Foster Meaningful Relationships

    Research suggests that strong social connections can help reduce loneliness and depression, ease emotional challenges, support cognitive function, and enhance life satisfaction and fulfillment. This session will showcase how technology engagement platforms facilitate these vital connections in senior living communities by providing opportunities for meaningful interactions, offering residents personalized content, and encouraging their active participation in community events. You’ll learn about the steps taken by other communities to implement these platforms and how residents use them. Take home tools to help your team create a stronger, more connected community that nurtures meaningful relationships among residents, their peers, and team members.