Douglas Olson

President/CEO
Vision Centre: Leadership Development for Aging Services
Dekalb, IL
  • 136-C. Promising Pathways to Aging Services Careers

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    136-C. Promising Pathways to Aging Services Careers

    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.

Hillary Owen

Principal, Studio Practice Leader
HKS
Chicago, IL
  • 124-D. Designing for Cognitive Health with Agentic AI

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    124-D. Designing for Cognitive Health with Agentic AI

    More than 7.2 million older Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, and 42% of those over 55 are likely to develop dementia. Fortunately, environmental design can support these individuals by promoting brain health, enhancing cognition, reducing care costs, and increasing resident satisfaction. This session will introduce “Senior Brain,” an artificial intelligence-powered system that evaluates community spaces to identify cognitive “hot spots” and recommend design improvements. Presenters will explore how the system leverages neuroplasticity the brain’s ability to change through learning and experience to create environments that protect brain health. You’ll learn how a life plan community used the Senior Brain system during a recent renovation.

Tom Paden

Director of Talent Acquisition
Transforming Age
Bellevue, WA
  • 140-G. The ROAD to Building Your Workforce Through Internships

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    140-G. The ROAD to Building Your Workforce Through Internships

    Senior living communities seeking to strengthen their workforce must take deliberate steps to reach younger workers who may not yet view aging services as an attractive career path. This session will highlight a program that can help. The Rotational Operations and Development (ROAD) talent development model invites young interns to explore the full range of career opportunities in aging services through internship rotations across various departments such as operations, dining, marketing, resident services, and more. LeadingAge members who are using the ROAD model, along with interns who’ve participated in it, will share their experiences. You’ll gain the tools you need to attract Gen Z team members to your organization and to our field.

Poonam Paditar

Member
Mintz
Boston, MA
  • 44-E. Secure Your Future: Restructure and Reimagine

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    44-E. Secure Your Future: Restructure and Reimagine

    Executive teams update their strategic plans annually to refine the traditional continuum model they’ve offered for decades. These organizations now face unprecedented challenges as more for-profit developers enter the field, consumer preferences shift, and government payments decline. Tweaking the continuum won’t be enough to secure the future. Instead, this session will show you how to restructure your organization and reimagine the continuum. Presenters will offer guidance on selling or repurposing assets to advance your mission, collaborating with and learning from investors, restructuring your debt, and addressing your legal issues. Let a turnaround manager and an investment banker help you develop an achievable restructuring plan that will appeal to investors and secure your organization’s future.

Andy Page

Partner
Forvis Mazars
Atlanta, GA
  • 37-A. Delivering a Successful Nursing Replacement Project

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    37-A. Delivering a Successful Nursing Replacement Project

    With thoughtful planning, senior living communities can integrate skilled nursing into their growth strategies. That’s the primary message of this session, which will showcase a life plan community that built a financially sustainable, consumer-focused replacement for its skilled nursing and memory care building. Community representatives will discuss how they planned, designed, and constructed the new building, which features 32 memory care apartments, 68 long-term nursing units, and a 32-unit short-term rehabilitation center. You’ll learn how to combine financial planning metrics, innovative design, and proactive management to deliver high-quality nursing care that aligns with your organization’s mission and economic expectations.

Fran Palma

Sr, VP of Digital Strategies
Covenant Living Communities and Services
Skokie, IL
  • 63-C. Sales, Marketing, and Beyond: AI in Senior Living

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    63-C. Sales, Marketing, and Beyond: AI in Senior Living

    Interested in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) but concerned about maintaining a disciplined focus on privacy, legal compliance, and ethical safeguards? In this session, you’ll learn how a multisite senior living organization is achieving these goals and how you can too. Presenters will show you how AI-generated video, messaging, and design templates can expand your marketing team’s capabilities while maintaining consistent brand quality. They’ll also explain how AI can work across your organization to streamline workflows, accelerate decision-making, enhance new-hire onboarding, and support personalized learning. You’ll leave this session with a clearer understanding of how AI expands organizational capacity when implemented with intentional guardrails and a human-first philosophy.

Michelle M Pandolfi

VP, HCBS
Whitney Center, Inc.
Hamden, CT
  • 48-G. The New Frontier: Inside Continuing Care at Home (CCaH)

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    48-G. The New Frontier: Inside Continuing Care at Home (CCaH)

    As the desire to age in place grows among older adults, Continuing Care at Home (CCaH) programs are emerging as an innovative alternative to traditional senior living. In return for an entrance fee and monthly dues, CCaH members receive comprehensive long-term care services while remaining in their own homes. During this session, three CCaH providers will compare CCaH models, detailing their financial structures, membership designs, and operational approaches. Presenters will help you identify which CCaH model best aligns with your organization’s mission, market, and strategic goals. You’ll discover key factors that contributed to the success of organizations that have launched and grown CCaH programs, as well as the challenges they faced along the way.

Baylie Panzi

VP, Human Resources
LCS
Des Moines, IA
  • 141-H. What if You Could Prevent Employees from Leaving Their Jobs?

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    141-H. What if You Could Prevent Employees from Leaving Their Jobs?

    In today’s labor-constrained environment, senior living organizations need more than hindsight. They need actionable foresight. This session will showcase a tool that LCS built that can help. You’ll hear about Retention Radar, a predictive workforce intelligence solution that identifies departments with employees most at risk of leaving their jobs and recommends targeted, practical interventions to support engagement and stability. By analyzing indicators such as benefits participation, scheduling alignment, supervisor stability, and PTO utilization, this innovative tool helps community leaders focus their efforts where they can have the greatest impact. Presenters will explain how Retention Radar equips Executive Directors, Administrations, Human Resources teams, and other operations leaders to interpret workforce trends and make data-informed decisions. Users of the tool will share strategies for translating predictive analytics into targeted retention interventions and explain how Retention Radar is helping to reduce turnover while enhancing the resident experience.

Davis Park

VP of Transformation
Front Porch
Glendale, CA
  • 7-G. Building Digital Confidence among Older Adults

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    7-G. Building Digital Confidence among Older Adults

    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.

Alex Patterson

President & CEO
Presbyterian Homes of Georgia, Inc.
Austell, GA
  • 54-J. Proven Strategies for Life Plan Community Expansion

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    54-J. Proven Strategies for Life Plan Community Expansion

    Growth can enhance a life plan community’s mission, diversify its revenue, expand its market reach, and enable it to serve more older adults. But it also carries significant financial, operational, and reputational risks. In this session, two life plan community leaders and a marketing strategist will demystify the expansion process. They’ll share how they make growth decisions by assessing organizational readiness, aligning boards, securing financing, analyzing competitors, and building demand before opening. Let these experienced leaders give you confidence and a practical roadmap for pursuing strategic expansion that balances mission-driven decision-making with business imperatives.

Sue Paul

Senior Director of Well-being and Brain Health
Asbury Communities, Inc.
Frederick, MD
  • 111-C. Combining Physical and Cognitive Training for Brain Health

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    111-C. Combining Physical and Cognitive Training for Brain Health

    Cognitive health is a key predictor of independence, quality of life, and long-term care use among older adults. Yet many senior living communities still rely on passive brain-health approaches that lack measurable outcomes. This session will present results from a recent study showing that older adults who combined physical movement with cognitive processing in a single, interactive intervention achieved significant cognitive gains. Presenters will review the study’s findings, which suggest that even low-frequency, consistent training can yield measurable benefits. They’ll also offer tips for integrating cognitive-motor training into your wellness programs, reimbursement models, and population health strategies.

  • 126-F. Reimagining Outdoor Space as a Healthy Aging Infrastructure

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    126-F. Reimagining Outdoor Space as a Healthy Aging Infrastructure

    Traditional wellness and therapy spaces often fall short of meeting the needs of older adults, especially those with mobility limitations or cognitive decline. Fortunately, that’s changing. This session will explore how SeniorScapes, Inc., is creating environments that help older adults move, socialize, and thrive outdoors with dignity and safety. Presenters will showcase the nonprofit’s flagship project at Asbury Communities in Frederick, MD, and explain how it supports fitness, mobility, and brain health. You’ll learn which design and program elements to include in age-friendly public spaces and explore the broader role of parks as social infrastructure that promotes connection and equity for older adults.

Brad Paulis

Partner
CCRC Actuaries, LLC dba Continuing Care Actuaries
Reisterstown, MD
  • 65-E. Early Advantage Programs: Put Your Wait List to Work

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    65-E. Early Advantage Programs: Put Your Wait List to Work

    Innovative service models are gaining traction as life plan communities navigate shifting consumer expectations and competitive pressures. This session will examine one such model: Early Advantage programs that allow waitlisted individuals to become “residents” before moving in. Two providers, an actuary, and a strategic consultant will describe these programs, which often charge consumers a fee in exchange for priority waitlist placement or early access to healthcare services. Presenters will explore how these programs benefit providers and the challenges related to pricing, operations, and policy-setting. You’ll learn what motivates prospective residents to join these programs, lessons learned by providers, and risk factors for boards to consider.