Kevin Parries

Executive Director
Carolina Village
Hendersonville, NC, USA
  • 27-A. Leading in a Crisis: Lessons from Hurricane Helene

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    27-A. Leading in a Crisis: Lessons from Hurricane Helene

    On September 27, 2024, Hurricane Helene brought unprecedented challenges to western North Carolina as it destroyed homes, caused severe flooding, and left thousands without electricity, cell service, or water. During this session, a panel of CEOs from three senior living organizations in the storm’s path will reflect on their experiences during and after the storm and share the essential leadership lessons they learned. Listen as they recount how they supported one another, how they adapted or rewrote their emergency plans in real-time to address the storm’s catastrophic impacts, and how assistance from other LeadingAge members helped them navigate the crisis. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights into the critical role leaders play in guiding their organizations through natural disasters.

Susie Parsons

Associate, Interior Designer
Rice Fergus Miller Architecture & Planning
Bremerton, WA, USA
  • 23-H. Inclusiveu00a0by Design: Addressing Isolation and Loneliness in Senior Living

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    23-H. Inclusiveu00a0by Design: Addressing Isolation and Loneliness in Senior Living

    The serious health risks associated with loneliness among individuals living alone are well-documented. However, less is known about addressing isolation that persists even when people reside in a community with their peers. This session will explore the difference between genuine human connection and mere physical proximity. Presenters will identify ways in which isolation and loneliness can persist within communities and examine the additional challenges that LGBTQ+ older adults face when accessing care, shelter, and community support. You’ll discover new opportunities to promote inclusion and connection among older adults and team members, ranging from small cultural shifts to more significant changes in the design of the built environment.

Nick Patel

President
ThriveWell Tech
Frederick, MD, USA
  • 1-A. Smart Living Showcase: Bringing Technology to Senior Living

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    1-A. Smart Living Showcase: Bringing Technology to Senior Living

    Imagine owning a television that uses artificial intelligence to provide social connection. You might want eyeglasses that provide real-time captions of your conversations, or a scale that assesses your risk of falling. These and other technology solutions are displayed in a Smart Living Showcase, developed by Asbury Communities in collaboration with the AgeTech Collaborativeu2122 from AARP. Attend this session for an eye-opening overview of how the showcase is helping Asbury investigate emerging technologies and understand older adults’ preferences and readiness to embrace technology. Presenters will guide you through the showcase’s collection, offer tips for implementing technology solutions in senior living, and discuss the impact of technology innovation on market perception and sales.

Benazir Patil

CEO
Society of Community Health Oriented Operations Links
New Delhi, India
  • 88-A. International Perspectives: Creating Individual Care Plans for Community-Dwelling Adults

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    88-A. International Perspectives: Creating Individual Care Plans for Community-Dwelling Adults

    In 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, tackle inequalities, and protect the environment. This session will highlight how a community-based organization in western India is striving to achieve one UN goal, which calls for “good health and well-being.” Presenters will showcase the Vriddha Mitra program, which helps older adults live safely and independently at home, regardless of age, income, or ability level. You’ll learn about a tool that “community officers” in the program use to assess participants’ needs and develop tailored individual care plans to guide caregiving strategies. Discover how community officers provide this assistance while offering warmth, empathy, and genuine friendship that enrich the lives of older people.

Dee Pekruhn

Senior Director, Life Plan Communities and CCaH
LeadingAge
Washington, DC, USA
  • 120-I. Can State Statutes Protect Life Plan Communities from Bankruptcy?

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    120-I. Can State Statutes Protect Life Plan Communities from Bankruptcy?

    *Closed to Press* The rare occurrences of bankruptcy among life plan communities in recent years have raised a compelling and provocative question: What role should state laws play in protecting these communities from insolvency? This session will explore that question. Presenters will provide an overview of the bankruptcy protections that certain states extend to life plan communities through existing statutes. They will also discuss the effects of state actions that either prevent a life plan community’s bankruptcy or worsen a community’s fragile financial position. Don’t miss this opportunity to join experts in the field as they delve into thought-provoking questions about the financial health of life plan communities.

Ricardo Pena

Vice President of Life Enrichment & Therapeutic Activities
Marquis Health Consulting Services
Brick, NJ, United States

Nathan Perez

Regional Director of Sales
Springpoint Senior Living
Wall Township, NJ, USA
  • 124-A. Up Your Game: Join the Dining Revolution

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    124-A. Up Your Game: Join the Dining Revolution

    Senior living providers recognize the need for dining programs that offer enjoyable, social experiences in sophisticated environments. Yet, an attractive dining room or a casual cafu00e9 are no longer enough to distinguish your dining program from the competition. Instead, it’s time to consider introducing restaurant styles typically found in urban downtown areas and designing eating spaces where innovative elements and distinctive themes are reflected in menus, artwork, and dining accessories. If this feels a bit overwhelming, you’ll want to attend this session. Presenters will help you understand the latest trends in senior living dining, explore renovation projects currently underway in life plan communities, and review the outcomes of multiple resident and prospective resident focus groups.

Robert Peterson

Senior Associate
Noelker and Hull Associates, Inc.
Chambersburg, PA, USA
  • 137-K. Develop a Strategic Repositioning Plan for Your Community

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

    137-K. Develop a Strategic Repositioning Plan for Your Community

    Are you seeking ways to transform the challenges facing your senior living campus into opportunities to address local service gaps and shape a brighter future for your organization? This session will provide a roadmap to help you make that happen. Presenters will demonstrate how strategic design, financial planning, and market analysis can ensure your community’s long-term sustainability while creating a vibrant and welcoming environment that exceeds the expectations of older consumers. You’ll gain actionable strategies for exploring current trends and opportunities in senior living, aligning your existing spaces with emerging trends, and developing a strategic repositioning plan that balances resident needs, financial goals, and operational priorities.

Salvatore Petronella

Policy & Public Affairs Lead
Labor Mobility Partnerships (LaMP)
Stockholm, Sweden
  • 152-K. International Perspectives: Addressing Workforce Shortages While Enhancing Global Justice

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

    152-K. International Perspectives: Addressing Workforce Shortages While Enhancing Global Justice

    By 2040, employers worldwide will need an additional 13.5 million professional caregivers to serve a growing population of older adults. Unfortunately, not enough native-born workers are available to fill the required positions. This session will explore global workforce shortages and describe sustainable labor mobility programs aimed at addressing worker scarcity while reducing poverty and enhancing global justice. Learn how two international organizations Labor Mobility Partnerships and the Global Ageing Network have joined forces to encourage better public policies and private-sector practices by creating a database containing migrant workers’ priorities and perspectives. Discover how quality overseas jobs in developed economies can provide economic mobility for the globally disadvantaged while benefiting employers, consumers, and economies around the world.

Marissa Marsico Picchini

President & CEO
Luthercare
Lititz, PA, USA
  • 95-F. Your Wellness Strategy: Aligning Operations with Expectations

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    95-F. Your Wellness Strategy: Aligning Operations with Expectations

    Many older adults are seeking a senior living community that will foster their physical, emotional, and social well-being. Will your community meet their expectations? This session will provide valuable guidance to help you integrate the concepts of wellness and well-being into your mission to support resident satisfaction, longevity, and purpose. Presenters will help you understand how innovative approaches to promoting wellness can position your organization as the preferred choice for older adults looking for a vibrant and supportive living environment. Hear from senior living operators who have created vibrant communities that cater to the whole person. You’ll take home practical strategies for aligning your operations with evolving consumer expectations to ensure your organization’s long-term success.

Jim Pieffer

CEO/President
Presbyterian SeniorCare Network
Oakmont, PA, USA
  • 78-F. RAD for PRAC in Senior Housing: Are You Ready to Convert?

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    78-F. RAD for PRAC in Senior Housing: Are You Ready to Convert?

    In 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) updated the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program so providers could convert HUD 202 Project Rental Assistance Contracts (PRAC) into 20-year Section 8 contracts. These conversions enable RAD participants to secure new financing, maintain surplus cash flow, and receive higher rents in exchange for providing additional supportive services. This session will offer an overview of the RAD for PRAC program, explain why Section 202 housing providers might want to participate, and outline the program’s rent-setting rules. Presenters will identify the program’s advantages and disadvantages, suggest refinements to address program challenges, and lay out the steps you can follow to determine if your property should participate.

Luana Pinasco

President
National Continuing Care Residents Association (NaCCRA)
Santa Rosa, CA, USA
  • 31-E. Engage Residents as Partners to Help Your Community Thrive

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    31-E. Engage Residents as Partners to Help Your Community Thrive

    Are you looking to enhance your community’s operations, reduce costs, and attract new residents? This session will help you enlist your most effective allies the older adults living in your community to support this effort. Presenters will demonstrate how to achieve lasting success by creating a living environment that inspires resident enthusiasm for your community’s mission. That enthusiasm can spur authentic resident advocacy and resident-driven initiatives that will help enhance your community’s vitality, cultivate meaningful connections, and generate heartfelt word-of-mouth referrals. Discover how to engage residents as active partners in improving service delivery, optimizing costs, and fostering a positive community image.