Aisling Taft

Social Worker
Vermont Veterans’ Home
Bennington, VT
  • 109-A. Supporting Human Connection through Intimacy Policies

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    109-A. Supporting Human Connection through Intimacy Policies

    Many organizations recognize the importance of honoring residents’ rights, yet few have clear guidelines for supporting intimate expression, especially when decision-making capacity is impaired. This session will introduce you to a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to developing an intimacy and sexuality policy. Presenters will highlight how one nursing home worked with a medical ethicist, staff, residents, and families to develop a framework that safeguards vulnerable adults while affirming their fundamental human need for connection, companionship, and intimate expression. You’ll take away information to help you support residents’ intimacy responsibly and compassionately, honor individual rights, and enhance overall quality of life, all while complying with regulations.

Jennifer Terray

Director of Nursing
LiveWell
Plantsville, CT
  • 117-I. From Fear to Action: Addressing the Root Causes of Dementia through Cognitive Wellness

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    117-I. From Fear to Action: Addressing the Root Causes of Dementia through Cognitive Wellness

    Dementia ranks among the most feared chronic conditions of later life. Yet emerging evidence suggests that up to 45% of dementia cases worldwide could be delayed or prevented by addressing its root causes. This session will focus on a Cognitive Wellness Clinic embedded in a senior living community specializing in dementia care. Presenters will describe how the clinic conducts early cognitive wellness assessments and provides clients with personalized recommendations to modify dementia-related risk factors and adopt lifestyle strategies that build confidence, engagement, and well-being. You’ll gain practical strategies for adapting this model within your organization and positioning aging services providers at the forefront of brain health innovation.

John Thorhauer

President and CEO
Glencroft Center for Modern Aging
Glendale, AZ
  • 137-D. Intergenerational Housing Could Strengthen Your Workforce

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    137-D. Intergenerational Housing Could Strengthen Your Workforce

    Looking for a housing option that meets older adults’ needs while attracting young workers to help them live independently? This session will introduce an intergenerational housing model that addresses the aging services workforce crisis, the affordable housing shortage, and the loneliness epidemic affecting young and old alike. Presenters will describe a unique intergenerational community model that provides affordable housing to older adults and hires young people who have “aged out” of the foster care system to work in the community. They’ll review market trends driving the growth of intergenerational living, its potential to strengthen your workforce, and architectural guidelines to help you bring this housing option to your campus.

Erica Thrash-Sall

CEO
Horizon House
Seattle, WA
  • 71-J. How to Succeed Even When Expansion Presales Disappoint

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    71-J. How to Succeed Even When Expansion Presales Disappoint

    A solid reputation, high occupancy, and a long waitlist won’t guarantee presales success for your next major expansion. That’s the lesson of this session, which will tell the story of a successful life plan community whose expansion stalled unexpectedly. Instead of giving up, the organization retrenched to update its brand, reposition all lead generation materials, and turbo charge sales. The retrenching culminated with a three-month plan to reach its financing goals. Representatives from the community and the firm will discuss how they assessed the root causes of underperformance, developed collaborative action plans aligned with financial goals, refreshed the community’s brand to showcase its unique selling points, and made other adjustments and tough decisions. This cautionary tale with a happy ending could help you succeed in the face of future disappointments.

Cynthia Thurlow Cruver

President
3rd3rd
Vashon, WA
  • 42-D. Underdog Strategies for Single-Site Life Plan Communities

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    42-D. Underdog Strategies for Single-Site Life Plan Communities

    To affiliate u2026 or not to affiliate? That is the question many single-site life plan communities are asking. This session will appeal to mavericks who prefer to remain independent yet recognize they must improve at every level to thrive in a consolidating market. Leaders from successful single-site communities will share how they resisted affiliation by strengthening operations, culture, and finances. They’ll also recommend strategies to keep communities stable and future-ready. Whether you’re committed to independence or considering affiliation, this session will offer fresh perspectives on how a strong single-site brand can enhance market perception, attract mission-aligned staff, and build trust among residents, prospects, and referral sources.

Jamie Timoteo

Partner
Plante Moran
Chicago, IL
  • 40-C. Strategic Growth and Entrance Fee Alignment

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    40-C. Strategic Growth and Entrance Fee Alignment

    Every life plan community strives to develop growth plans that support the organization’s mission while maintaining profitability and marketability. Presenters of this session will argue that independent living entrance fees pose significant risks to achieving those goals. They’ll outline the widening gap between entrance fees and replacement costs, evaluate the long-term risks of outdated pricing strategies, and offer approaches to adjusting those fees while overcoming internal and external resistance to price increases. You’ll gain additional strategies including phased development plans and creative financing to help you strengthen your financial position, ensure operational success, and align projects with the preferences of current and future consumers.

Sarah Tipton

President & CEO
Bishop Gadsden
Charleston, SC
  • 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.

Harriet Tolpin

Resident
North Hill
Needham, MA
  • 23-K. How Residents with Dementia Transform a Community’s Culture

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

    23-K. How Residents with Dementia Transform a Community’s Culture

    A dementia diagnosis can heighten stigma and withdrawal, leading older adults to experience social isolation and a loss of purpose. This session will explore how a life plan community developed an innovative adult day program that encourages residents living with dementia to plan twice-weekly volunteer initiatives that draw on their strengths. You’ll learn how the program fosters belonging by integrating support from other residents and offering adult day participants meaningful service opportunities, such as creating artwork for Alzheimer’s research, preparing meals for unhoused people, and arranging flowers for hospice patients. Discover how inclusion initiatives can transform campus culture and how residents can empower one another to build connection and campus-wide unity.

Zachary Trigg

Logistics Manager
Masonic Villages of the Grand Lodge of PA
Elizabethtown, PA
  • 76-B. Overcoming Supply Chain Hurdles in Senior Living

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    76-B. Overcoming Supply Chain Hurdles in Senior Living

    Nonprofit senior living organizations understand all too well how supply chain disruptions strain operations, leading to higher prices, operational disruptions, supply shortages, staff burnout, and dissatisfied residents. During this session, a representative from LeadingAge Gold Partner Value First will join LeadingAge members to share strategies for optimizing operations and overcoming supply chain hurdles. They’ll discuss the pros and cons of outsourcing operations; the impact of tariffs and workforce challenges; and how organizations can keep their supply chains open. Join the conversation to pinpoint supply chain and operational challenges and learn how your peers are tackling them.

Jennifer Truppa

Director of Operations
Embrace Living Communities
Oak Brook, IL
  • 120-L. Fostering Stability and Dignity in Affordable Housing

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

    120-L. Fostering Stability and Dignity in Affordable Housing

    Affordable housing communities promote stability, prevent displacement, and uphold the dignity of older adults by reducing evictions, addressing lease violations, and helping residents navigate housing-related challenges. During this session, an affordable housing provider will outline how early intervention, service coordination, and wellness programs can prevent housing crises. They’ll share strategies for engaging residents when violations occur and showcase innovative programs that deliver meaningful outcomes with limited resources. You’ll learn to identify early warning signs of a housing crisis and prevent lease violations from escalating into eviction notices, all while helping residents feel respected and supported.

Shirley Turner

Director of Sales & Marketing
Hillcrest
La Verne, CA
  • 42-D. Underdog Strategies for Single-Site Life Plan Communities

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    42-D. Underdog Strategies for Single-Site Life Plan Communities

    To affiliate u2026 or not to affiliate? That is the question many single-site life plan communities are asking. This session will appeal to mavericks who prefer to remain independent yet recognize they must improve at every level to thrive in a consolidating market. Leaders from successful single-site communities will share how they resisted affiliation by strengthening operations, culture, and finances. They’ll also recommend strategies to keep communities stable and future-ready. Whether you’re committed to independence or considering affiliation, this session will offer fresh perspectives on how a strong single-site brand can enhance market perception, attract mission-aligned staff, and build trust among residents, prospects, and referral sources.

Paisley Valentincic

VP and Chief Marketing Officer
CJE SeniorLife
Chicago, IL
  • 15-C. Preserving Human Connections in Tech-Rich Care Settings

    • Sunday, October 25, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    15-C. Preserving Human Connections in Tech-Rich Care Settings

    Smart technology systems can improve your organization’s efficiency and outcomes, but they can’t replace human interaction or the need for empathy in care settings. That’s why senior living and healthcare leaders must work relentlessly to preserve meaningful human connections, even as they expand their use of artificial intelligence, automation, and digital systems. This session will use storytelling, case studies, and audience exercises to show how empathy strengthens communication, restores residents’ dignity, improves perceptions of care, and reduces readmissions. You’ll take home strategies for integrating empathy into workflows, onboarding, leadership practices, and technology-driven environments. Don’t miss this opportunity to help your organization preserve the human experience even as it pursues innovation.