Harriet Tolpin

Resident
North Hill
Needham, MA, US
  • 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.

Nathan Torno

Senior Director of Sales & Marketing
Friendship Village Senior Living Communities
St. Louis, MO, US
  • 54-J. Diversifying Revenue in Life Plan Communities

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    54-J. Diversifying Revenue in Life Plan Communities

    Looking to boost revenue by serving older adults before they move to your life plan community? Friendship Village Senior Services in St. Louis, MO, has a few ideas for you. This session will showcase two Friendship Village membership programs that offer prospective residents the opportunity to participate in social events, use community amenities, and access comprehensive campus-based health services. These members also have access to a personal concierge and an exclusive member only app. Discover how these programs shorten the sales cycle, reduce barriers to senior living residency, help fill hard-to-sell small apartments, and increase downstream revenue for ancillary services like home care, private duty, and hospice.

Jeffrey Trendel

Deputy Commissioner
North Carolina Department of Insurance
Raleigh, NC, 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.

Jennifer Truppa

Director of Social Services and Quality Assurance
Embrace Living Communities
Oak Brook, IL, US
  • 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, USA
  • 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.

Kelli Underhill

VP HR, Workforce Solutions
Kintura
Greensboro, NC, USA
  • 144-E. It’s Time to Rethink Your Training Strategies

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    144-E. It’s Time to Rethink Your Training Strategies

    Senior living communities excel at developing “compliance” training programs to meet legal requirements. However, they often overlook the need for “learning and development” training programs that emphasize employee engagement, service excellence, and clinical outcomes. This session will challenge the status quo by recommending that providers adopt a more intentional training strategy. Presenters will share examples of aging services organizations that have used learning and development strategies to redesign an employee orientation program, create an award-winning customer service program, and develop an in-house leadership academy. You’ll gain tools to evaluate your organization’s learning and development offerings and find inspiration to rethink your training approach.

Ben Unkle

President & CEO
Westminster Canterbury on Chesapeake Bay
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
  • 41-A. The ABCs of Credit Ratings: A Guide for Life Plan Communities

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

    41-A. The ABCs of Credit Ratings: A Guide for Life Plan Communities

    Life plan community leaders, financial officers, and strategic planners must have a solid understanding of credit ratings before they can help their organizations secure financing on favorable terms. During this session, Fitch Ratings, along with a diverse panel of providers from multi-site and single-site communities will present an overview of credit ratings, explain how to obtain one, and offer guidance on incorporating credit rating considerations into your strategic planning. You’ll receive tips for aligning capital projects and funding needs with your community’s credit profile, identifying and mitigating risks that could negatively impact your rating, and implementing practices that enhance credit strength. Prepare to improve your community’s credit profile and secure the resources necessary for growth and sustainability.

Paisley Valentincic

VP and Chief Marketing Officer
CJE SeniorLife
Chicago, IL, USA
  • 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.

Doren Van Luvender

Personal Care Administrator
Dunwoody Village
Newton Square, PA, United States
  • 119-K. Easing Nursing Home Transitions for Residents and Families

    • Wednesday, October 28, 2026

    10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

    119-K. Easing Nursing Home Transitions for Residents and Families

    The Transitional Care Model (TCM) is an evidence-based intervention that reduces rehospitalizations and prevents recurring nursing home admissions among high-risk older adults. This session will explain how a life plan community adapted TCM to support residents’ transitions to long-term care. Presenters will describe the community’s transition team, which identifies residents who meet transition requirements and delivers a customized experience through time-sensitive touchpoints and care conferences with residents and their families. They will explain how the process prevents confusion, unclear expectations, care disruptions, and poor outcomes. Learn how TCM can improve care transitions in your life plan community, enrich the resident and family experience, and enhance communication across care levels.

Gretchen Van Ness

Executive Director
LGBTQ Senior Housing, Inc
Hyde Park, MA, US
  • 53-I. Strategic Partnerships for Developing Affordable Senior Housing

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    53-I. Strategic Partnerships for Developing Affordable Senior Housing

    Developing affordable housing has become increasingly complex in recent years, particularly for providers aiming to serve older adults with health conditions and unique cultural needs. This session will explore how mission-driven organizations can establish and maintain strong partnerships that can help bring affordable housing projects to life. Presenters will share tips for identifying the best partners, overcoming challenges, leveraging multiple funding sources, and staying focused on your organization’s mission and the well-being of residents. Whether you’re just starting out in the housing field or looking to expand your reach, this session will provide practical insights you can use to move your vision from concept to community.

Steven VanderVelde

Director of Senior Living Partnership
ProviNET Solutions
Tinley Park, IL, USA
  • 2-B. Ask ChatGPT: Can AI Address Senior Living Challenges?

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    2-B. Ask ChatGPT: Can AI Address Senior Living Challenges?

    Artificial Intelligence (AI) will take center stage as an active panelist in this unique session. Join an IT consultant and two senior-level IT specialists from LeadingAge member organizations as they invite ChatGPT, an interactive AI model, to tackle senior living challenges in real time. Human panelists will begin the session by sharing their insights into how AI impacts operational efficiencies, resident engagement, strategic decision-making, and resident care in aging services. Then, attendees and panelists will engage in a lively question-and-answer session with ChatGPT. You’ll discover how AI can respond to your organization’s unique challenges and how to critically evaluate AI tools before implementing them in your organization. Don’t miss this opportunity to see AI in action.

Claudia Vazquez

Director of Annual Giving & Operations
Sun Health Communites
Surprise, AZ, US
  • 43-E. Community Partnerships to Enhance Giving, Engagement, and Occupancy

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    43-E. Community Partnerships to Enhance Giving, Engagement, and Occupancy

    No senior living organization is an island at least not if it wants to succeed. This session will offer strategies to break down silos and foster collaboration within and beyond your organization. Presenters will show you how your sales, marketing, life enrichment, and philanthropy teams can work together to improve the resident experience and drive organizational growth. They’ll also explore the importance of engaging external partners to attract charitable support, enrich resident life, and position your organization as a trusted resource. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to unlock growth, deepen stakeholder engagement, and increase community impact by building bridges at home and across the broader community.