David Vega

Vice President Operations Analysis & Compliance
Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.
Fort Washington, PA, USA
  • 111-D. Federal Guidance: Compliance Risk for Nursing Homes

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    111-D. Federal Guidance: Compliance Risk for Nursing Homes

    The federal Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its first Compliance Program Guidance for Nursing Homes in 2000. Over the past 25 years, compliance programs for skilled nursing facilities (SNF) have evolved from voluntary to mandatory and are now governed by new OIG guidance released in late 2024. This session will review key compliance risk areas for SNFs outlined in the OIG’s most recent guidance. Presenters will recommend practical strategies for expanding your compliance program to manage and mitigate compliance risks.

Ke’o Velasquez

Corporate Director of Operations
Forefront Living
Dallas, TX, US
  • 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.

Joe Velderman

Board Member
Parker Health Group, Inc.
Highland Park, NJ, US
  • 4-C. How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Aging Services

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    4-C. How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Aging Services

    Three years ago, few people were aware of large language models like ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool capable of understanding, generating, and manipulating human language. This session will explore how far we have progressed in 36 months. Presenters will provide an overview of how AI is reshaping aging services by enhancing efficiency, communication, and workforce support. They will also highlight how providers use AI to streamline operations, improve the resident experience, and empower staff. Whether new to AI or looking to refine your approach, you’ll gain a practical perspective on leveraging these powerful technologies to enhance your operations.

Anna Verbuk

Director of the Resident Technology Program
2Life Communities
Brighton, MA, US
  • 6-E. Can Technology Foster Meaningful Relationships?

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    6-E. Can Technology Foster Meaningful Relationships?

    Social isolation puts many older adults at risk for declines in physical and mental well-being. In-person communication is the best antidote to this isolation, but it’s not always available to those who need it most. That’s why technology is playing an increasingly vital role in helping older adults connect with others. This session will describe how a Boston-based affordable housing provider and its community partner connected older housing residents with their peers while teaching them how to stay connected through technology. Presenters will share their experiences recruiting university students to teach technology skills to a diverse group of older adults. You’ll gain strategies for creating programming that fosters socialization and community-building by helping older adults use technology with confidence.

M. Sue Verdegem

President & CEO
United Zion Retirement Community
Lititz, PA, USA
  • 102-J. Balancing Autonomy and Safety for People with Dementia

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    102-J. Balancing Autonomy and Safety for People with Dementia

    Many residential care settings are reevaluating traditional views about the relationship between resident safety and autonomy. This session will outline practical decision-making frameworks that can help your organization determine the best approach to providing services and supports to older adults living with dementia. Presenters will incorporate the perspectives of various stakeholders as they explore options for honoring residents’ autonomy through the built environment, operations, and technology. You’ll hear from two organizations currently weighing their options as they decide how best to serve older people living with dementia. Attend this session to gain tools not pat answers to help you make thoughtful, responsible, and respectful decisions that benefit the older adults you serve.

Samantha Victor-Alvarado

VP of Human Resources
Presbyterian LIving
Skokie, IL, USA

Lindsey Viegut

Associate Executive Director
Eastcastle Place
Milwaukee, WI, US
  • 41-D. Design Strategies for Transformational Repositioning

    • Monday, October 26, 2026

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    41-D. Design Strategies for Transformational Repositioning

    Senior living providers share a common mission to serve the aging population, yet their approaches to repositioning their communities to meet that goal can vary widely. This session will feature two organizations that considered similar campus expansions but took very different paths after conducting collaborative design processes that incorporated the voices of diverse user groups. One community chose a campus refresh with renovations and new construction, while the other reallocated space on its urban site to meet immediate market demands while preparing for future construction. Join team members from both organizations to learn how their teams balanced financial constraints with stakeholder input and built consensus for final plans that suited each community.

Brit Vipham

Director of Project Management
The Admiral at the Lake
Chicago, IL, US
  • 67-J. How to Make Every Team Member a Sales and Marketing Expert

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    67-J. How to Make Every Team Member a Sales and Marketing Expert

    Marketing senior living communities isn’t the sole responsibility of your sales and marketing team. Providers will achieve significantly better outcomes by encouraging team members across departments to collaborate on reaching shared sales goals. This session will show you how to engage all team members in boosting resident satisfaction, strengthening your organization’s reputation, and identifying new growth opportunities. Presenters will demonstrate how to incorporate everyone’s unique input into discussions about what makes your community special. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how tailored marketing approaches can help you achieve more inclusive and effective results and why breaking down barriers among departments is essential for achieving sales success.

Robin Visser

Director of Marketing and Digital Strategies
Christian Living Communities
Englewood, CO, USA
  • 4-C. How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Aging Services

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    4-C. How Artificial Intelligence is Transforming Aging Services

    Three years ago, few people were aware of large language models like ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool capable of understanding, generating, and manipulating human language. This session will explore how far we have progressed in 36 months. Presenters will provide an overview of how AI is reshaping aging services by enhancing efficiency, communication, and workforce support. They will also highlight how providers use AI to streamline operations, improve the resident experience, and empower staff. Whether new to AI or looking to refine your approach, you’ll gain a practical perspective on leveraging these powerful technologies to enhance your operations.

Jill Vitale-Aussem

President and CEO
Christian Living Communities
Englewood, CO, USA
  • 21-I. Turning Older Consumers into Empowered Citizens

    • Tuesday, October 27, 2026

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    21-I. Turning Older Consumers into Empowered Citizens

    Christian Living Communities in Englewood, CO, has spent 15 years developing its Citizenship Modelu00ae to encourage residents to see themselves not only as consumers of housing and services but also as active, empowered citizens of their senior living community. This session will focus on how the model’s four key domains purpose, inclusion, empowerment, and interpersonal connection give residents a sense of purpose and a responsibility to co-create community life. Presenters will offer guidance on implementing the model, measuring its impact, linking it to resident- and team-based outcomes, and using it to advance meaningful, measurable culture change in your organization.

Justine Vogel

CEO/President
The RiverWoods Group
Durham, NH, US
  • 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.

Emily Waddington

Long-Term & Community-Based Care Coach
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.