Wesley Calton

AVP HR
Otterbein SeniorLife
Lebanon, OH, US
  • 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.

Terrence Carolan

Managing Director of Medical Rehabilitation and Aging Services
CARF International
Tucson, AZ, United States
  • 75-D. International Perspectives: Field-Driven Standards Lead to Person-Centered Innovation

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    75-D. International Perspectives: Field-Driven Standards Lead to Person-Centered Innovation

    Providers of aging services in China have used CARF International’s field-driven, person-centered accreditation standards to improve the care experience of their residents and the business outcomes of their organizations. This session will showcase China’s innovative business and care delivery in independent living, assisted living, rehabilitation programs, and other care models unique to China. Presenters will introduce you to China’s aging services system, explain how it compares to aging services worldwide, and suggest ways it could be replicated in other countries. Panelists will also share how Chinese providers are expanding person-centered practices across entire systems of care.

Molly Carpenter

Director, Workforce Strategy and Development
LeadingAge
Omaha, NE, USA
  • 141-B. How Direct Care Supervisors Can Improve Employee Retention

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    141-B. How Direct Care Supervisors Can Improve Employee Retention

    Nursing supervisors in aging services play a critical role in motivating, teaching, and mentoring certified nursing assistants (CNAs) who provide direct care to nursing home residents. A strong, positive relationship between a nurse supervisor and a CNA boosts job satisfaction and reduces turnover. This session will explore actions that nursing supervisors can take to develop the leadership skills they need to work with CNAs so that the entire team can deliver high quality care. Presenters will also emphasize the critical role that a supportive organizational culture, aligned structures and policies, and consistent reinforcement from leadership play so that supervision strategies are effectively integrated into daily practice. Learn about programs that help nursing supervisors create a supportive workplace culture and become effective leaders of CNAs and teams.

Ky Chaffin

Board Chair
Saint Simeon’s Episcopal Home
Tulsa, OK, US
  • 36-I. What’s Your Organization’s Good Governance Score?

    • Tuesday, November 04, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    36-I. What’s Your Organization’s Good Governance Score?

    True or false? “Most of our board’s meeting time is devoted to hearing management reports; directors speak less than 10% of the time.” During this session, a governance advisor will use this and other true-false statements to help you evaluate your board’s performance on the “Good Governance Index.” Along the way, you’ll explore key governance principles, including the role board members play in charting and securing the future of their organizations, and how governance structures and policies influence the board’s effectiveness. Join this session to discover how closely your board’s practices align with sound governance principles, identify policies and actions that will strengthen your board, and learn strategies for overcoming obstacles that hinder good governance.

Misty Chally

Executive Director
The Critical Labor Coalition
  • 114-E. Immigration Policy and the Aging Services Workforce

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    114-E. Immigration Policy and the Aging Services Workforce

    Decisions regarding immigration policy have significant implications for the aging services workforce. Join this session to hear a detailed report on recent developments in federal immigration policy and explore how these changes impact the ability of providers to attract and retain essential caregiving talent. An engaging discussion with policy experts will provide a deeper understanding of current federal actions and demonstrate how LeadingAge and its partners are advocating on Capitol Hill to protect and expand the workforce, maintain continuity of care, and support providers as they navigate this complex policy landscape.

Chet Chandler

Vice President of Strategic Accounts
Value First, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN, United States
  • 72-B. Resolving Supply Chain Issues in Senior Living

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    72-B. Resolving Supply Chain Issues in Senior Living

    Senior living organizations often find it challenging to predict how the U.S. business climate will impact their supply chains for products and services. This uncertainty complicates the ability of providers to secure, sustain, and grow their businesses. During this session, you’ll meet representatives from Value First, a LeadingAge Gold Corporate Sponsor owned by LeadingAge and 25 state partners. Presenters will provide an overview of current purchasing issues and processes, and explain how Value First helps senior living organizations address those issues through discounted pricing and rebates on food, supplies, and capital equipment. You’ll learn how other LeadingAge members manage supply chain challenges and how vendor solutions can help resolve those issues.

Jill Chang

Marketing and Sales Director
Bayview
Seattle, WA
  • 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.

Bill Charnetski

EVP, Health System Solutions and Government Affairs
PointClickCare
Mississauga, ON, Canada

Mindy Cheek

Senior Vice President
Greystone
Irving, TX, United States
  • 59-C. How Important are Placement Agencies to Your Marketing Program?

    • Sunday, November 02, 2025

    4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

    59-C. How Important are Placement Agencies to Your Marketing Program?

    Placement agencies can help senior living communities attract new residents. They can also serve as a valuable resource to older adults seeking housing, services, and supports. How can providers evaluate an agency to ensure it shares their values and goals? This session will help you answer that question. Presenters will examine the influence of placement agencies on the senior living sector, the benefits and drawbacks of using these agencies, and strategies for establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with them. A panel representing placement agencies and providers will discuss common challenges related to agency fees, competition, market dynamics, transparency, and resident choice. Discover how to effectively collaborate with placement agencies to streamline the referral process and increase your occupancy rate.

Janice Chia

Managing Director
Ageing Asia Pte Ltd
Singapore, SG_01, SG

Christine Chin

Resident
North Hill
Needham, MA, US
  • 19-D. Enhancing Inclusion through English Language Training

    • Monday, November 03, 2025

    8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

    19-D. Enhancing Inclusion through English Language Training

    After conducting a campus-wide inclusion survey in July 2024, North Hill in Needham, MA, enlisted the help of life plan community residents to develop an English as a Second Language (ESL) program for team members with limited English proficiency. This session will focus on the inclusion survey and the ESL program it inspired. Presenters will describe how trained resident volunteers provide language instruction to team members during work hours, helping North Hill invest in employee skills, reduce turnover, enhance engagement, and foster a culture of inclusion and respect. Residents and ESL trainees will share their experiences working together in an individualized ESL program tailored to each student’s unique communication level, job, and learning needs.

Jeanne Chirico

CEO
Hospice & Palliative Care Association of New York State
Albany, NY, USA
  • 122-K. Paying for Palliative Care: Hopeful News from the States

    • Wednesday, November 05, 2025

    10:00 – 11:00 a.m.

    122-K. Paying for Palliative Care: Hopeful News from the States

    An older adult with serious illnesses can benefit greatly from palliative care. Unfortunately, inadequate or nonexistent Medicaid payments restrict beneficiaries’ access to these services and prevent providers from delivering the support older adults need. This session will provide some hope for patients and providers. Presenters will explain how Medicaid agencies across the country are working to create and implement statewide benefits for palliative care by employing value-based payment and bundled payment models to increase reimbursement rates. You’ll discover how paying for palliative care can lead to better and more equitable care, improved quality of life, and better outcomes for Medicaid recipients and their families.