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.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires service coordinators in affordable senior housing communities to submit periodic reports containing a wide range of data about housing residents and their needs for services and supports. This session will show you how to use this data to enhance your community’s service coordination program, forge partnerships with community partners, and advocate for residents. Presenters will introduce you to the service coordinator data guide recently released by the American Association of Service Coordinators. You’ll also meet the quality assurance manager of a LeadingAge member organization that uses the data it collects for HUD to maximize resident well-being outcomes and improve program effectiveness.

Addressing everyday stereotypes and biases can create a more respectful and inclusive culture in senior care organizations. This session will provide practical tools and strategies for fostering effective communication and navigating difficult conversations about bias. Presenters will help you identify subtle biases and stereotypes and respond to them constructively. Senior living leaders will share their experiences implementing bias workshops, and you’ll view a video demonstrating workshop best practices and techniques. Explore how culture change can help you challenge stereotypes and build stronger, more respectful relationships among team members and between staff and residents.

Older adults living in subsidized housing have a greater risk of hospitalization and costly nursing care utilization compared to their peers in the community. This session will introduce you to three affordable housing communities working to change these outcomes. Presenters will outline their strategies for improving resident health and well-being, which include establishing a multi-physician medical clinic to address the needs of residents and non-residents, aligning housing-based health programs with the eight dimensions of wellness, and using technology to connect healthcare providers and clients of a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). You’ll gain tips for establishing housing-based programs that save healthcare dollars while increasing health equity for older adults wishing to age well and in place.

West Hartford Fellowship Housing is implementing a comprehensive campus expansion which will broaden its mission to meet the needs of middle-market consumers. Presenters will outline steps the Connecticut-based housing provider has taken to protect the rights of current residents and preserve existing lower rent structures while also serving a slightly different income demographic. They’ll share architectural design strategies that helped reduce the cost of new construction and a multi-source financing plan that incorporates Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and existing federal subsidies. Whether you’re a seasoned affordable housing provider or new to the field, this session will equip you to reach new middle- and lower-middle markets.

Medicaid has been in the limelight during 2025, a year marked by significant policy debates and changes that will shape the priorities of state programs for years to come. This session will provide updates on federal Medicaid policy and how states are beginning to respond to recent changes. Presenters will also analyze the impact of federal Medicaid policy on providers across the aging services continuum. You’ll gain a clearer understanding of the challenges and opportunities you can expect to encounter as you work to sustain, expand, and enhance services for older adults.

Why are many of today’s new hires struggling with traditional definitions of “professionalism” and “work ethic”? This session will explore how the mindset of aging services team members has evolved over the past few years and suggest that it’s time for providers to evolve too. Join a generational expert, retention expert, and provider as they share how to navigate key challenges and opportunities presented by hiring everyone from GenZ to retirees returning to work. They’ll show you how to provide clearer guidance and support for all your staff, foster more successful collaboration, and enhance retention as you explore the “why” behind employees’ unique mindsets. As many employees are no longer responding well to previous expectations and obligations at work, it’s time to rewrite our organizational rules and work together more successfully.

EverTrue, formerly Lutheran Senior Services, is proud of its 165-year legacy of caring for older adults. However, this legacy hasn’t prevented the nation’s 12th-largest nonprofit aging services provider from embarking on a transformative journey driven by innovation. This session will highlight how the St. Louis-based organization expanded housing options and in-home services to serve a broader demographic, implemented innovative service models like palliative care, diversified its revenue streams, adjusted its residential mix, embraced technology, and adopted systems to manage data more efficiently. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the EverTrue management team discuss how they embraced the future while honoring their organization’s past. You’ll take home valuable tips for keeping your brand fresh while preserving what makes you special.

Well-designed senior living communities provide a valuable and reassuring sense of stability to residents and team members. However, those feelings of security can be threatened, sometimes in an instant, by natural or human-made disasters that disrupt daily life and damage or destroy buildings. This session will showcase practical building design and emergency preparedness strategies to help your organization prepare for, adapt to, endure, and recover from adverse events. Presenters will familiarize you with the fundamental principles of resilient building design and guide you through proven methods to safeguard occupants and structures from natural disasters. They will also examine how evolving building codes, insurance requirements, and other factors influence resilient design.

Many older Americans will experience at least one traumatic event that affects their physical, mental, and social health. This session will propose that trauma also affects the people who care for older adults, and that a person-centered, trauma-informed (PCTI) approach can enhance the health and well-being of these caregivers. Presenters will describe the implementation of PCTI, highlight the model’s potential to improve workforce wellness, and offer solutions to reduce staff vacancies, decrease turnover, and attract new talent. You’ll take home practical tips for integrating PCTI principles into organizational policies and procedures that benefit team members, care recipients, family caregivers, volunteers, and organizations providing care.

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.

Today’s property market remains fractured, unstable, and increasingly expensive. This is especially true for properties in geographic regions at greater risk for severe natural disasters or other events that can cause significant damage and lead to double-digit increases in property insurance rates. This session will help you understand the current property market, how insurance rates are determined, and strategies for combating rising costs. Panelists will share their predictions for the future and outline the opportunities that a chaotic insurance market might present for your organization.

As the shortage of affordable and accessible housing persists, addressing the needs of an aging population becomes increasingly urgent. This session will present an innovative solution: the Adult Family Home, a prefabricated congregate housing prototype that features five to ten bedrooms and is designed to help unrelated adults age in place, foster relationships, and receive assistance with daily activities. Presenters will discuss the model’s biophilic design principles, which enhance connections to nature, outline its financial benefits, including reduced initial startup costs, and describe its potential as a financeable option for small business operators. You’ll discover how this model cultivates vibrant, supportive communities while addressing pressing housing needs.

How will systemic changes across federal programs impact the future of mission-aligned affordable housing for older adults? Attend this session to stay informed about the rapidly evolving landscape of affordable senior housing. Presenters will provide a comprehensive overview of funding freezes, regulatory changes, and modifications to the federal housing workforce. You’ll gain the knowledge and insights necessary to address current uncertainties and navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Affordable housing providers will soon be required to navigate significant changes in the rules governing who lives in federally subsidized communities, the federal rental assistance each household receives, and how providers communicate with, screen, and accommodate applicants and residents. This session will encourage you to view these upcoming changes as opportunities for modernization and optimization. Presenters will introduce effective practices to help you achieve the mission of affordable housing while adhering to new rules and policies. They will discuss mission-driven approaches to implementing the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act (HOTMA), recommend adjustments to criminal background screening, and help you foster positive resident outcomes and streamline workflows for housing staff.

Studies have consistently shown that older adults prefer to age at home. Despite these trends, investments in home health, hospice, and other Medicare-funded home and community-based services remain misaligned with growing consumer demand for these essential services. Join this session to acquire up-to-date knowledge about home health and hospice policy. Presenters will examine changes to Medicare that are helping—and hurting—home-based providers striving to meet the needs of older adults who wish to age in place.

Studying the characteristics of senior living communities with healthy organizational cultures can help providers shape thriving workplaces of their own. This session will showcase how a two-year workforce-strengthening initiative at San Francisco’s Sequoia Living reduced turnover and enhanced resident satisfaction. Presenters will detail how the initiative encouraged residents and team members to embrace a growth mindset that respectfully challenges the status quo, foster an inclusive environment where all voices are heard, and exercise accountability and care to increase engagement and outcomes. You’ll discover how the initiative reduced Sequoia Living’s turnover to an all-time low of 17% and improved the ”culture score” the organization receives from its employees.

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.

Gaps in digital literacy and technology access can create economic barriers for affordable housing residents as they navigate public benefits enrollment services that are transitioning to digital platforms. This session will explore how National Church Residences has helped over 3,000 older adults access more than $11 million in public benefits through its Benefits Enrollment Center. You’ll learn how to make benefits enrollment processes more inclusive and accessible to all residents through interventions that provide alternative enrollment methods or offer digital literacy support. Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure that residents of your housing community receive the benefits they’re entitled to, regardless of their technology proficiency or access to digital tools.

Are you managing multiple service lines across the continuum, or just curious about the broader policy landscape affecting aging services? This session is designed for you. The LeadingAge advocacy team will be on hand to review this year’s federal policy successes and challenges. You’ll gain a clear understanding of key federal legislative and regulatory changes impacting nursing homes, hospice, affordable housing, home health, adult day services, and Medicaid home and community-based services. You’ll also hear the latest updates on legal matters, workforce development, and Medicare Advantage. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch up on 2025’s policy news and prepare for the advocacy initiatives that are expected to emerge in 2026.

Hebrew SeniorLife developed the Right Care, Right Place, Right Time (R3) model to offer enhanced wellness services to older adults living in affordable housing. This session will focus on a partnership between Hebrew SeniorLife and Schochet, a property management company that implemented the R3 model. Presenters will outline the resources, organizational readiness, and leadership commitment necessary to become an R3 provider. You’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the significant impact your organization could have if it integrated housing and healthcare. Take home practical steps for engaging more frequently with residents about their health and well-being.

The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is the most significant federal source of financing for affordable housing. Join this interactive session led by the National Housing Trust and 2Life Communities to learn about the tax credit program and gain insights into how your state’s Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) outlines the criteria and priorities used to guide the selection of affordable senior housing projects for LIHTC funding. Presenters will draw on the National Housing Trust’s forthcoming examination of 53 allocation plans to explore how states are adapting their QAPs to meet the need for affordable senior housing. You’ll learn to leverage your state’s QAP to build, preserve, and protect affordable, climate-ready senior housing.