30-GS1. Choosing Persuasion over Polarization

Anand Giridharadas is an author, journalist, and political analyst who unswervingly raises his voice in support of preserving democracy, overcoming division, and grappling with change. In his best-selling book, The Persuaders, he shows us how to stand bravely for what we believe in while staying open to other viewpoints, identify those we can and need to win over, use language more effectively to persuade others, and employ a variety of approaches—from assuaging to provoking—in service of our goals. Giridharadas draws on the work of activists, organizers, scientists, and others to offer proven strategies for coming together and making change—lessons that are useful in political debates and in our workplaces and communities.

1-A. Managing Rising Expectations in a Changing World

The world is changing, and the expectations of current and prospective consumers are changing along with it. How should organizational leaders and board members respond? This session will show you how your organization can collaborate with residents to meet their expectations while respectfully managing those expectations. Hear how executives at LeadingAge member organizations use communication, transparency, and resident education to engage in honest and open dialogue about what residents want from their organizations and what they can realistically provide. You’ll get tips to help you ensure that your conversations with residents don’t take on an “us-versus-them” tone. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to encourage residents to take a vested interest in the success of your organization and community.

• Jill Vitale-Aussem, President and CEO, Christian Living Communities
• Melissa Andrews, President & CEO, LeadingAge Virginia
• Nadia Geigler, CEO, The Admiral at the Lake
• Verna Cavey, Resident/Educator, Clermont Park, CLC
• Toni Smith, Resident and Board Member, The Admiral at the Lake
• Justine Vogel, CEO/President, The RiverWoods Group

3-A. Who Benefits from the Rural Aging Action Network?

Older adults living in rural communities often have low incomes and limited access to healthcare, transportation, and other vital services. As a result, many have trouble maintaining their health and independence. This session will focus on the Rural Aging Action Network, a coalition led by Lutheran Services in America, which works with local organizations in four states to connect rural older adults with sustainable community-based services and supports. Join researchers from the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and the director of aging initiatives at Lutheran Services in America for a close-up look at the older adults served by the network, the essential services they receive, and the benefits they enjoy. Discover what is possible when providers of aging services invest in rural older adults.

• Molly Wylie, Research Associate, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Verena Cimarolli, Director, Health Services Research and Partnerships, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Ashley Washington, Director, Aging Initiatives, Lutheran Services in America

4-A. Policy Update: The Shifting Landscape of Nursing Home Care

Nursing homes continue to navigate a continually shifting landscape as they redefine what it means to offer person-centered quality care and address myriad regulatory and operating challenges. These challenges include keeping up with changing regulations and ongoing updates to infection control protocols; navigating the Minimum Data Set, Nursing Home Care Compare, and the quality reporting program; and establishing a secure foothold in the world of value-based payments. Key staff from the Biden Administration will offer their insights into the government’s response to all these challenges. Congressional staff have been invited to discuss regulations, guidance, and legislative activity focused on staffing, emergency preparedness, behavioral health, and surveys. You’ll want to hear their take on what’s in store for nursing homes in 2024.

5-A. How Can the Power of Our Public Voice Drive Progress?

Strategic communications is foundational to shaping perceptions of the aging services sector, influencing lawmakers, and building public support. As the trusted voice for aging, LeadingAge leverages the collective power of our membership to strengthen the sector and influence shared policy goals. In this must-attend session, you’ll gain an understanding of the core tenets of impactful public communications and learn how to leverage critical national messages and strategies so we can all send consistent messages about aging services to policymakers and consumers.

2-A. 15 Easy(ish) Ways to Retain Team Members

Faced with incredibly high turnover, many providers of aging services are focusing on staff retention as a primary solution to the workforce crisis. This session will use a “Leaders-in-Residence” model to explore a variety of strategies for retaining team members and building a truly engaged workforce. Participants will be invited to enjoy a “speed-dating” experience featuring subject matter experts stationed at 15 tables. Select five tables you’ll visit during the session and then start collecting tips in the areas that interest you. You’ll return home ready to implement a variety of innovative retention strategies, such as adopting new staffing models, establishing apprenticeship programs, helping team members set and meet personal and professional goals, and intentionally recognizing excellence in the workplace.

• Jenna Kellerman, Director of Workforce Strategy & Development, LeadingAge

6-B. Transforming the C-Suite to Reflect Evolving Priorities

The knowledge and expertise required of your senior team will continue to evolve in response to new opportunities and pressures. The traditional triad of chief executive officer (CEO), chief operating officer, and chief financial officer is giving way to a new model featuring additional executive positions and/or expertise focused on growth, strategy, innovation, technology, and culture. During this session, you’ll meet several CEOs who have intentionally broadened their senior leadership teams to include expertise and knowledge in new focus areas deemed critical to their organization’s strategic direction. Learn more about the specific functions these CEOs chose to elevate and the benefits they realized or are expecting—and consider how to ensure strategy and innovation stay at the top of your agenda.

• Kenneth Daniel, President & CEO, United Church Homes
• Terri Cunliffe, CEO/President, Covenant Living Communities and Services
• Mike Rambarose, President/CEO, Whitney Center, Inc.
• Jim Pieffer, CEO/President, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network
• Nicole Gann, CEO/President, Juliette Fowler Communities – Senior Living
• Jim Bettendorf, President & CEO, Vista Prairie Communities

7-B. Insights from Providers Serving the Middle Market

Many older adults find themselves caught in the middle. Their incomes are too high to qualify for subsidized housing and services but not high enough to afford assisted living or life plan communities. They are often shut out of senior housing options and could have difficulty paying for services and supports as they age. This session will kick off with research findings describing this population, followed by a panel of LeadingAge members trying to address housing and care needs among middle-market consumers. Panelists will offer guidance on defining your local market, educating prospective residents about their options, offering the right amenities, and deciding whether to develop rental or entry-fee products. Bring your questions to this session and prepare to be inspired to expand your mission to this underserved population.

• Jennifer Molinsky, Senior Research Associate, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies Harvard University
• Amy Schectman, CEO/President, 2Life Communities
• Jon Fletcher, Senior Vice President, Senior Housing Partners
• Lisa McCracken, Head of Research, Analytics, National Investment Center for the Seniors Housing & Care Industry (NIC)

8-B. Policy Update: How States are Regulating Life Plan Communities

Regulatory oversight of life plan communities varies widely across the nation. Many states have adopted statutory language addressing such issues as financial reporting, reserve fund requirements, bankruptcy proceedings, consumer protections, and contract requirements for these communities. Twelve states still have no mechanism to regulate this complex and ever-evolving model. During this session, you’ll gain a high-level understanding of the regulatory language that state statutes share and the distinctive requirements that a few states enforce. Hear from executives at LeadingAge member organizations that are successfully operating life plan communities in a complex regulatory environment, and from leaders who are actively advocating to change their states’ regulatory language. You’ll leave this session with tools and resources to navigate regulatory issues facing your life plan community.

• Dee Pekruhn, Director, Life Plan Communities Services & Policy, LeadingAge

9-B. Mobilizing Innovation to Improve the Lives of People Living with Cognitive Change

The Center for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CAHBI) is a unique collaboration of health care, science, industry, nonprofit, and government partners working to improve quality of life for the world’s aging population. Based in Toronto, the center helps global innovators gain access to key user groups so they can test, develop, validate, and accelerate the adoption of accessible solutions to address issues facing older adults living with cognitive change. During this session, CAHBI leaders will describe their innovative work and explain the importance of seeking input from those with lived experience. They’ll also help you consider how your organization might develop the skills, capacity, and readiness required to identify, introduce, implement, and sustain innovations that enhance the quality of long-term services and supports.

• Shusmita Rashid, Director, Knowledge Mobilization and Strategic Relations, Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation
• Allison Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist, Center for Aging + Brain Health Innovation

10-C. Aligning a DEI Commitment with Faith-Based Values

There is no one-size-fits-all plan to guide aging services organizations as they strive to implement a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) among team members, residents, and clients. Such work isn’t easy for any organization. However, faith-based organizations may find it particularly challenging to undertake a DEI journey when their religious beliefs and values appear to conflict with specific DEI goals, such as the inclusion of LTBTQ team members and residents. During this session, religious leaders from LeadingAge member organizations will describe how they foster communities of inclusion and belonging while remaining true to their religious heritage. They’ll share their challenges and successes along the path to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• Jennifer Jimenez Marana, CEO/Founder, Marana Consulting

11-C. After the Staffing Mandate: The Future of the Nursing Workforce

Nursing home operators nationwide worry about how they will comply with the new staffing standard recently proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. If the mandate is approved, providers will have trouble paying an estimated $40.6 billion to hire additional nurses over the next 10 years. The daunting task of finding enough nurses to fill the required slots will be equally challenging. How will the new requirement impact our ongoing workforce crisis? Two LeadingAge workforce experts will answer that question as they examine how our sector can meet the challenges associated with growing the next generation of nurses in aging services. Take advantage of this opportunity to shape the solutions LeadingAge will bring to lawmakers as we strive for sustainable workforce solutions.

• Jenna Kellerman, Director of Workforce Strategy & Development, LeadingAge
• Nicole Howell, Director, Workforce Policy, LeadingAge

12-C. Embrace Change: Exploring New Approaches to Our Work

Professionals in the field of aging services have long anticipated the changing demographics of the older population and the evolving expectations of older consumers. Yet, many of us are still reluctant to embrace change and feel trapped in traditional models of services and supports. How can we expand our thinking and embrace new approaches, while also being mindful of our current operational challenges and financial limitations? This session will explore promising strategies to help you meet evolving consumer expectations. Presenters will help you consider ways you might address the many layers of diversity in your community and how new models could help you better serve residents of senior living communities and recipients of home-based services.

• Emily Pierson-Brown, Associate, Perkins Eastman Architects PC

13-C. Policy Update: Medicaid Support for Community-Based Services

Many older Americans want to remain in their homes and communities as they age. Home and community-based services (HCBS) play a significant role in meeting this consumer expectation. Medicaid support for HCBS is essential to making these services more widely available to those who need them. This session will explore how the Medicaid program supports HCBS for health-related social needs and how that support positions LeadingAge members to expand their impact in local communities. Hear from policymakers and HCBS experts about trends in service expansion and new opportunities in Medicaid-supported service lines, including home care, adult day, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, and personal care. Don’t miss this opportunity to get the latest information about Medicaid policy innovation across states.

31-GS2. Thriving in a World of Constant Change

Jason Feifer is editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur magazine, an advisor to startup businesses, and the author of Build for Tomorrow: An Action Plan for Embracing Change, Adapting Fast, and Future-Proofing Your Career. He has worked as an editor at Men’s Health, Fast Company, Maxim, and Boston magazine and has written about business and technology for the Washington Post, New York, and Slate. Feifer’s work focuses on helping business leaders become more resilient and adaptable in a world of constant change so they can seize new opportunities before someone else does. He offers tangible strategies for moving through periods of change by lessening your panic, adapting faster, defining a new normal, and moving forward without fear.

14-D. The CEO-Board Chair Relationship: A Recipe for Success

A strong working relationship between an organization’s chief executive and the chair of its board of directors is critical to the success of senior living organizations. But that relationship can be complex. The missions of the CEO and board chair must align so the organization can move forward. However, there must also be a healthy tension between the two leaders to preserve the board’s independence. How do organizations go about creating this balance? Governance expert Jane Mack, CEOs, and board chairs will be on hand during this session to provide direction. They’ll explore the characteristics of a healthy and productive relationship between the board chair and the executive. You’ll take home model practices to help you and your board build that relationship.

• Jane Mack, President/CEO, Friends Services Alliance
• Roger Myers, President & CEO, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
• Louis Prues, MBA, DMin, PhD, Board Chairman, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan
• Marianne Ratcliffe, CEO, Carol Woods Retirement Community
• Jessica Aylor, Board Member, Carol Woods Retirement Community

15-D. Global Perspectives on Foreign-Born Workers

A growing number of aging services providers are recruiting foreign-born immigrants and refugees to staff their care settings worldwide. This recruitment phenomenon was the topic of a rich discussion at the 2023 Global Ageing Network (GAN) International Workforce Summit. During this session, U.S. and Canadian colleagues will explore recruitment, training, and retention strategies employers currently use to attract foreign-born caregivers. Join this high-level discussion about the ethics of such activities, including the impact of worker migration on immigrants’ countries of origin. Envision how provider organizations worldwide might come together to address global workforce challenges while supporting foreign-born caregivers through skills training, core competencies, and recruitment standards.

• Robyn Stone, SVP, Research/Co-Director, LTSS Center, LeadingAge
• Katie Smith Sloan, President and CEO & Executive Dir. The Global Ageing Network, LeadingAge
• Daniel Lindh, President and CEO, Presbyterian Homes and Services
• Donna Duncan, Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association

16-D. Policy Update: Pressing Issues in Affordable Housing

This wide-ranging session will prepare you for Lobby Day by offering updates on pressing issues facing affordable senior housing providers in 2024. Presenters will explain the housing issues on the minds of members of Congress and how congressional and administrative actions could impact nonprofit housing owners and managers. You’ll also gain an insider’s view of new programs and policy changes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and HUD’s priorities for the operation and overall health of its affordable senior housing portfolio. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about HUD funding opportunities, the agency’s implementation of the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act, and its support for services and service coordination in HUD-assisted housing.

17-D. Embracing Meaning and Purpose to Build Community

Older people without purpose are at a higher risk for health challenges, loss of social connection, and diminished chances for happiness. Employees without purpose are more stressed, less productive, and more likely to leave their jobs. The good news is that more leaders, team members, and older adults are seeking ways to live purposefully. The information presented in this session could help your organization make that possible. Presenters will define what purpose is and explore how it can intentionally drive community building within your organization. They’ll also identify practical steps you can take to prioritize purpose and increase engagement. You’ll hear how one provider positioned itself as a Purpose Center of Excellence by infusing purpose across the employee and resident experience.

• Anna Hall, Founder, The Purpose Equation
• Anita Holt, President/CEO, The Forest at Duke

18-D. Moving Forward to Improve Nursing Home Quality

In 2022, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released groundbreaking recommendations for improving the quality of care in nursing homes nationwide. Since then, the Moving Forward Nursing Home Quality Coalition has developed action plans to advance some of NASEM’s recommendations and begun work to implement those plans. This session will focus on implementation progress. Coalition leaders will describe their work to promote financing for physical plant renovations, the adoption of health information technology, testing and evaluation of care planning standards, and other action plan work. As the Coalition completes its first two years of work, there’s no better time to review the group’s accomplishments and discuss its future direction.

• Sumire Maki, Associate Director, Moving Forward Coalition, LeadingAge
• Isaac Longobardi, Director, Moving Forward Coalition, LeadingAge

19-E. The Overlooked Dimensions of Leadership

You bring many technical skills to your role as an organizational executive, but these skills won’t necessarily make you an exceptional leader. Leadership prowess is also directly related to your mental habits and ways of thinking, inner flexibility, ability to respond to complex situations, and overall presence. We can’t ignore these capabilities. They draw colleagues to us, sustain our teams and organizations, and help us maintain our energy. Three seasoned executive coaches representing diverse fields will use this session to help leaders at all levels explore commonly overlooked dimensions of leadership, including the ability to have meaningful conversations and lead with questions rather than answers. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights and inspiration that will help you transform your leadership and your life.

• Judy Brown, Lead Facilitator, Academy of Leadership
• David Wheatley, Principal, Humanergy
• Rick Eigenbrod, Consultant,

20-E. How Technology Can Drive Change and Innovation in Your Organization

Technology is fast becoming a powerful catalyst for change and innovation across the field of aging services. Let presenters at this session introduce you to cutting-edge, emerging technologies that can help your organization increase quality of life and quality of care while transforming its digital processes and workflows. Technology experts will explore the transformational impact of artificial intelligence, robotics, and resident-facing devices and describe how these technologies can influence business models, operations, and resident interactions. Participants will learn how to harness technological advancements to drive efficiency, enhance the resident experience, and improve care. The session will also address critical factors you should consider when adopting these technologies.

• Peter Kress, Senior Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer, Acts Retirement-Life Communities, Inc.

21-E. Emerging Trends in Life Plan Community Contract Language

As the life plan community model continues to evolve, many life plan community providers are redefining the continuum of care and services they offer residents. As a result, life plan communities are making the difficult decision to change, update, revise, or completely rewrite their Residence and Care Agreement contracts. This session will help you understand how life plan community contracts have evolved and how state statutes have shaped that evolution. Let experienced attorneys educate you about the emerging trends in contract language revision. You’ll learn how organizations like yours navigate the process of revising contract language after making hard choices that reshaped care and services. You’ll be better prepared to decide whether and how to change your community’s contract language.

• Dee Pekruhn, Director, Life Plan Communities Services & Policy, LeadingAge
• AV Powell, Board Chair, A.V. Powell & Associates LLC
• Rose Matricciani, Partner, Whiteford Taylor Preston, LLP
• Julie Woolley, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, National Church Residences

22-E. Policy Update: Medicare Home Health and Hospice

Whether you offer a robust program of home-based services or are considering branching out into this service line, you’ll want to attend this policy update and discussion. Experts and policymakers will join LeadingAge members to discuss pressing issues affecting home health and hospice providers, including benefit oversight, reform and expansion, reimbursement, managed care, and workforce challenges. The session will also feature LeadingAge members who have successfully partnered with Medicare Advantage plans. You’ll leave this session with a better idea of how hospice and home health benefits are evolving and how to use your high-quality services to distinguish your organization in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Come and explore how LeadingAge members can use our collective resources to serve older adults in the place they call home.

23-F. Policy Update: Workforce Priorities

Join us for this wide-ranging overview of the current landscape of workforce policy in the second session of the 118th Congress. Workforce experts will share their perspectives on the current administration’s workforce priorities and promising legislation moving through Congress. Come prepared to discover what you can do to influence and shape workforce policy through advocacy on Capitol Hill and in your district. We’ll discuss the proposed skilled nursing staffing mandate, immigration, education policies that support the direct care workforce, and nursing scope-of-practice in residential care and home and community-based services. You’ll walk away feeling prepared for Lobby Day and ready to tell congressional leaders about your organization’s need for comprehensive workforce reform.

• Nicole Howell, Director, Workforce Policy, LeadingAge

24-F. Care Coordination Across the Continuum

Care coordination is the lynchpin of successful aging in the community and throughout the aging services continuum. This coordination benefits older adults and their caregivers, whether those older adults live in their lifelong home, an affordable or middle-market housing community, a life plan community, or with support from a Continuing Care at Home program. How can providers of aging services best design care coordination services for older adults in their various service lines? Join fellow leaders during this session to explore the nuances of care coordination throughout the continuum and to gain insights that will help you advance and expand care coordination in your organization.

• Terry Spitznagel, Senior Vice President, Chief Growth Officer, United Church Homes
• Teresa Stephens, Affordable Communities VP, Givens Gerber Park
• Michelle M Pandolfi, Vice President, Enrichment Services, Whitney Center, Inc.

25-F. Building Success by Rebalancing Your Service Lines

Mission-driven providers of aging services must navigate complex financial and consumer dynamics while striving to succeed in their local markets. Some providers tackle this challenge by rebalancing their service lines to meet or expand their mission, manage costs, address workforce challenges, and position themselves for the future. This session will explore how leaders can engage in strategic conversations to help their senior living organizations remain competitive. Development experts will offer strategies to engage your leadership team and board in decisions to right-size, downsize, upsize, or expand your service lines. You’ll also hear from providers who have started down this path, the process they followed, what they have learned so far, and how affiliations and partnerships helped them move forward.

• Michelle Godfrey, CEO/President, Attic Angel Association

26-F. Managed Care in the Spotlight: What’s Next?

The past year has brought significant regulatory and legislative activity to managed care. With more than 50% of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage or special needs plan, policymakers cannot ignore managed care’s impact on the broader healthcare system and the aging services sector. Of particular concern are the rising number of erroneous denials of medically necessary Medicare services, and terminations of services in opposition to provider assessments. Join this session to get the latest information from Senate and House staffers, representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and providers of aging services. You’ll gain important insights into how new Medicare Advantage rules are impacting care determinations and what issues are looming on the horizon.