11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Lobby Day Bootcamp: Become an Advocacy Champion

Lobby Day is a key component of LeadingAge’s annual Leadership Summit. It offers LeadingAge members a unique opportunity to meet with congressional lawmakers and their policy staff, discuss critical issues affecting providers of aging services, and advocate for policy changes that better support older adults. This session will give you the tools you need for successful Lobby Day visits. Presenters will review LeadingAge’s policy priorities, explain how to navigate Capitol Hill, and brief you on what to expect when you arrive in congressional offices. You’ll also learn how to communicate policy messages effectively, build relationships with lawmakers, and follow up with them once you return home. Designed for beginners and seasoned advocates alike, this session will prepare you to be an advocacy champion during Lobby Day and throughout the year.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Plan for the Future by Tapping the Wisdom of Retired CEOs

The wisdom of retired leaders in aging services is an untapped resource that could help us ponder current opportunities and challenges and plan for a vibrant future. During this session, a panel of retired CEOs will reflect on a variety of topics, including what kept them up at night while leading an aging services organization, their current concerns about our sector, what issues they understand more clearly now that they are retired, what they would have done differently, and what they believe today’s aging services CEOs can do now to ensure a vibrant future for older adults and the organizations that support them. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the reflections, insights, concerns, and hopes of our field’s retired leaders.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Policy Update: Medicare Home Health and Hospice

2024 was a big year for the home health and hospice sectors as LeadingAge and policymakers from both parties began serious discussions about the value of reforming Medicare’s hospice benefit and elevating the value of home health. Staff members from Capitol Hill offices and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will use this session to discuss what’s next for hospice and home health. Discover how benefits for both programs might evolve and how current legislation could affect providers of aging services. Explore the growth of palliative care, the likelihood of a Medicare Advantage hospice u201ccarve-in,u201d home health payment reform, and initiatives designed to improve program integrity. Presenters will share information about advocacy and engagement opportunities designed to help you participate in hospice and home health conversations.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Master Strategic Planning by Leveraging Diverse Perspectives

Organizations must conduct strategic planning to secure their long-term sustainability. The typical planning process involves setting goals, identifying actions needed to achieve those goals, and mobilizing resources to implement those actions. In addition, achieving the best outcomes requires intentionality and innovation in aligning mission and values, broadening stakeholder engagement, using integrated dashboards to manage data, and addressing challenging market gaps without overlooking popular trends. This session will help you harness the power of diverse perspectives to craft creative, comprehensive strategies that align closely with evolving sector demands and market opportunities. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how other organizations and leaders approach strategy development and who they include in the strategic planning process.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

How is AI Transforming Aging Services?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to transform the aging services sector, leading to significant advancements in care delivery, operations, and resident engagement. This session will explore AI tools and systems that use advanced algorithms to analyze data, identify patterns, and provide actionable insights. Presenters will explain predictive analytics, which can anticipate resident health needs and enable proactive measures; automated task management, which can streamline workflows; and conversational AI, which can reduce loneliness among residents and improve their quality of life. You’ll also get a peek at future trends, including advanced safety monitoring technologies and systems that respond dynamically to changes as they happen. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how strategic AI implementation can empower your organization to address emerging challenges and elevate the standard of care.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Expand Your Mission by Becoming an Affordable Housing Provider

Can life plan community sponsors become affordable housing providers? This session will answer that question by exploring how the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program could help your organization broaden its mission, promote economic diversity and inclusion, and address a critical need. A panel of providers at various stages of LIHTC-funded projects will share their experiences with affordable housing, from initial planning to implementation. Presenters will offer their insights into the LIHTC process and help you assess how an affordable housing development project could align with your community’s mission and strategic goals. Whether new to LIHTC or looking for inspiration, this session will leave you with a better understanding of the opportunities associated with affordable housingu2014and practical strategies to help you seize them.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Can Registered Apprenticeships Bolster the CNA Workforce?

Registered apprenticeship programs can now access federal or state funding and resources to help healthcare providers recruit and retain a qualified workforce. Yet, nursing homes and other aging services organizations have struggled to get in on the action. This could change, thanks to the federally funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), which is helping providers establish new registered apprenticeships for direct care professionals nationwide. This session will describe how registered apprenticeships work and the national standards and best practices that could help them grow. A GWEP participant will discuss their organization’s plans to develop a registered apprenticeship for certified nursing assistants (CNA). Explore how registered apprenticeships have become a national model, their track record in nursing homes, and the challenges and opportunities they pose to providers of aging services.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Strategic Pathways: The Evolution of the LPC Model

The life plan community model has been undergoing significant transitions as providers pursue a variety of strategies to ensure vibrant futures for their organizations and the individuals they serve. Some providers are rebalancing service lines or adjusting the size of communities. Others are working to align consumer preferences with their organization’s mission, history, market dynamics, reimbursement rates, and projected utilization trends. This session will feature an in-depth and informed discussion with a diverse panel of providers who have chosen various paths to success. Panelists will help you understand the internal and external dynamics affecting your organizationu2018s journey and provide a clear vision of the options that could help secure its future.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Make Sure Your Next Project Resonates with Consumers

Nonprofit providers often face criticism for lagging behind their for-profit counterparts in developing new residential offerings. Fortunately, there is much to celebrate in our sector, considering recent and notable market-rate communities that nonprofit providers have brought to the market. These communities have resonated with consumers and achieved impressive occupancy rates. This session will showcase a diverse group of providers whose new offerings have captivated older consumers in their respective markets. Discover the unique programs and features of these campuses and the common elements they share. You’ll return home more confident about advancing projects under development or in your pipeline, whether designed to introduce new, repositioned, or expanded campuses to your market.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Can Registered Apprenticeships Bolster the CNA Workforce?

Registered apprenticeship programs can now access federal or state funding and resources to help healthcare providers recruit and retain a qualified workforce. Yet, nursing homes and other aging services organizations have struggled to get in on the action. This could change, thanks to the federally funded Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP), which is helping providers establish new registered apprenticeships for direct care professionals nationwide. This session will describe how registered apprenticeships work and the national standards and best practices that could help them grow. A GWEP participant will discuss their organization’s plans to develop a registered apprenticeship for certified nursing assistants (CNA). Explore how registered apprenticeships have become a national model, their track record in nursing homes, and the challenges and opportunities they pose to providers of aging services.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Turning Skilled Nursing Skeptics into Believers

Are your leadership team, board, and key stakeholders skeptical about the skilled nursing model? This session might change their minds. A panel of mission-driven LeadingAge member providers will explain why they are investing in, reinventing, or transforming the skilled nursing model into a high-quality, valuable service line that meets organizational needs while addressing critical service gaps. Learn how the panelists have navigated key skilled nursing challengesu2014including consumer preferences, reimbursement pressures, workforce issues, and rising costsu2014and how these challenges have shaped organizational decision-making. Discover strategies to help your organization’s leaders and board members adopt a shared vision for the future of skilled nursing. You’ll take home innovative approaches to reinventing and strengthening the skilled nursing model.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

The Role of Virtual Reality in Aging Services

Virtual reality (VR) technologies create a computer-generated environment that immerses headset-wearing users in their simulated surroundings. Since the 1950s, VR has powered experimental theater productions, flight simulators, and video games. Now, it’s making an impact in senior living communities. Residents use VR to enjoy virtual travel, social connections, and engaging activities. VR training sessions help frontline caregivers develop empathy, enhance their caregiving skills, and boost their confidence. Even rehabilitation departments recognize that VR-powered therapy sessions can help older adults maintain mobility and independence. This session will take you on a tour of all the possibilities VR holds for your organization. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore VR’s ability to create more interactive, supportive, and person-centered experiences for residents and team members while elevating care to a new level.