3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Governance Strategies for a Short-Term World

The boards of senior living organizations operate in a landscape of rapid change that can often feel overwhelming. Gone are the days when boards of directors could develop strategic plans spanning 10 or more years, conduct protracted discussions before making decisions, or rely on “what we have always done.” During this session several consultants who work across multiple settings will share their observations on how today’s boards can best navigate an operating climate in which regulations are proliferating, consumer expectations are rising, and the economic environment is in constant flux. You’ll return home with suggestions of effective governance practices to help your board govern effectively in turbulent times while maintaining its focus amid an ever-expanding scope of work.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Peer Coaching in Action

By pairing individuals with similar roles or professional backgrounds, peer coaching programs foster trust, empathy, and shared understanding—creating stronger connections and more meaningful support. This collaborative approach not only supports skill development, but can also improve job satisfaction, strengthen retention, and reduce turnover. During this session, two aging services providers will discuss both the benefits and the realities of launching and sustaining these programs, including addressing financial constraints and securing leadership buy-in. They will also share how these programs have helped team members build stronger relationships, enhance their professional skills, and bring invaluable benefits to the communities they serve. You’ll take away insights and best practices for designing and implementing a peer coaching program in your organization.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Governance Strategies for a Short-Term World

The boards of senior living organizations operate in a landscape of rapid change that can often feel overwhelming. Gone are the days when boards of directors could develop strategic plans spanning 10 or more years, conduct protracted discussions before making decisions, or rely on “what we have always done.” During this session several consultants who work across multiple settings will share their observations on how today’s boards can best navigate an operating climate in which regulations are proliferating, consumer expectations are rising, and the economic environment is in constant flux. You’ll return home with suggestions of effective governance practices to help your board govern effectively in turbulent times while maintaining its focus amid an ever-expanding scope of work.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

Rebuilding Your Marketing Engine with a Modern Mindset

Most nonprofit senior living leaders are falling short on innovation—but not because they lack vision. Instead, they are being held back by a decades-old marketing approach rooted in operations and census and built on the flawed assumption that adults 60+ are a homogenous audience. This candid session will help you rethink that approach. Two advertising agency leaders and a national marketer with roots at T-Mobile USA and Starbucks will reveal why the senior living sector is getting the basics wrong—and how a new approach could create the conditions for genuine innovation. You’ll leave with a modern playbook for restructuring your marketing function, building products for the people you want to attract, and creating brand and experience platforms that unlock growth, spark demand, and enable your organization to innovate with confidence.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Technology Adoption: Cultivating a Culture of Curiosity

Purchasing the right technology for your senior living organization is far more complex than simply ordering the right tool and plugging it in. This session will offer proven strategies to help your organization cultivate a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and continuous learning, so team members confidently adopt technology rather than quietly resist it. Presenters will teach you how to ensure that new technology aligns with your organization’s mission, resident experience, workforce challenges, and strategy. You’ll also learn how to engage frontline staff, managers, and cross-functional teams in selecting, testing, and refining technology solutions. Don’t miss this opportunity to ensure that technology adoption becomes part of how your organization learns and evolves, rather than a one-off initiative that struggles to gain traction.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Strategic Foresight: Tools for Seeking Clarity Amidst Chaos

Today's operating landscape is fundamentally different from what senior living providers have experienced in the past. Disruptions are hitting harder and more unpredictably. Old rules no longer apply, and new ones are still being written. Organizational leaders can no longer rely on traditional strategic planning approaches to deliver expected results. So, what’s a leader to do? This session will introduce you to strategic foresight, a forward-looking approach that helps leaders identify emerging issues that could affect or disrupt our field. You’ll receive the tools you need to help your management team and board of directors view emerging issues through a strategic lens and take action to prepare your organization for and influence what’s ahead.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

How is Your State Protecting Life Plan Community Consumers?

Curious which states have “on-the-books” protections for current and prospective residents of life plan communities? This session will offer a guided tour of how state statutes codify these protections. Presenters will examine statutory language across various areas, including residents’ rights related to annual fee increases, the right to organize and relocate, marketing materials and communication requirements, resident representation on boards of directors, grievances and arbitration, and ownership transitions. You’ll gain insight into unusual or notable statutory language that makes certain states examples to emulate—or to avoid. An expert panel will also discuss how current law and advocacy shape interactions between life plan communities and consumers, and the implications of this advocacy for life plan community leaders.

1:45 – 3:00 p.m.

How Providers Are Supporting One Another Through Turbulent Times

During these turbulent economic times, some aging services organizations are facing financial strain, declining census, or other pressures that could threaten their sustainability. Fortunately, organizations don’t have to face these challenges alone—their colleagues across the country have their backs. This session will feature a group of senior living leaders who are providing a range of assistance—including strategic advice, financial guidance, and operational support—to help fellow providers navigate challenging circumstances and move their organizations toward long-term health. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear inspiring stories from leaders who are extending a hand to help other organizations preserve their nonprofit missions. You’ll learn how these leaders determine when and how to intervene, how they’ve helped, and what they’ve learned.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

How Federal Policy is Shaping National Workforce Priorities

Federal workforce policy has significant implications for aging services and the broader care continuum. This session will examine key legislative and regulatory developments shaping national workforce priorities. Presenters will help you better understand current and pending policy proposals on direct care staffing shortages, visa programs for health professionals, and workforce development. They will also facilitate an informative discussion on federal policy decisions, including those affecting immigration, that are shaping the current and future aging services workforce. Don’t miss this opportunity to obtain the tools you need to engage with policymakers, advocate for meaningful workforce solutions, and position your organization to thrive amid shifting demands and priorities.

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

Operationalize Now and Win the Managed Care Game

With the CFAD implementation in 2015, and with the consistent percentage growth of Medicare-eligible Americans choosing Medicare Advantage health plans, most Medicare-eligible Americans’ lives are now covered by managed care organizations. Each of us has known this, all of us have felt the impact, but many of us have yet to adapt our businesses to financially prosper in this new era. In this session, Susie Mix, a nursing home administrator and business owner will review how we arrived at this inflection point and how aging services providers can adapt to consistently succeed with managed care payers. The demographic shift and its opportunities are happening now; win the managed care game to turn opportunity into sustainable growth.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

The Landscape of Emerging Risks in Aging Services

Providers of aging services operate in an increasingly complex legal and regulatory environment, and 2026 is likely to bring a range of challenges that warrant close attention. This session will outline emerging legal risks across the continuum of care, including litigation trends, evolving standards of care, contract and disclosure liabilities, survey and enforcement patterns, workforce and employment exposure, technology and data-related concerns, and potential scrutiny of nonprofit tax status and community benefit. Presenters will also examine how policy developments at the Internal Revenue Service, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Department of Justice, and the Federal Trade Commission could influence provider operations and accountability. Don’t miss this forward-looking assessment, which will help your organization’s leadership assess risk, align strategy, and prepare for what may lie ahead.

3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

The CEO as Culture Champion: A Leadership Imperative

A strong organizational culture is never accidental. It is shaped, modeled, and reinforced by an organization’s leaders. That culture fuels an organization’s quality and accountability because it is grounded in deeply held values such as empathy, belonging, trust, and empowerment. This session will feature a panel of aging services leaders who have embraced their role as “culture champions.” These leaders will explain how they intentionally nurture their organizations' culture by strengthening relationships among team members, elevating their organization’s brand, and aligning all stakeholders around a shared mission. An organizational health expert will be on hand to unpack the unique dynamics of culture in nonprofit aging services organizations and share lessons from other sectors that have elevated culture as a strategic priority.