Search by Session Titles/Speakers

Relax with a little Wine and wit our PAC.  Enjoy live and a wine tasting guided by Sommelier Maurice DiMarino. This event will be hosted virtually via Zoom, so you'll be able to participate from the comfort of your own home. Limited space available – sign up today.

To vote for your favorite Innovation - please click here and submit your choice.  Your vote matters!  The "People's Choice" Award will be determined by all of your votes.  

Age Well VR provides safe, non-invasive digital well-being solutions across the Senior Care continuum for residents and staff. In addition to the proven benefit of VR for addressing dementia, loneliness and emotional and physical health; our curated proprietary content layers multi-sensory therapeutic techniques to elicit rapid brain wave coherence and symptom relief related to mood, sundowning, sleep, emotional trauma, pain and stress. Users engage in immersive VR therapies categorized by a wide range of health solutions and techniques. AgeWellVr can be used for reminiscent therapy, group enrichment or individually as part of a personal care plan improving quality of life, caregiver demands and reduction of medication; especially opiates.

For over 50 years, Covia has aimed to meet the accessibility needs of its residents and its community members. Well Connected and Well Connected Español, Community Services of Covia, aim to increase social connections and expand lifelong learning opportunities to English and Spanish-speaking older adults living throughout the United States. Through these innovative, virtual programs, older adults are able to creatively engage in group activities as participants and/or as volunteers – all from the comfort of home. When Well Connected began in 2004, the only technology required was a telephone to connect to a conference call. Unfortunately, in 2016, the easy to use two-digit conference code offered by our conference call service was abruptly changed to a seven-digit number. There was also no possibility to expand our programming online to accommodate the increasing number of people bridging the great digital divide with their own computing devices. Additionally, we were unable to provide these opportunities to people who spoke languages other than English. In the United States, approximately 35% of adults over the age of 65 reported at least one disability in 2018. Currently, a staggering 65% of the Well Connected and Well Connected Español community reports at least one disability. As lifespan continues to extend and technology keeps moving at the speed of sound, where does that leave older adults who are uninterested, unable, or unwilling to adopt the latest and greatest devices and gadgets? Since we were unable to find an off-the-shelf solution that would provide a scalable and customizable technology that would still be highly accessible to all our participants, Covia began developing a cloud-based scheduling, participant tracking, and telephone/videoconferencing system that allows older adults to easily connect with others from the comfort of home – regardless of ability or technology savvy. With Agora, Well Connected and Well Connected Español are able to accommodate the over 1,500 unique needs of our community spanning 46 states, and gives us the foundation to scale much larger. In spring of 2020, Well Connected and Well Connected Español will provide its members the opportunity to participate or facilitate any of 80+ weekly activities by phone or online. This keeps the program accessible to phone-based users, but allows the flexibility to accommodate a growing number of people joining online. For those calling in by phone, access is granted with a simple two-digit conference code, but those pre-registered for an event will be greeted by name with no code required at all. This is especially helpful for those with low or no vision, or those suffering from tremors or other fine motor or nerve challenges. To accommodate people experiencing cognitive decline or memory loss, Agora can call individuals into their groups of choice with a personalized welcome and group title. In 2020, Covia hopes to develop closed captioning to be more accessible to individuals experiencing hearing impairment. With the introduction of Well Connected Español in 2019, it was imperative that our conferencing solution be fully accessible to people who speak Spanish as their first language. Agora is customizable into any language which allows Covia the flexibility of expanding our reach to people who speak languages other than English, or to offer this as a solution to other organizations reaching multi-lingual populations. In addition to the ease of using by phone, Agora created a simple videoconferencing interface, where registered participants can join with a simple web link. The Agora conferencing solution allows facilitators moderate groups with easy to use tools, such as muting and unmuting individuals. Agora also allows facilitators to share content, such as videos, to provide a rich and engaging experience that was previously not possible. For the Well Connected programs, or others to successfully grow, organizations serving older adults need to be nimble with technology, and able to meet all people where they are. Regardless of vision impairment, hearing impairment, cognitive decline, dementia, chronic pain, or simply don’t own an iPad, Covia aims to make our communities available and accessible to all.

The Curatess Care Delivery Platform is the next generation of healthcare delivery. Since our platform has established EHR integrations with both PointClickCare and NetSmart as well as FDA approved medical devices, we empower the care team members. Our platform allows the care team to view the patient\resident health record on any device computer, Mac, iphone\android as well as allowing them to engage with HD video and audio for a face-to-face visit with an integrated real-time diagnostic quality stethoscope audio stream.

St. Paul’s PACE (SPP) has been serving seniors in the San Diego community for 12 years and to date have served over 1,900 low income, frail seniors, helping them continue to live successfully in their homes and community. We are proud that St. Paul’s PACE has been recognized as one of the fastest growing PACE programs in the nation by the National PACE Association (NPA). In the coming months, SPP will open an satellite center in Encinitas, and in conjunction with our downtown San Diego, Chula Vista and El Cajon centers, we are currently serving 984 members (called “participants” ) in our PACE program. Our mission is to continue to grow to meet the needs of our growing senior population in San Diego County. At St. Paul’s PACE we provide a caring network of services that fosters independence, preserves individual dignity, and enables frail seniors to remain at home while staying involved with their family, friends, and community. PACE provides all inclusive medical and social services for low income individuals over 55 years of age who live at home and experience chronic medical conditions. The PACE model of care is the gold standard model of integration of services for seniors who are among the most disabled in our community and would likely be in a skilled nursing setting without the PACE interventions. This program is a managed care program that provides wrap-around health and social services for low income individuals receiving Medi-Cal and Medicare. PACE services include primary medical and specialty care, prescription drug coverage and management, mental health, transportation, meals and nutrition counseling, physical, occupational and speech therapies, social services, home care services, chaplaincy care, medical specialists, dentistry, podiatry, optometry and other services as well as medical equipment and supplies and access to 24/7 emergency services. PACE utilizes an interdisciplinary team approach, with those representing all disciplines and services having an equal voice in designing individualized care plans for each participant while also considering their caregivers. Participant input is also sought and prioritized in the design of the person-centered care plan. Our PACE program also provides in home care services to their participants that includes everything from daily meal prep and medication reminders to personal care. Services are provided by Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs), who are employees of St. Paul’s PACE Program. They are the eyes and ears for the interdisciplinary team that consists of the following disciplines and who work to ensure the right services are provided at the right time. They also serve as the voice for the participants when needs arise in the home environment. In healthcare, it has been estimated that the annual costs for unused scheduling capacity (appointment no shows) in the US is at 150 Billion annually or $560.62 per missed visit. The costs take into account patient revenue and associated staff cost. For the participants of St. Paul’s PACE missing an appointment can also have a detrimental impact on their health due to the medical and social complexity to each participant. St. Paul’s PACE has an average of 198 cancelled appointments per site, per month. This can have an estimated cost of $111,065. We researched common reasons for cancelling appointments to our PACE center and discovered some trends that included: 1) participants not knowing of an appointment and 2) participants not wanting to come in to the PACE center. When we dug a little deeper we found that some reasons for not wanting to come into our center, included the “rainy day syndrome” in which our participants do not like to leave their home in the rain or in the cold (for San Diegans anything under 70 degrees is cold). In fact we found our highest number of cancellations occurred during these instances and after holidays. The idea behind our telemedicine pilot, also known as Distance Online Care “Doc”, started due to capacity concerns, cancellation data and an increased need to be able to see more participants in their home. The benefits of the pilot included support for the transportation team as we were able to reduce the number of participants having to be picked up and brought into our clinic. This helped with out clinic capacity as we are a smaller clinic with limited exam rooms. Most importantly we have impacted the quality of life for participants, in that our participants self- report high satisfaction with appointments as they can talk to a medical provided quickly and in the comfort of their home. This has also positively impacted appointment compliance as this reduces the cancellations at the door and resources expended in the attempt. In addition, the pilot offers an incentive for the Homecare team to have an added clinical component by regularly doing vitals, listening and learning from providers and being an e

SafelyYou enables communities and their care staff to take unwitnessed falls and make them witnessed which enables them to provide root cause analysis and apply person centered interventions to reduce falls. Eskaton Care Center Greenhaven piloted in 1 of their wings the SafelyYou Fall Program from Dec 2019 - Feb 2020 and was able to drive outcomes that demonstrated person centered fall reduction, fall severity reduction, and immediate response times to their residents. ECCG leveraged CMP/CMS award funds to finance the pilot implementation and are applying for an extension so they can offer the program to their other 2 long term care wings.

Telling & sharing your life story with your family and building a lasting legacy is a vital component of aging. Older adults have an growing, undeniable need to connect with family and friends, and as they age, ensure that their life story and legacy is intelligently documented, easily shareable, and created in such a way that lets them feel empowered, dignified, and even have fun in the process of creating their legacy stories. 150+ users have provided valuable feedback and insight as we continue to grow the platform to best optimize technology to help older adults easily record their life stories. Early evidence shows that CLIENT CARE is improved because caregivers can easily teach the Megilla platform to residents within a few minutes. This video-storytelling platform helps older adults time-travel through their lives remembering their relationships, accomplishments, exciting adventures and the value of their lives. Megilla provides a form of reminscience therapy where storytellers are actively engaging themselves and their lives as the direct stimuli for which they seek inspiration, memory recall, emotional connection and more. Megilla's 750+ question menu in multiple categories (My Life, Family, Education, Religion & Spirituality, Travel, Hobbies, Career, etc) is the gateway to storytelling as these prompts catalyze and assist older adults in recalling their lives and telling great stories of who they are. Questions are the primary motivator to helping people learn about one another, and families are connecting through Megilla via these recorded videos answering questions and sharing the videos. provides Feeling empowered and independent is a quantified desire for older adults as they age in place or in communities. Older adults lose mobility, power, and the luxury of autonomy as they age. Megilla is an intentional technology product built for older adults to do it themselves, on their own time, without worrying about breaking the bank or needing help from staff. Megilla is the DIY user-friendly tech tool they can have fun using and creating meaningful content about their lives that breathes independence, passion, meaning and infinite value into their daily lives. Social isolation, depression and loneliness are known, quantifiable social determinants of health affecting the lives of older adults. Megilla is the most user-friendly video platform for older adults aging in place or in communities to record their life stories and easily connect and share their lives with their famlies and friends by sharing videos in a safe, private bridge of communication. Intentionally created with best practices in UX/UI design and ease of use for older adults, Megilla provides a meaningful tool to help older adults feel less isolated, less lonely, less depressed -- by offering a simple solution with videos and storytelling in a safe, user-friendly technology platform specifically designed for their ease of use and satisfaction."

MemoryWell is a digital platform for life storytelling. Our network of 700 professional writers works with families, senior living communities and health insurers to replace burdensome intake questionnaires with brief, intimate stories. MemoryWell's portraits enable staff to quickly get to know residents, build empathy and are poignant keepsakes for families. As we stand on the cusp of a telemedicine evolution, never has healthcare felt so coldly clinical and estranged from empathy. MemoryWell solves that by putting the person, instead of the diagnosis, back in the center of care. Not only do our stories connect providers and patients, but the social determinants of health data we pull from them help improve care outcomes. Think of us as the 23&Me of life storytelling. MemoryWell grew out of our founder Jay Newton-Small's experience with her father, who was living with Alzheimer's disease. When Jay moved him into a senior living community, she was asked to fill out a long, generic questionnaire about his life. This made no sense to her: who would remember pages of hand-written data points for 150+ residents in that community? Instead, as a longtime TIME Magazine correspondent she wrote his story for his caregivers and it transformed his life. Two of his caregivers were Ethiopian and they'd had no idea that he'd lived in Ethiopia for four years early on in his career with the United Nations. They became his champions, sitting for hours asking him about what it was like to work with Emperor Haile Selassie, and what the empress had been like. Other families, seeing his story, asked for their loved ones' stories and MemoryWell was born.

The autonomous vehicles provide leading-edge alternative transportation options across our campus. The vehicles are strategically deployed during high peak/service hours to ease transportation concerns and reduce the parking impact across our campus. Parking is a scarcity throughout our community, and this service provides a solution to help remedy the parking issues by reducing the number of vehicles in use (predominately by residents) during peak hours. The autonomous vehicle concept also serves as a marketing tool for prospective residents. Marketing tours in one of the autonomous vehicles are made available upon request.

An award-winning therapeutic music solution, SingFit™ PRIME is created specifically for older adults in senior-living communities, adult day programs, and skilled-nursing facilities. The unique Lyric Coach track in the SingFit app means even those with dementia can joyfully take part in the turnkey SingFit PRIME sessions. SingFit™ PRIME is a turnkey solution that allows even those with no musical experience to facilitate therapeutic group activities, tailored specifically for their participants’ age and musical tastes as well as cognitive and physical health. Currently in use at over 500 locations, our clients report that participants in SingFit PRIME experience a 42% to 82% mood elevation and a 40% reduction in anti-anxiety medication. For those with dementia, participation can bring about improvements in speech and cognition and decreases agitation and social isolation.

Dementia is hard. Hard for the person experiencing it. Hard for the family. Hard for the caregivers. But by improving understanding of how to adapt to the changes of dementia, and creativity in care, it can also still be an experience of joy! Challenging behaviors can also point the way towards solutions. This workshop will provide understanding and give participants the opportunity to find how to respond to these unique challenges.

To join the session, click here.  The session will begin at 9am.

Or you can copy and paste this link to your browser: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvd-utrDspGNA1ypKDU9dNz0JqnS6B8Nqp

*This session qualifies for RCFE: Dementia credit.

The conference will kick off with our opening general session: as Founder of the Global Soap Project, Kayongo has built a multi-million dollar venture which takes recycled soap and distributes it through global health programs to people who lack access to it around the world. He breaks down the key factors that have led to his personal success; (S.E.L.F.) Service, Education, Leadership and Faith and shares his account of life as a Ugandan refugee and the turning point which lead him to a brilliant transformation as a social entrepreneur. He calls upon audiences to stop complaining and to start taking responsibility, to consistently seek opportunities to inspire, and most importantly, to maintain faith in yourself and your team to create an environment where everyone is empowered to thrive. He brings you on an emotional journey –there will be tears of joy; most of the time, laughter. But every time, the story is real.

Don't miss the opportunity to see the Innovation Showcase finalists.  They will demonstrate their innovative best practice or technology in a burst presentation.  Vote for your favorite!

Visit the virtual hall to find the latest products/services our business partners have to offer.  Stay and get the chance to win multiple gift cards, cash prizes, and exciting give aways.  

This exciting panel is an annual must-see! Here experts in the field discuss how COVID is changing our landscape and forming a new reality with managed health care.  You will hear how Kaiser, HumanGood, NovuHealth, and LA Jewish are coping with the next normal in housing, care and services for older adults, what the changing landscape means for their consumers and their partnerships, and what steps you might consider in the years ahead to stay relevant. The conversation will be facilitated by LeadingAge California President & CEO, Jeannee Parker Martin. Please join Jeannee and the panelist for an information-packed discussion.

Leveraging innovative solutions in the wake of COVID-19.
 

This interactive lecture that will deliver the Top 5 Managed Care Systems for Financial Success. Presentation will review the changing landscape with growth in managed care and Medicare Advantage as well new reimbursement methods. The lecture will provide participants knowledge of the nuts and bolts of managed care systems and preparing for and working with managed care on a day to day basis, encompassing contracting, case management and business management. The overall lecture and presentation will include the financial impact of strategic systems and best practices utilized to maximize managed care profits. Attendees will leave with valuable information, key tips, don’t do’s and "must knows”.

Change needs to occur to keep communities competitive in the marketplace, but many stakeholders do not like change. Our panel will discuss processes and tools that encourage residents, board members and staff to embrace change and help understand and have input on the direction of development. The work becomes inclusive, stakeholders provide valued insights, and consensus is reached much more quickly. Greenbrier will elaborate on development processes they promote to encourage smooth development of a project. Aldersly will highlight the effect of the process and techniques on the successful development of their new expansion and redevelopment project. Perkins Eastman will introduce the IDEAS process, discuss how it was employed in a couple of communities (Aldersly and Montecedro) and illustrate advanced visualization tools that architects can employ for clients to understand and feel confident in the direction of the change that will take place.

Steve was an executive with Disney when he started noticing difficulties at work. He initially thought his dyslexia was the culprit, his boss was a "jerk" for criticizing his work, and he couldn't seem to shake overwhelming fatigue. His wife, Gincy, was convinced he was just under too much stress at work. no one expected a diagnosis of Alzheimer's-type dementia at age 55. The potential for catastrophic financial ruin, while facing this devastating disease seemed impossible to navigate. The changes in federal policy came just in time for Steve.  For Scott, who received a complicated memory loss diagnosis at age 54, the system did not work so well. This session will explore and contrast how these two men, both with young onset dementia, and their families, fared in dealing with the often atrociously complicated systems which should provide assistance and support for people with dementia.


*This session qualifies for RCFE: Dementia credit.

This session defines creative aging as a field, examines the benefits of creative programming particular to an older adult population, and reviews the effect on issues of loneliness, isolation and ageism. Of particular interest to those interested in marketing, communication, and community services, this course will discuss how creative programming can strengthen your visibility and impact, as expectations of the housing market increasingly demand a more integrated approach to community living.

The cutting edge technologies (like Artificial Intelligence, Voice, Sensors, etc) are bound to change the operations and experiences of senior care. To date, most of them did not meet expectations either because they were early to market or not designed to keep the operators or residents in mind, or both. Many of the pilots led to cancellation and/or bad experiences. The good news is that technology has evolved and a number of advancements were made to fit the needs of senior living operators and residents. It can now significantly assist in staff turnovers, resident experiences, efficient workflows, improving care, among other areas. In this session, industry experts from Amazon and Caremerge will talk about what innovators have learned from past few years experiences. They will also discuss how technologies have evolved to be scalable and connected, thus solving major business challenges for senior care industry.

Come and we'll treat you to lunch (with voucher) and visit the Exhibit Hall to scope out the latest innovative products and services. Stay and get the chance to win multiple gift cards, cash prizes, and exciting give aways.  The Grand Prize drawing will occur during this time for one person to walk away with a trip* for two to Hawaii!!!

*trip:  cash prize can be substituted for trip.

Too often chief executives and boards settle for “good enough” when it comes to governance. This session will first convince you that boards can provide value – probably far more than what any of us acknowledge. We’ll then look at how we often block ourselves from achieving the potential benefits a high-value board can bring. Finally, we’ll look at six areas for boards to focus on to move to the next level as a high-impact board.

*This session is still pending RCFE approval. If your primary concern is receiving RCFE CE, it is recommended that you choose another session during this time period in the event that it is not approved.

Our presentation will cover the fiscal responsibilities of board members and include case studies of when board members failed to exercise their fiduciary responsibilities, red flags, and best practices. After our presentation, a board member should have a strong understanding of what exactly their duties and responsibilities are when it comes to fiscal oversight of an organization.

Change for any organization is not only inevitable, but essential. In our field, new services, programs, technology, personnel, capital improvements and even comprehensive rebrands ensure communities meet the changing expectations of residents and stay an ever-so-important step ahead of competition.

According to the 2018 LeadingAge Ziegler 200, nearly 72% of LZ 200 industry organizations reported intentions to expand or reposition in 2018/2019. That signals a significant potential for change, and this doesn't even include the myriad of other proactive and reactive opportunities waiting on your community's doorstep. Unfortunately, this necessity to evolve directly opposes the fact that most of us are creatures of habit and change can be highly uncomfortable.

So how do you balance these two opposing forces - the need to change versus our resistance to it? One important way is communication. Timely, transparent, thoughtful communication.

Few can deny that the level of business complexity for senior living sponsors and operators has increased dramatically across the past decade. It appears that the pace of change has elevated and there are numerous catalysts and disruptors that are shaping the sector as a whole. The Baby Boomer cohort is bringing forth a much different set of expectations and preferences than previous generations of residents. We know that with roughly 80% of Baby Boomers reporting frequent use of the internet, there is more information at the consumer’s fingertips that before. We are in a time where technological innovation is significant. Providers do not necessarily need to build their own technologies as there are many solutions already in existence to address the unmet need of the provider, the employee, and consumer. The goal of this session is to integrate discussions around industry trends with technology as a strategic solution.

The Final Rule for Medicare and Medicaid Program requirements, better known as the Rules of Participation has been issued and providers are actively working their way through managing the three phases. This presentation is an open discussion of where facilities are today, how they are performing under the new regulations during survey, ever changing COVID-19 requirements and what needs to be in their tool kit to have successful compliance outcomes.

The smart technology wave has officially reached senior living. But until recent years, many of these technologies have largely been regarded as novelty amenities instead of what they have proven to be -- invaluable tools for residents and staff, and a strategic asset for community operators. As communities embark on this new tech-forward path, it’s imperative they take a methodical approach to the process. Planning, measuring and iterating are all critical to a successful and sustained deployment because just like each community, technology deployment is not one-size-fits-all. In this session, Eskaton and K4Connect will share key learnings of launching a successful multi-community technology deployment that ultimately led to Eskaton becoming the first senior living provider in California to offer voice technology to all residents in one community. Attendees will learn about a number of core strategies and considerations to successful technology deployment, from pilot to scale, no matter the solution.

Multi-sensory stimulation rooms or spaces are designed for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia so they can safely explore and stimulate all five senses. The room combines gentle light, movement, music, aromas and tactile objects designed to either calm or stimulate individuals, depending on each person’s needs. In this session, participants will learn how sensory stimulation impacts the person living with dementia. Participants will learn how to set up a room or a space in their community using best practice design principles. This session will offer a “design on a dime” approach to a sensory room and demonstrate to providers how to set up a room or space of their own so they can further impact the quality of life of persons with dementia without relying on pharmacology.


*This session qualifies for RCFE: Dementia credit.

Beginning November, 2019, as part of CMS's Phase II of the new Rules of Participation, skilled nursing facilities will need to ensure their facility’s programs, policies, and care procedures are trauma-informed. Regulations require facilities appropriately assess for and treat symptoms of trauma and PTSD, as well as those of co-occurring emotional disorders. This presentation will assist nursing home leaders, as well as leaders in other organizations, in understanding the core concepts of trauma informed care. Key trauma-informed care principles and practices will be reviewed, along with concrete and applicable strategies to support the assessment of trauma history, facilitating a sense of safety in the physical environment and care practices, to understanding how to assess for trauma-triggers and avoid unintentional retraumatization, staff interventions to address trauma symptoms and triggers, and how to best partner with behavioral health specialist to provide trauma-specific treatment services. Ethical and cultural considerations will be reviewed.

Retirement community planned giving is both appropriate and necessary to ensure the long-term health of organizations. However, optimal strategies for effective planned giving success are still emerging. One thing is clear; communities must strategically focus on maximizing their unique potential. This requires a radical re-thinking and re-direction of traditional planned giving models. The goal of this session is to demonstrate how individual communities and multi-site organizations can build a successful planned giving program that is unique to their respective needs and markets. The session will review models being used at stand-alone communities and multi-site organizations. It will include a review of how different organizations, both entry fee and fee-for-service communities, are exploring opportunities with both successes and missed opportunities detailed.

While older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults confront the same issues and decisions everyone else does when choosing aging services, the reality of life in long-term care for LGBT people can be drastically different from their non-LGBT peers. LGBT residents and their family may not know how to find supportive services. To help meet this need, this session introduces the Long-term Care Equality Index (LEI) for supporting LGBT Residents, a new program of SAGE and the HRC Foundation. During the session attendees will learn of best practices developed by key industry stakeholders and take a self-assessment to assess their organizations LGBT inclusiveness in areas such as policies and procedures, resident services and supports, and community engagement. Come get a head start on participating in the LEI!


*This session qualifies for RCFE: Cultural Competency credit.

Since 2010, the not-for-profit senior living sector has generated a record number of transactions, with more than 500 nursing homes, assisted living facilities and continuing care retirement communities changing ownership. The drivers are many, including increasing complexities of healthcare, the need for significant technology investment, increasing competition and CEO turnover. Ziegler’s Senior Living Research Department has gathered significant data, information and case studies to better understand the trends. It is important for providers and industry professionals to understand the dynamics of these trends and the key drivers when affiliations, acquisitions and dispositions occur. Co-speakers will be invited to share their organizations’ affiliation stories, and how those stories play into the overall organizational growth strategy. Case studies of recent affiliations will be shared along with lessons learned and advice for providers who are considering a formal affiliation or partnership, even if it’s just outsourcing a function such as IT or finance.

This session will provide attendees with the most recent California laws and cases. Attendees will also receive guidance on how best to prevent claims related to the hot topics in Californa employment law such as, independent contractors; marijuana; wage and hour; reimbursements for business expenses; telecommuting and more.

This session will examine the power of an image to shape the narrative around aging. We will recognize the role creative professional plays in a housing or healthcare setting. Participants will explore how to bring passion to their work to foster a business setting that is engaged, innovative, and attractive to future talent. The Passions Project and Ruth’s Table share their experience in working together to redefine aging in America. McCracken and Wagner discuss the mutually beneficial partnership their organizations have developed and discuss how collaborative partnerships can further your mission and enhance your organization’s service model. but how do you identify appropriate partners and how do you manage expectations.

We will be providing information for Skilled Nursing operators to measure and monitor their performance under the PDPM system. We will provide them with methods to track costs, measure outcomes and compliance with new requirements. They will be able to determine if they are capturing all of the appropriate data to best reflect the conditions of their residents including diagnoses and comorbidities. Are you coding Section GG correctly? What is appropriate therapy utilization? Are you at risk for questions of fraud and abuse review? How does my performance in PDPM compare to prior PPS/RUG performance? Therapy contracting and various pricing models vs. In-House model under PDPM.

This presentation will focus on environmental considerations as they relate to end-of-life Zen practices. We will explore the challenges of creating spaces for living which offer an opportunity for individuals, their loved ones and caregivers to find comfort, connection, and healing in this shared human experience that is death and dying. We will look at how the built environment can foster mindful end-of-life and contribute to achieving inner peace. Using ENSO Village in Healdsburg, CA as a case study we will explore a unique model of care and specific design approaches which facilitate hospice care, supports end of life choices and spiritual practice.

Our success with elders depends on a well trained workforce. This session will focus on improving learning transfer using key principles from cognitive psychology. Making training memorable, practical, and usable requires creative and interactive strategies. This presentation will show examples of activities to increase having fun without sacrificing learning.

Acts of suicide, ideation, and self-harm in later life is highly prevalent, but minimally researched, and uncomfortably discussed. Yet the older adult presents with many or all of the primary risk factors: mental illness, medical illness, impaired coping skills, social disconnectedness, and functional impairment. Further, life transitions experienced in aging including changes in housing of oneself or one’s relationship exacerbate the risk, making these transitions a crucial point to deliver screening and intervention. How prepared are we to address the identification of depression in the elderly population, and what signs go beyond depression to reveal active suicidal or self-harm risk? This course will discuss prevalence of suicidality in residential settings, the signs and behaviors which point to elevated risk, steps to improve the comfort and ability of staff and providers to conduct effective interviews and risk assessments, and the particularly high risks facing the transitioning older adult.

Get ready to network and have fun with your colleagues.  This annual event will surely not disappoint. All full conference attendees are invited!!

LeadingAge CA is pleased to share NIC Talks with our conference attendees.  The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to support access and choice for America’s seniors by providing data, analytics, and connections that bring together investors and providers.

They started NIC Talks back in 2015 as a way to stimulate conversation, innovation, and future thinking for NIC participants, as the industry was facing major changes with the coming of the Baby Boomers.

Every year their team searches for the most provocative ideas and voices to share with you, and this year is no exception.  These talks, today and tomorrow, will touch on trends, the latest research, and areas for potential investment and collaboration. Their speakers are leading advocates and pioneers in the fields of healthcare, aging, connected intelligence, workplace culture, improvisation, and technology.

They made a conscious decision this year to invite innovators from outside our industry to provide nearly all of the talks and gave all of our speakers the same challenge: How is your work changing the future of aging? We encourage you to listen to these disruptors—not just for the specific content of their talks—but for their ways of viewing the world and for the implications for the elders we serve. Remember, in a time of disruptive innovation in our industry, you want to be a disruptor, not the disrupted. Those who are disrupted usually go out of business.

Since this is a recording - there will not be a Q&A session.
 

2020 NIC Talks Speakers and Titles 

• Tim Ferris, MD, CEO, Mass General Physicians Organization | Professor, Harvard Medical School
  • The Impact of COVID-19 on Healthcare Delivery for Elder Americans
• Krista Drobac, Executive Director, Alliance for Connected Care
  • Telehealth Beyond COVID-19, A Bigger Leap Ahead
• Daniel J. Cinelli, Principal, Perkins Eastman
  • How Will Disruptive Forces like COVID-19 Impact the Design of Senior Living?
• Louise Aronson, MD MFA, Professor, UCSF Division of Geriatrics
  • Ageism and COVID-19: Opportunities to Create a Better Future
• Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP
  • Home, Health and Innovation: A Glimpse into the Future

This session will review the potential impact the 2020 election will have on the Federal Health Care Policy.  


*This session qualifies  for RCFE: Laws and Regulations credit.

This workshop will educate participants on the critical changes to the Section 8 program, showing how your contract can be protected and rents can be increased in new ways. We will also explain all of the changes to the 202 PRAC program, and how it can be converted and preserved for long-term preservation. The workshop focuses on how rental subsidy protection can result in long term preservation of affordable housing properties. We will present case studies which illustrate the importance of thinking through the options in renewing and increasing rents on a Section 8 contract, and for preserving PRAC properties. A focus in this last section will be to discuss critical timing steps to ensure success.

This session will provide attendees with the techniques and resources related to various person directed approaches and techniques that can be used in any environment. The presenter will share successful practices and principles in supporting residents living with dementia. Attendees will learn how to apply and take back to implement immediately in the community. Attendees will understand the importance of team building and dementia care, person directed care approaches in meeting resident/client unmet needs and when experiencing emotional distress such as agitation, combativeness or loneliness.


*This session qualifies for RCFE: Dementia credit.

Has your facility received a report of abuse, a demand for information from an attorney, or is it subject to various regulatory reporting requirements that require investigation? This session will focus on best practices, tips, and tricks for conducting a solid investigation, protecting that investigation from discovery through privileges, and discuss potential pitfalls that can arise from conducting investigations. The session will include interactive examples that allow the audience to participate in a sample investigation.

*This session qualifies for RCFE: Laws and Regulations credit.

This session will review the latest California Department of Public Health regulatory update.

Unintended Consequences: Behavioral health issues are on the rise due to social isolation from COVID-19, but there are strategies for early intervention and improving resident’s quality of life.  This session will identify causes/risk factors of behavioral health issues due to social isolation from COVID-19; Identify the role of rehabilitation to work with individuals with behavioral health issues; and educate facility staff on routines, activities and meaningful activities to improve quality of life.

In a talk-show format, we will briefly summarize the “Clean Slate” research, data outcomes and future scenarios generated from identified disruptors to senior living, and showcase four leaders who are advancing Clean Slate thinking through their organizations: 1. PRS-high-rise community leveraging a resource-rich college campus through a well-defined partnership. 2. San Francisco Zen Center- the development of a Zen-Inspired retirement community 3. Transforming Age - thinking beyond bricks and mortar to include technology, service delivery, and repositioning older communities. 4. HumanGood - how to serve the most underserved and growing middle-income senior population. Learn how they developed their strategies, and worked with their stakeholders. . We will include a hands-on participatory workshop session where there will be an opportunity to react to the research and scenarios in small groups, and participants can contribute their opinion to the larger industry conversation about the coming future and how to prepare for it.

The perspective of senior living usually is driven from a 30,000 foot landscape. Vendors, operators, policy makers, staff, and the public at large can get caught up, understandably, in the macro issues that drive the “business” of senior living. But what about a different perspective, from the level!

There were multiple lessons learned throughout the journey that will allow communities to improve the experience for their residents. The importance of spontaneous activities, the importance of meaningful one on one engagement between leadership and residents, having a forum for residents to tell their own story, and getting out of a task based mentality are just a few examples of what will be presented. And the examples of these experiences and lessons are not delivered through monotonous power point slides, they are delivered through video clips taken from the inside of a van where the residents and staff were passengers in their own neighborhood. Seeing is believing!

Most people entered into a career of senior living because of the personal joy felt interacting with older adults. This session will remind attendees why they got into the field in the first place. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Approximately 35% of adults over the age of 65 reported at least one disability in 2018. As lifespan continues to extend and technology moves at hyperspeed, where does that leave older adults who are uninterested, unable, or unwilling to adopt the newest technological devices and gadgets? Covia provides a number of creative aging programs that connect and empower older adults from the comfort of home. These programs aim to increase social connection by providing opportunities for older adults to connect as participants and/or as volunteers. With Well Connected, individuals link to group activities, classes, and conversations. With Social Call, individuals enjoy one-on-one connections with another person over the phone. These virtual connections, when fully accessible, remove barriers for older adults who may experience mobility challenges, vision impairment, hearing impairment, cognitive decline, dementia, or chronic pain. Covia aims to connect all older adults - regardless of ability and/or technological savvy.

Covenant Living at Mount Miguel is undergoing extensive capital investment in its facilities, replacing aging building stock in order to address both physical obsolesce and to meet the needs of current and future residents. New building initiatives, particularly on a built-out existing campus, has numerous challenges as well as opportunities, which, if properly planned and executed, can aid in better decision-making, reduction of risks and cost savings. Topics to be covered include: Critical due-diligence items to circumvent costly mistakes, Integration with marketing, finance, executive leadership and physical plant for setting project priorities, Tactical recommendations for the proper set-up and execution of new building projects to best control risks, costs & schedule.

Hundreds of thousands of older Americans have been targeted by criminal fraudsters and scammers who defraud Medicare, steal personal information and jeopardize the health and welfare of our seniors. These criminal scammers find their victims through cold calls, robo calls, door knocking, email and online resources such as Facebook. They also hijack seniors at low-income housing sites, senior centers, health fairs and marketplaces. Our non-profit, grant funded organization, Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), collaborates with facility administration and residential service coordinators (RSC) at senior housing sites because the RSCs have daily contact with Medicare and Medi-Cal beneficiaries. SMP educates about these scammers and circulates regular fraud alerts so that they know to disallow entry to their facilities to persons who intend to defraud their residents. SMP then conducts seminars for the residents of the senior housing sites focusing on current fraud trends and provides assistance with resolving billing issues.

Join us for a special keynote speaker who is known for her decades-long career in entertainment and news media from “Entertainment Tonight” to her award-winning daytime talk show, “Leeza,” Leeza Gibbons is one of the leading voices for issues facing family caregivers. When her mother and grandmother were struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, she created the Leeza Gibbons Memory Foundation in 2002 as a promise to her mother to “tell her story and make it count. ”Leeza’s Care Connection” is the signature program of the foundation. They offer free services for the voiceless population of family caregivers who report feeling under-valued and alone on their caregiving journey. Her mother passed away in 2008, and she wrote about the experience in her 2009 book, Take Your Oxygen First: Protecting Your Health and Happiness While Caring for a Loved One with Memory Loss. In 2015, Gibbons was named the winner of the NBC competition, “Celebrity Apprentice,” and used her prize money to open up another  “Leeza’s Care Connection” in her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina.   She recently expanded the foundation’s mission to help families dealing with chronic illnesses and diseases in addition to Alzheimer’s and dementia.

We will also be giving the Mentor of the Year and Business Partner of the Year Award during this General Session. 

Additionally, we'll reveal the Innovation Showcase's BIG Winner and People's Choice Award!

Successful repositioning projects revolve largely around communicating effectively and collaborating with all members of the project team towards common goals. This session will dive into the importance of communicating successfully to various stakeholders in planning and development projects. Episcopal Communities & Services (ECS), a leader in creative senior living, and ARCH Consultants, ltd., one of the nation’s most trusted senior living development advisors, will lead the presentation sharing best practices and tools for audience members to take back to his/her organization. Poor communication can lead to confusion, schedule delays, budget busts and unrealistic project expectations. Audience members will leave this presentation: comprehending the complexity of project stakeholder communication; learning the importance of setting communications expectations early on; understanding best practices in Board reporting; and possessing tools to help facilitate efficient project communication.

SmartLinx leaders, alongside a client or two, will discuss the challenges senior care and skilled nursing providers face as they strive to properly care for residents with a workforce mired in high turnover and low engagement. Improving employee engagement is probably more important and challenging in senior care than nearly any other industry because keeping qualified employees is crucial to providing quality care all day, every day. Providers need a multi-pronged plan to:

• Improve employee engagement and productivity
• Address scheduling challenges
• Attract and retain new hires
• Predict staffing problems and preemptively address them

SmartLinx representatives will discuss the underlying factors of each objective and what providers can do to address them. They will also learn how they can leverage technology as part of a comprehensive strategy that gives employees what they want to work more efficiently and balance competing work and personal priorities.

This session will provide a federal tax update for exempt organizations. Learn about recent updates from Congress and the IRS and learn where their focus will be in the upcoming years. This session will help you to better understand how to implement the changes from the 2018 Tax Cuts and Job Act, while breaking down recent guidance and how it applies to your organization. We’ll also discuss the latest in compensation and fringe benefits, including a focus on worker classification and examination activity related to 1099s and W-2.


*This session qualifies  for RCFE: Laws and Regulations credit.

Attracting and caring for those who are aging alone will be a significant challenge for residential care communities in the years to come. Close to 20% of boomers have no children and millions more are aging alone for other reasons. How much do you rely on the families of your residents to partner with you in their care? That partnership won't be available for Solo Agers. Will you be able to bridge that gap? Let's explore some of the ways you can do that.

We are all familiar with the impact of COVID on facility-based senior care, from safety precautions and testing to its effect on resident activities and new admissions. However, how is this pandemic affecting home- and community- based services, such as hospice care, home health care, and home care? Is demand for these services on the rise? Does home- and community-based care offer a safe alternative until communities can fully reopen? What precautions must workers take in a patient's home? What opportunities and challenges do home- and community- based providers face in light of this pandemic? Listen to a director of patient care services for a provider of hospice and home health care and a seasoned senior care attorney consider the unique COVID-related issues confronting providers of home- and community-based care.

The panelists will share news about any DSS legal and structural changes, changes in any DSS processes and enforcement, and any developments on regulation interpretation. The Panel discussion will also address any new laws and implementation thereof, new regulatory guidance, and programmatic changes. Finally the Panel will focus on a variety of operational challenges affecting, RCFEs, CCRC, and MLRCs and will provide ample opportunity for Q&As and audience engagement.


*This session qualifies for RCFE: Laws and Regulations credit.

Based on the McKinsey & Company May 2020 Report: Beyond coronavirus: The path to the next normal. This vibrant panel discussion, initially presented to the Board of Directors of LeadingAge California at its annual board retreat, will delve into the path to the next normal. Here CEO’s of the Scan Foundation, HumanGood, and NIC discuss the impact and the ‘wet clay’ opportunities these of these five horizons present to members and to LeadingAge California.

For years, the role of caregiver was primarily filled by middle-aged or elderly individuals caring for aging parents or spouses. Caregiver demographics are changing and today, many millennials are taking on complex caregiving roles. Millennial caregivers represent a unique caregiver profile, very different from middle-aged or elderly care providers, and therefore require a unique set of skills to provide caregiving and to care for themselves and their own health. Millennial caregivers look to healthcare providers to assist in developing caregiving skills and managing their own physical, social, and emotional health. This session provides strategies to assist the Millennial caregiver in meeting caregiving needs. The session identifies specific issues millennials face including exclusion from peer groups, managing debt, time management, workplace discrimination, emotional stress and fatigue, and offers resources that are available for each of these. Additionally, approaches employers can utilize to help Millennial caregivers to be successful will be offered.

In today’s competitive market, having a strong workplace culture is a must! Statics show that a company's culture has a direct impact on success, yet many leaders struggle with knowing how to create a healthy culture within their organization. During this session you'll learn from an experienced SNF administrator a proven leadership model that has helped companies across the country to improve their organization’s culture. Through real life experiences and stories, you'll learn how following this model can lead you to award-winning results.

With a strategic focus for LeadingAge CA on Workforce, we bring together a panel of distinguished executives from all different organizations to and of all different backgrounds to offer insight into recruiting and retaining top talent. Unique strategies to build leaders within with the organizational workforce. Ideas to engage employees, address intergenerational and diversity challenges, and offering essential benefits to maintain happy, healthy employees.

Unidine partners with E15 Group, the industry-leading analytics firm wholly-owned by Compass Group, to make better business decisions using data and advanced analytical methodologies.  During this session, E15 Group will share how it leverages data to help Unidine recruit and retain dining employees as well as uncover dining trends that attract current and future residents.  

Envision Group, also part of Compass Group, will share insights for reimagining and reinventing dining environments both during the current pandemic and into the future with adaptable and interchangeable multi-use spaces.

The panelists will share news about any DSS legal and structural changes, changes in any DSS processes and enforcement, and any developments on regulation interpretation. The Panel discussion will also address any new laws and implementation thereof, new regulatory guidance, and programmatic changes. Finally the Panel will focus on a variety of operational challenges affecting, RCFEs, CCRC, and MLRCs and will provide ample opportunity for Q&As and audience engagement.


*This session qualifies for RCFE: Laws and Regulations credit.