Registration, Continental Breakfast, Exhibition Open 

Welcome and Opening Remarks
Elissa Sherman, President, LeadingAge MA

Keynote – Creating a Culture of Service: Transferring the Lessons from Luxury Hotels to Aging Services

Jo-Anne Hill, Culture Consultant, Drive

Exceptional hospitality is synonymous with luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Mandarin-Oriental. How do these organizations instill the values of hospitality with all levels of their employees, and can any of this transfer to senior care?

Take it from someone who has worked at an executive level at each of these luxury hotels: it is possible to teach these skills, they are absolutely transferrable, and they can be implemented immediately. This keynote will explore the way that the hospitality industry has motivated, inspired, and continuously delivered extraordinary employee and customer experiences that can be replicated within the senior living environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Receive insights into enhancing the customer service experience
• Understand how the values of hospitality can impact employee relations
• Focus on communication and process to support this mindset
• Understand why culture is the thread that makes this happen every day in every situation

Our Personal Journeys to Inclusion

Marvell Adams, CEO, W Lawson

The challenges of a journey of inclusion are unique to each person. It comes from a very personal place and as such demands a very personal approach. Within any organization, knowing where and how to start can be illusive. Older adult housing, support and services are greatly dependent upon humans supporting humans. And for an organization to evolve into one that is inclusive and equitable, it must invest in both organizational and individual resources that invite the whole of each person.

The field of aging services is segregated in numerous ways from residents served to the board room. But the stakeholders emerging from the pandemic are rejecting segregation of age, race, gender, sexuality, or any identity. And as such, many are searching for tools, guides, advice, and resources to successfully navigate a personal and/or professional journey of inclusion.

But aging services has a glaring issue that cannot be ignored. We ask that those we employ care deeply for the persons we serve…and they do. But many times, communities provide services and support within a culture that can systemically marginalize and exclude the humans that provide the hands, arms and heads that make our work possible.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn and understand how personal experiences inform the where and how of starting a journey of inclusion. Participants will hear personal examples of creating equity by welcoming diversity.
• Learn how each person can and should have a role in creating an equitable living and working environment. Individuals will be challenged to outline a journey of inclusion starting from their own personal place.
• Understand the complexities of the diverse identities and perspectives all around us and gain empathy for the differences that make up an inclusive environment. 

PACE: One of the Best Kept Secrets in Senior Healthcare

Kerry Conlon, Senior Community Relations/Marketing Specialist, Harbor Health
John Coolong, CIO, VP of SCO Operations, Element Care
Emily Cooper, Chief Housing Officer, MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs
Jenn Maynard, Clinical Site Director, Fallon Health Summit Eldercare
Lauren Parrilla, Nurse Practitioner & Site Provider Manager, Fallon Health Summit Eldercare
Julie Richer, Director of Marketing, Harbor Health

An introduction to the PACE program and an explanation, using case stories, of how the PACE all-inclusive model is supporting eligible older adults to age in place with improved quality of life, creating alternative models of care to LTC, and collaborating with housing partners to ensure access to needed services.

This session will take a look at how a multidisciplinary team, including a doctor, nurse, social worker, physical therapist, and others, can help increase longevity while keeping older adults in their community, and will describe how the PACE team supports and coordinates with housing teams.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about Programs of All-Inclusive Care (PACE)
• Understand the services provided by PACE
• Learn about how PACE and Senior Housing can work together to support older adults.

The Nurse’s Voice: Finding Staffing Solutions in the Annual State of Nursing Report

Shawn Musulin, Regional VP NE Business Development, ShiftMed

Get the nurses’ perspective on the state of long-term care nursing today. While some of the data is challenging to be sure, it also provides insights that can help providers develop creative solutions to meet their staffing needs. Shawn will translate these insights into actionable strategies that providers can implement today to address their staffing challenges. The ShiftMed Annual State of Nursing Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 500 US nurses, including 400 RNs, 50 LPNs, and 50 CNAs, between August 4th and August 15th, 2022.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain insights into nurse perspectives on long-term care nursing.
• Take away actionable strategies to address staffing challenges.
• Learn how technology can help alleviate the pain points associated with staffing shortages.

Enhancing Engagement and Building Community Across the Aging Lifespan

Jake Pechauer, Growth Manager, Rendever
Kasey Larsen, Program Director, Benchmark Senior Living

Senior living is now primed for accelerated change. The newfound understanding of the importance of social health is paving a unique opportunity for senior living communities to provide something that aging-in-place cannot: a thriving sense of community. In this presentation, we’ll cover how various technologies - ones that are available today - can be used to successfully build communities across the aging lifespan.

We’ll explore opportunities to build and grow connections within communities and across physical distances and strategies for enhancing resident engagement, including an up-close look at several technologies -- from virtual reality to robots and telehealth. Kasey Larsen will discuss the success he sees at Benchmark Senior Living and the best path forward in a modern world for the industry as a whole.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore ways to break down barriers in communities that contribute to social isolation
• Determine how recent trends have created opportunities to build connections through tools like virtual reality
• Chart a path towards purpose-driven engagement technology with actionable steps for resident wellness

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Across the Aging Services Continuum

Facilitator: Aline Russotto, Executive Director, Orchard Cove
Toni Hendrix, Director of Human Resources, The Loomis Communities
Emily Levine, Chief of Staff, 2Life Communities
Kim Pratt, Director of Human Resources, Brookhaven at Lexington

Join us for a panel discussion where members of the LeadingAge MA DE&I Workgroup will share the ways that their organizations are approaching the work of diversity, equity and inclusion. Coming from a wide range of provider types, you will have the chance to learn about a variety of tactics, best practices and challenges. This session will also include a review of the results from LeadingAge MA’s recent member survey on the DE&I work happening across the membership

Learning Objectives:

• Review why DE&I work is essential to the work of aging services organizations.
• Understand how aging services providers are approaching DE&I.
• Learn strategies to help your organization reach its DE&I goals.

Dementia Friendly Design is for Everyone: A Guide for the Physical Infrastructure

Philippe Saad, Principal, DiMella Shaffer
Ruth Neeman, Principal, LWDA
Patty Sullivan, Program Director, Dementia Friendly Massachusetts, Massachusetts Council on Aging

In a panel presentation, members of an interdisciplinary workgroup focused on dementia and age-friendly design will share their work in the past 2 years in creating the guide titled Age and Dementia Friendly Design Considerations for Physical Infrastructure, which highlights design considerations supporting people living with dementia for public spaces, transportation, outdoor and housing developments. The panel will share the process of developing such guide, discuss its highlights and report on the applicability of its elements in senior centers and publicly funded housing. The panelists will talk about the importance of including dementia-friendly design solutions in all spaces besides age restricted communities to support people of all ages and levels of cognitive impairments; they will stress that dementia-friendly design principles listed in the guide are not all or nothing and that their effectiveness in our environment is cumulative. In conclusion the panelists will show how dementia-friendly design can be simple, cost-effective, attractive and a key element of inclusive design.

Learning Objectives:

• Hear about the reason why Massachusetts initiated this effort to develop dementia friendly design considerations and how this guide can be applicable to other states and jurisdictions
• Learn about dementia friendly design principles and the importance of including dementia friendly design in public spaces including housing, outdoor recreational spaces, and transportation.
• Understand how dementia friendly design principles contribute to everyone’s wellbeing and how dementia friendly spaces contribute to inclusivity.

Behavior Insights: Today’s 55+ Audience Has Evolved. Have Your Sales & Marketing Efforts?

Jessica Ruhle, Sales & Project Director, Creating Results
Avery Lamphere, Account and Marketing Automation Manager, Creating Results

This program includes a first look at key insights from Creating Results’ newest national mature consumer behavior study. Creating Results is no stranger to providing the industry with mature consumer behavior research with their Social, Silver Surfers project conducted in 2010 and subsequently updated in 2013 and 2016. This year, Creating Results continued to study and examine how mature consumers research and shop for senior communities, choose services, and how their behaviors have changed over time. The team partnered with mature consumers throughout the country to capture data from prospects and buyers. This session provides actionable insights to guide marketers targeting senior living prospects, including the oldest of Gen X along with Baby Boomers. Trends identified in the research are considered alongside best practices from inside and outside the senior living market. You’ll learn what potential buyers do/don’t want from marketing and sales teams, what tools they use when researching new home options, and how to better engage with, educate and capture leads. Participants can save time and prevent wasted resources by applying this knowledge to their programs. Organizations with a strategy based on research and best practices will be better able to respond to the dramatic changes that happen within the industry. Like the car industry, shifting from the car lot sales mentality to online ordering and front door delivery, our industry must continue to evolve and meet our prospects where they want to be -- something the research will tell us. Worried that you aren’t keeping pace with marketing and sales efforts? Wonder how to focus your efforts? This session is for you.

Learning Objectives:

• Discover what turns senior living prospects on -- and what turns them off -- when they interact with a brand/community so you can improve the sales and marketing experience your organization provides
• Learn how marketing and sales tools influence housing decisions
• Gain new insights that will improve the effectiveness of your marketing and sales by reflecting and responding to the priorities/behaviors of older adults

A Practical Approach to Cybersecurity Risk Mitigation

Lindsay Timcke, Signing Director, CLA

The last few years have provided significant learning opportunities related to the current cybersecurity landscape in health care. We have been educated on the many cyber threats that are out there, and we now have a better understanding of why we should be proactive in mitigating cyber risks. However, we need to know what is practical/affordable to actually do. This session will explore a practical approach to creating and/or maturing a cybersecurity program at any health care organization.

Leaning Objectives:

• Develop a framework of knowledge to plan for future security efforts
• Learn where organizations can focus valuable risk mitigation resources
• Understand the importance of business continuity planning
• Recognize the components of the incident response process
• Understand risks associated with outsourcing as well as commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products

Got Digital? Developing a Cohesive Strategy For Data -- No Matter How Big or How Small

Seth Wilson, Data Analyst Manager, CLA
Sean Morrison, Principal, CLA

The increased cost of operations and environmental stressors have made it clear that business as normal is not likely a viable strategy. Every organization has access to data, yet there appears to be a lack of strategies regarding this data. Furthermore, given the high level of labor associated with senior living services, the use of data and technology offer a possible pathway for innovation within organizations.

In this session, we will discuss a framework by which to progress on your digital journey. We will focus on:

• Finding opportunities for improvement
• Evaluating whether your journey’s next milestone should be pertaining to one or more of the following:
• Improved decision making, processing of information, prevention
• Introducing the idea of data science to help develop explainable models that can be used to create action in all areas of an organization

Ultimately, consumers are expecting the improvements that they see in their lives from access to technology and use of data not cease upon moving into a senior living environment. Management teams should also be feeling the pressure to develop capabilities to leverage their data for strategic decision-making and operational improvement. As part of the session, we plan to present a case study from an organization that has undertaken a similar process and we will also share examples of outcomes from various clients.

Learning Objectives:

• Define the elements necessary for a successful transition to harnessing data and improving processes
• Learn how to lead a team through problem solving to identify opportunities for improving your digital strategy
• Develop a proven process for planning your digital journey