2026 Senior Living Symposium
2026 Senior Living Symposium
LeadingAge Massachusetts and Ziegler are pleased to announce that the 2026 Senior Living Symposium will be held on Tuesday, March 31 at the Four Points by Sheraton in Norwood.
Now in its 18th year, the Annual Senior Living Symposium is the must-attend event for leaders of not-for-profit aging services providers. The symposium features national and local experts sharing key strategic and operational information including national and state trends that not-for-profit leaders need to make informed decisions.
What to Expect
The Senior Living Symposium brings together senior living leaders for a focused, forward-looking day on the forces reshaping our field. From a data-driven look at senior capital markets and operating trends, to a candid discussion of long-term services and supports financing, to innovation strategies as federal support declines, this year’s program addresses the financial, policy, and structural pressures facing providers head on. The day also explores the growing role of home and community-based services and the power of meaningful resident partnership in shaping strong organizations.
Designed for executives, board members and senior leadership teams, the symposium offers practical insight, strategic context, and peer dialogue to help you plan with clarity and confidence in a rapidly changing environment.
Continuing Education Credits
This program has been submitted for NAB (Nursing Home Administrator) Credits and CPE (Accountant) Credits and is pending approval.
Registration Options
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Registration Options
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Price |
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Non-Profit Provider OR Individual Member Ticket
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$225.00 |
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Business Member Ticket
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$375.00 |
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Resident Ticket
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$150.00 |
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Board Member Ticket
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$150.00 |
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Non-Member Ticket
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$550.00 |
2026 Senior Living Symposium
Agenda
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Registration and Breakfast
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Opening Remarks
8:45 AM – 10:15 AM
The State of Senior Living and Senior Capital Markets
Speakers:
Dan Hermann, President & Chief Executive Officer, Ziegler
Keith Robertson, Managing Director, Ziegler
Katelyn McCauley, Vice President, Head of Senior Living Research , Ziegler
This opening session provides a macro-overview of the state of the not-for-profit senior living and care sector. Topics include workforce trends, sector growth, diversification of services, peer best practices, innovative technology solutions, and the current economic and capital lending environment. The session offers timely education and research to support leadership teams as they consider future strategic direction.
Learning Objectives
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Identify key operating and financing trends shaping the not-for-profit senior living sector.
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Examine major trends, disruptors, and catalysts affecting senior services.
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Assess how national and regional trends are influencing Massachusetts providers and strategic planning.
10:15 AM – 10:45 AM
Morning Networking Break
10:45 AM – 11:45 AM
Financing the Future of Long-Term Services and Supports
Speakers:
Marc A. Cohen, PhD, Co-Director, LeadingAge LTSS Center at UMass Boston
Kaitlyn Kenney Walsh, President & CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA Foundation
Katherine Howitt, Vice President of Policy and Research, Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA Foundation
Bree Bernat Shems, MBA, Senior Director of Policy, Strategy, and Innovation, Executive Office of Aging and Independence
The cost of long-term services and supports (LTSS) has been structurally unsustainable for decades, placing increasing strain on individuals, families, providers, and public systems. With cuts to federal Medicaid funding looming while the population in need of care continues to expand, states including Massachusetts are examining alternative financing strategies. This session reviews findings from the 2025 LTSS Feasibility Study commissioned by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services and explores tradeoffs among access, cost management, sustainability, and out-of-pocket exposure. The discussion considers what these realities mean for providers navigating ongoing financial pressure.
Learning Objectives
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Identify structural factors that have made LTSS financing unsustainable over time.
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Explain key findings from the Massachusetts LTSS Feasibility Study and related policy tradeoffs.
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Assess what LTSS financing approaches must address to reduce pressure on providers, public programs, and individuals.
11:45 AM – 12:45 PM
Lunch
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM
The System Under Pressure: Innovation and Shared Solutions as Federal Support Declines
Speakers:
Amy Rosenthal, Undersecretary for Health, Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Robin Lipson, Secretary, Executive Office of Aging and Independence
Valerie Fleishman, Executive Vice President & Chief Innovation Officer, Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association
Keely Benson, Director, Massachusetts eHealth Institute
With the Commonwealth expected to lose $3.5 billion annually in federal funding when the OBBB is fully implemented, and with increasing coverage loss anticipated, creative system-level responses will be necessary. This forward-looking discussion explores how providers and policymakers can respond to shrinking resources amid rising need. The conversation centers on innovation, shared problem-solving, and strategic adaptation to sustain mission-driven services in a constrained funding environment.
Learning Objectives
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Identify areas where aging services systems must change in response to sustained financial pressure.
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Explore how providers and policymakers can rethink priorities and approaches to support adaptation.
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Apply collaborative insights to consider potential paths forward for sustaining services.
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM
Afternoon Break
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Home and Community-Based Services as a Foundation for the Future
Speakers:
Chris Sintros, Chief Executive Officer & President, New England Deaconess Abundant Life Communities
Alex Johnson, Executive Director, Newton at Home
A strong system of home and community-based services (HCBS) is central to meeting consumer preferences and supporting independence. This session explores how HCBS fits within a modern aging services continuum and how home-based services, community models, and residential settings can work together to support individuals across changing needs. The discussion highlights opportunities for provider development, partnership, and integration across service settings.
Learning Objectives
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Identify the core benefits of HCBS in meeting consumer needs and supporting independence.
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Describe opportunities for aging services providers to develop, expand, or partner in HCBS models.
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Evaluate how coordination among HCBS, residential services, and community-based models supports continuity and sustainability.
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM
Afternoon Break
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
When Residents and Leaders Shape the Work Together
Speakers:
Aline Russotto, President & CEO, Orchard Cove
Mike Rambarose, President & CEO, Whitney Center
Residents are not only recipients of services but essential partners in shaping strong, responsive aging services organizations. This moderated panel brings together senior leaders to explore how meaningful partnership strengthens governance, decision-making, organizational culture, and mission alignment.
Learning Objectives
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Identify the value of resident partnership in organizational decision-making and culture.
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Examine approaches to engaging residents as partners in aging services organizations.
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Apply insights from leadership and resident perspectives to strengthen partnership within participants’ own organizations.
4:15 PM – 6:00 PM
Closing Reception
Sponsored by Symbria
Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI)
Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
Keely Benson is the Director of the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI) at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a quasi-public economic development agency. In this role she works to promote health innovation by bringing together early-stage companies, research institutions, healthcare organizations, investors and government to accelerate the development of technology solutions to address critical healthcare challenges. She brings more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare sector, spanning digital health, interoperability initiatives supporting clinical and public health use cases, and healthcare payer operations at the MA Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). At MeHI, Keely has concentrated on building healthcare partnerships through her work with hospitals, community health centers, primary care, organizations providing long term services and supports, and groups dedicated to advancing the innovation ecosystem in Massachusetts.
Executive Office of Aging and Independence
LeadingAge LTSS Center, UMass Boston
Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association
Ziegler
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
Newton at Home
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation
Executive Office of Aging and Independence
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Ziegler
Katelyn McCauley joined Ziegler in 2025 as Vice President, Head of Senior Living Research. She utilizes her strong foundation in predictive analytics, hypothesis testing, and strategic planning to support Life Plan Communities. Katelyn began her career in senior living as a Research Analyst and Project Manager. After roughly two years, she was promoted to Director of Senior Living Research, and then again to Director of Research and Operations. During this time she gained valuable insight into how to operationalize and implement data-driven decisions, while also building relationships with senior living executives. Katelyn holds a Master of Science in Psychological Science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She is passionate about answering real-world questions through transforming complex data into actionable insights.
Whitney Center
Ziegler
Executive Office of Health and Human Services
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
New England Deaconess Abundant Life Communities