Rethinking “free”: Enhanced wellness memberships expand choice, value and engagementJustin Margut & Dennis Poremski
Many senior living communities operate under a traditional model that includes all wellness services in residency. This session explores the transition from an all-inclusive wellness model to a tiered structure with an enhanced membership option. Learn how to assess readiness for change, design enhanced offerings and navigate common pain points, such as resident resistance. Discuss communication strategies and leadership alignment. Leave with a framework to evolve wellness programs while maintaining core inclusive services.
You’ll be able to:
Analyze the limitations of traditional all-inclusive wellness models and identify indicators that signal readiness for an enhanced membership approach.
Develop a step-by-step transition plan that addresses resident concerns, communication strategies, and operational considerations.
Apply practical techniques to position enhanced wellness memberships as value-added options that increase resident engagement, choice and program sustainability.
Faculty: Justin Margut, BS, Director of Well-Being, Asbury Bethany Village; and Dennis Poremski, MS, Director of Well-Being, Asbury Solomons, Asbury Communities. CEUs
Restoring the rhythm: Leveraging circadian rhythm in dementia careJustina Pilkonis
Disrupted sleep–wake cycles are a major but often unnoticed contributor to functional decline in older adults, especially those with dementia. Drawing from examples in senior living settings, this session introduces circadian rhythm framework to help communities stabilize daily patterns and improve overall wellness. Explore how the intentional use of light, activity timing, environmental cues and structured routines can support better sleep, energy and engagement. Discover how small adjustments can lead to meaningful improvements in resident experience, and enhance quality of life across all levels of support.
You’ll be able to:
Explain how circadian rhythms influence cognition, behavior, sleep, and functional ability in older adults.
Identify environmental and operational factors within a community that disrupt healthy sleep–wake patterns.
Develop simple, evidence-informed daily routines that use light, activity timing and environmental cues to improve resident engagement and well-being.
Faculty: Justina Pilkonis, MSC, Regional Director of Resident Experience, Sinceri Senior Living. CEUs
Aging well in a tech-enabled world: Balancing innovation with humanityLibbi Hash
Older adults are more digitally engaged than ever, but tech can create disconnection, frustration or exclusion when it is not intentionally designed or implemented with this cohort in mind. This session provides practical, human-centered strategies to help senior living professionals thoughtfully integrate technology into daily operations and programming. Explore ways to enhance wellness, autonomy, safety and connection for older adults without sacrificing dignity or meaningful relationships.
You’ll be able to:
Recognize how and when to use technology to enhance—not replace—human connection.
Improve the introduction and adoption of new technologies and reintroduce stagnant technologies with more successful methodology.
Apply specific actions and ideas immediately in your community, and implement tools that can be adapted across departments.
Faculty: Libbi Hash, BA, National Director of Life Enrichment, Kisco Senior Living. CEUs
Living dangerously: From your chair to the ballEdythe Heus
Explore how safe, controlled perceived risk can awaken vitality and help older adults build risk confidence. Through restorative wobble-cushion progressions, participants experience gentle instability that sharpens coordination, posture and attention. As confidence grows, many older adults move from the chair and onto a physioball, demonstrating how neuromuscular stimulation can expand movement potential. Experience wobble-cushion drills firsthand, and discover the benefits of safe challenge and thoughtful movement design.
You’ll be able to:
Analyze how controlled perceived risk and seated instability influence neurological responsiveness, postural organization and functional movement capacity.
Demonstrate restorative wobble-cushion sequences that improve balance, coordination, and movement confidence.
Develop a safe and progressive framework that builds risk confidence, supporting optional transitions toward dynamic physioball activities.
Designing dance patterns to boost brain connectionsTerry Eckmann
Apply three dynamic instructional approaches to create Latin, country and hip-hop dances. Explore how patterned movement evolves by experiencing the layering process of a square dance, then collaborate in a circle to design rhythmic pathways. Moving to music through varied teaching strategies—while interacting with others—strengthens coordination, creativity and brain connectivity.
You’ll be able to:
Build a samba line dance with a partner-up approach, dance to hip-hop one phrase at a time, and create a country line dance with continuous layering.
Implement instructions for a simple layered square dance.
Challenge proprioception with circle patterns.
Faculty: Terry Eckmann, PhD, Professor, Teacher Education and Kinesiology, Minot State University. CEUs
Adapt athletic performance principles for older adultsMike Belanger
Redefining what’s possible in active aging requires moving beyond maintenance-based programming toward a performance-focused, person-centered approach. Explore how principles from athletic development can be safely applied to help older adults build strength, confidence and functional resilience. Practical demonstrations and real-world case examples will showcase scalable methods to integrate individualized coaching, progressive movement pathways and dynamic programming into wellness offerings that support long-term participation, measurable outcomes and a culture of growth.
You’ll be able to:
Apply performance-based training principles to enhance balance, coordination and functional strength in older adults.
Design adaptable agility and reaction-time activities appropriate for varied abilities, health conditions and cognitive levels.
Implement progressive movement strategies, including floor-to-standing transitions, that promote confidence, safety and independence.
Faculty: Mike Belanger, MBA, Fitness Manager, RiverWoods Durham. CEUs
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8:15 a.m.–9:15 a.m.
Small walls, limitless vision: The high-performance blueprintDavid Shoffler & Bryan Sweeney
This session explores the evolution of an award-winning wellness culture built within real-world constraints of space, staffing and resources. A practical roadmap is presented for converting underutilized areas into high-impact “longevity labs” that drive strength, mobility, cognition and independence. Learn how to shift from managing age-related decline to intentionally engineering functional outcomes by blending an athletic performance mindset with smart technology and cross-department collaboration. Leave with a scalable framework that can be applied in any community, regardless of size or budget.
You’ll be able to:
Analyze underutilized spaces using a performance-based framework to redesign them into multiuse longevity and wellness hubs without major capital investment.
Develop an integrated, campus-wide wellness operating model that aligns multiple departments around shared functional outcomes rather than siloed programming.
Implement outcome-tracking and storytelling strategies that document gains in mobility, reaction time and independence to strengthen resident engagement, family confidence and market differentiation.
Faculty: David Shoffler, BS, Well-Being Director, Asbury RiverWoods; and Bryan Sweeney, BA, Well-Being Director, Asbury Normandie Ridge. CEUs
Resident-led programming: The future of meaningful engagementMolly Middleton Meyer
This session provides a practical roadmap for building thriving, resident-powered communities. Learn how to identify resident leaders, invite collaboration and create structures for success. Discuss real-world examples and implementation strategies of sustainable resident-led programs. Leave with a step-by-step guide to begin a resident-powered activities program in your community, along with a plan for building support systems that allow these programs to succeed and thrive.
You’ll be able to:
Assess which residents are community leaders, and design engagements that leverage their enthusiasm and skill sets.
Implement collaboration techniques that turn a vision into a viable program.
Establish ongoing check-ins to keep resident-led programming fresh and attractive.
Faculty: Molly Middleton Meyer, MFA, Campus Director of Community Relations, Koelsch Senior Living. CEUs
From bed to better: The smartest routine everCheryl Soleway
The smartest mobility training starts the moment we wake up! Morning movement is the most important training of the day as the body needs time, space and permission to respond. Mobility begins in the bedroom with mindset, music and motion. Learn about stretching in bed from the very first moment of awakening, before the noise of the day arrives and before gravity fully claims the body. What starts as a simple reach or roll quickly becomes something we want to do, and the body responds almost immediately with warmth, ease and relief.
You’ll be able to:
Identify the key elements to making a morning bedroom-stretching routine addictive.
Describe how to use the bed as the best tool for stretching and mobility exercises, especially for people who have limitations in their hips and knees.
Use simple cues to promote calm, focus and readiness to move each morning before individuals turn to phones, check the news or tackle obligations.
Faculty: Cheryl Soleway, BSc PT, Creator and Host, Rocking the Ages. CEUs
Calm in the moment: Coaching teams through distressed reactionsCarrie Chiusano
Effectively prevent and respond to distressed reactions among individuals living with dementia through observation, empathy and individualized knowledge. Learn practical prevention strategies, such as personalized daily routines, sensory and environmental adjustments, consistent communication techniques and proactive emotional support that promote comfort and meaningful engagement. Cultivating resilient, compassionate care teams can reduce distress and improve resident quality of life and team satisfaction.
You’ll be able to:
Recognize the underlying causes and triggers of distressed reactions in individuals living with dementia and differentiate them from intentional or “challenging behaviors.”
Apply proactive, person-centered strategies to prevent distress by addressing environmental, communication and emotional factors that contribute to behavioral escalation.
Develop effective coaching and debriefing techniques to support and empower team members during and after distressed reactions, promoting resilience, reflection and a growth mindset in dementia care teams.
Faculty: Carrie Chiusano, BA, Executive Director, Dementia Care Center of Excellence, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network. CEUs
What gait speed and efficiency predict about healthy agingEmily Splichal
Walking speed is now considered a vital sign of aging. But speed is only half the story—efficiency is the true predictor of how long you will walk with stability and confidence. Explore how gait efficiency, sensory feedback and neuromuscular control are connected to long-term mobility and fall prevention.
You’ll be able to:
Describe how gait speed predicts longevity and cognitive health.
Explain the hidden role of efficiency—not just strength—in gait decline.
Demonstrate exercises to improve step accuracy, stability and timing.
Faculty: Emily Splichal, DPM, CEO, Naboso. CEUs
Balancing body, mind and spirit to boost confidence, resilience, longevity and joyLeslee Bender
Balance training when coupled with a specific mindset allows participants to experience their thought processes while trying to achieve a task. Repeating specific verbal phrases while engaging in activities such as throwing and catching a ball increases cognitive, physical and emotional skills. This session offers new tools and techniques to create innovative programming to enhance the lives of older adults who participate in fitness programs in residential living communities, private gyms or any other setting.
You’ll be able to:
Demonstrate how activities with a small ball can challenge a participant’s balance and cognitive skills.
Design specific drills to improve confidence and resilience utilizing a soft, small ball that provides visual and kinesthetic feedback for multiple movements.
Employ specific phrasing in functional movements that enhance overall physical and mental well-being.
Faculty: Leslee Bender, BA, Owner, Ageless Training Academy. CEUs
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9:30 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Addressing the needs of Solo Agers and developing a support toolSara Zeff Geber
Solo Agers—older adults without children or a local safety net—is a growing demographic. This session will focus on the critical planning needs of Solo Agers and how to effectively guide them toward security and peace of mind. Explore the nine essential tasks that form the foundation of proactive planning for this demographic. Discuss the concept of creating a “Solo Aging Rolodex,” a collection of resources from legal and financial professionals to medical advocates, tech support, and trusted friends. Leave with clear, actionable steps to help Solo Agers face the future with peace of mind.
You’ll be able to:
Identify and categorize the essential professional and social support roles necessary for proactive Solo Aging planning.
Describe how Solo Aging residents will impact the day-to-day activities of the staff and community in senior living settings.
Formulate actionable steps to build and maintain essential community connections and support systems for this demographic.
Faculty: Sara Zeff Geber, PhD, Senior Advisor, Childfree Trust. CEUs
From AI to gamification: Emerging trends in gerotechnologyRyan Glatt
Technology for older adults is now using artificial intelligence (AI) and gamification to make health and wellness programs more engaging, personalized and motivating. This session explores key trends in gerotechnology and how new tools can support users’ cognitive, physical and emotional well-being. Learn about AI-supported conversational programs, exercise games that automatically adjust to ability levels, and wellness platforms that use points, challenges and feedback to encourage participation. Leave with clear ideas and a practical framework to pilot technology-supported programs in a variety of active-aging settings.
You’ll be able to:
Describe key trends in gerotechnology, including AI, gamification and digital health tools.
Analyze how AI-driven personalization and game-based design can improve engagement, adherence and cognitive-emotional outcomes in aging populations.
Develop a practical plan to pilot or enhance a technology-supported, gamified wellness or cognitive health initiative within your organization.
Faculty: Ryan Glatt, PhD(c), MS, Senior Brain Health Coach, Pacific Neuroscience Institute. CEUs
Parkinson’s exercise programming for senior livingLisa Hoffman & Emily Davenport
It can be a challenge to translate evidence-based exercise guidelines for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) into meaningful, inclusive and sustainable programs within senior living communities. This session will review the four key domains of exercise for PD and demonstrate how to adapt these principles for varied class formats, functional levels and community-based wellness programs. Explore practical implementation strategies that address scheduling, promotion, staff training, safety and participant inclusion.
You’ll be able to:
Identify the four domains of exercise for PD and their relationship to current evidence-based guidelines.
Implement strategies to promote participation, inclusion and long-term engagement in Parkinson’s-focused exercise programs.
Confidently design and modify Parkinson’s-focused exercise offerings to reflect residents’ diverse needs while supporting function, participation and quality of life.
Faculty: Lisa Hoffman, MA, Senior Director, Professional Education, Parkinson’s Foundation; and Emily Davenport, BS, President, National Institute for Fitness and Sport. CEUs
Sit up, reach up, get up: Everyday movements for independenceDiana Rippl
Three foundational movements determine an aging adult’s independence: the ability to sit up, reach up, and get up from the floor or a chair. These movements are directly linked to mobility, balance, fall recovery, confidence and cognitive engagement. This session reframes these everyday tasks as essential movement skills and teaches professionals how to assess, train and progress them across the wellness continuum. Explore the biomechanics, strength, balance and cognitive demands behind each movement and learn how to embed them into fitness classes, therapy-informed programs and daily life activities.
You’ll be able to:
Explain why sitting up, reaching up and getting up are critical indicators of functional independence.
Demonstrate safe and effective strategies to train these three movements for older adults of varying abilities.
Modify existing wellness or fitness programs to intentionally reinforce these movements in daily practice.
Faculty: Diana Rippl, MSPT, Director of Inspired Rehabilitation and Wellness Integration, Cypress Cove. CEUs
Active fit: Power, agility, and functional performance for older adultsMichelle Kerr
Explore exercises that combine power, cardio, strength, agility, speed and reaction training to improve older adults’ functional fitness for everyday life and recreational activities. Learn how to deliver high-energy, adaptable programs that foster both physical and mental vitality for older adults in a safe, engaging and motivating environment. Emphasis is placed on purposeful, functional training that builds confidence, resilience and independence while supporting mental acuity and cognitive engagement.
You’ll be able to:
Design and deliver functional, high-energy exercises that combine power, strength, agility, speed and cardio to enhance everyday functional performance for active older adults.
Progress and adapt exercises to safely challenge coordination and integrate multidimensional training for varying abilities and fitness levels.
Create motivating, safe and inclusive programs that promote confidence, resilience and cognitive engagement by supporting physical independence, mental acuity and overall well-being.
Faculty: Michelle Kerr, Supervisor, City of Mississauga. CEUs
Mind-body mobility: Range-of-motion training with cognitive challengeLindsey Larkins & Sarah Robertson
Unlock a new way to support older adults who experience joint stiffness and pain. This session introduces creative range-of-motion movement patterns paired with dual-tasking and cognitive challenges designed to strengthen the mind-body connection. Learn how to elevate traditional mobility exercises into engaging, brain-boosting experiences that improve functional movement, enhance coordination and help ease stiffness while keeping participants motivated and mentally stimulated.
You’ll be able to:
Identify and apply creative range-of-motion movement patterns that safely address joint stiffness and pain in older adults while supporting functional mobility.
Integrate dual-tasking and cognitive challenges into mobility exercises to strengthen the mind-body connection, enhance coordination and promote brain engagement.
Design engaging, motivating movement experiences that elevate traditional exercises into brain-boosting activities that improve participation, mental stimulation and overall movement quality.
Faculty: Lindsey Larkins, BS, Wellness Coordinator, and Sarah Robertson, BS, National Director of Training and Customer Support–Wellness Services, Aegis Therapies. CEUs
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10:35 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
THAT’S A WRAP!Lawrence Biscontini
The journey isn’t complete until the final moment. Seize this chance to weave together every aspect of your ICAA Conference journey in an enjoyable conclusion. Embrace the knowledge gained, engage with the ICAA community, and get ready to leave the conference infused with fresh vitality and inspiration for the coming year.
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“The ICAA Conference is one of my favorites each year. I always leave energized, inspired and excited about the future of senior fitness and resident engagement.”
