Senior living conferences are a great place to learn about the latest developments in caring for seniors. The conferences are geared toward anyone from nurses and caregivers to administration and financial services personnel. Anyone who works directly with seniors or manages senior programs would find a conference beneficial.
What Can You Learn at a Senior Living Conference?
Most conferences attract speakers and vendors sharing the latest information on topics like:
- Senior health/wellness
- Health administration
- Financial management (both for facilities and seniors)
- Family communication techniques
- Technological advances
Popular Conferences Around the Country
Some of the conferences held throughout the year are geared toward a specific niche area (financial services for seniors, for example), while others are more general and directed at a variety of people and positions.
Here’s a sampling of the more popular conferences across the country:
- ALFA Conference and Expo (Phoenix, AZ) — May 19-22, 2014
The ALFA Conference offers four days of networking opportunities and educational classes. It’s geared toward executives of senior living facilities and offers certified education classes from the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB). - LSN (Life Services Network) Conference (Rosemont, IL) — Oct. 6-7, 2014
LSN is the Illinois affiliate for ALFA. It offers a yearly conference geared toward assisted living facilities. The organization has been around a respected 75 years. Estimates are that more than 3,000 people working in the senior living profession will attend this year’s conference. - Aging Services of Minnesota (St. Paul, MN) — June 23-24, 2014
Aging Services of Minnesota combines the Assisted Living and Senior Housing Conferences into one event. This conference is geared toward home care workers involved with assisted living. Educational classes on supervision, regulations, and clinical care help workers get updates on every aspect of their unique senior living focus. - Senior Living 100 (Laguna Niguel, CA) — Feb. 23-25, 2014
Geared toward C-level leaders (CFOs, COOs, etc.) of facilities that cater to senior care, the Senior Living 100 Conference allows leaders from successful senior living facilities to network and brainstorm on how to provide the best in senior care. - National Investment Center Regional Conference (Boca Raton, FL) — March 16-18, 2014
If you’re interested in investing in the senior and assisted housing industries, the National Investment Center (NIC) Regional Conference is for you. This conference connects businesspeople and care providers so they can discuss opportunities for education and business.
Making the Most of a Conference
Even if you’re up-to-date on the latest in the senior living community, attending a conference can connect you with others who share your vision and passion. The key to making the most out of a conference is planning ahead and having a clear vision for what you want from the experience.
For example, if you hope to make contacts at the conference, be sure to have your business cards ready to exchange with others. Then, follow up immediately after the conference through email and continue to keep in touch on a regular basis.
If learning more about the industry is your goal, be prepared with questions and take notes that will prompt you to continue the learning process once you’re back home. Attending educational sessions can be overwhelming over several days, so take care of yourself physically (take breaks, eat right, go for short walks) so you can fully absorb the information presented.
