The countdown is on. Next week, the 2026 LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference and Trade Show brings together more than 60 interdisciplinary education sessions, more than 90 exhibitors and three days built around the people, ideas and work moving aging services forward across Ohio.
This year’s Celebrate the Changemakers theme comes to life throughout the week, from the General Session and Annual Awards Ceremony to the Trade Show, Ice Cream Social and Wednesday night Game Night with a new golf simulator. There will be plenty to learn, plenty to explore and plenty of reasons to enjoy being together in Columbus.
Before you arrive, start checking off your conference to-do list:
Check the Conference Information page for the schedule at a glance and final details. Then pack your bags. Columbus, here we come.
It’s not too late to register! Online registration closes August 20 at midnight. After that, onsite registration is welcome. Please email Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org if you plan to do so.
*LeadingAge Ohio PAC contributions are completely voluntary. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. Any suggested contribution amounts are only suggestions; you may contribute more, less or not at all. LeadingAge Ohio PAC will not favor or disadvantage anyone based on the amount contributed or a decision not to contribute. Top You Asked: Where will CMS post the survey materials for the Risked Based Surveys (RBS)?
We Answered: CMS has posted the information for the Risked Based Surveys on the CMS Nursing Home webpage under the download section. The Survey Resources zip file contains:
- RBS IP Care Areas and Probs Files
- RBS Pathways Files
- RBS CMS-802
- RBS Entrance Conference Form
- RBS Facility Tasks Job Aid
- RBS Mapping Document Streamlined
- RBS Procedure Guide
- RBS Screening Job Aid
Facilities are encouraged to become familiar with these resources before implementation of the Risk-Based Survey process. In particular, reviewing the Entrance Conference Form, Screening Job Aid, Facility Tasks Job Aid, and applicable survey pathways can help facility teams understand the information surveyors will request and the processes they will use during the survey. Top Don’t forget: Oppenheimer and Co. is available for one-on-one appointments at conference for a side-by-side comparison of your current retirement benefit to the new LeadingAge Ohio Pooled Employer Plan (PEP) member benefit.
With this PEP, members can enjoy the cost-savings that come with the economies of scale of pooled plans among other benefits.
Sign up for your one-on-one here. Learn more about this new benefit here. LeadingAge Ohio’s August 17 Advocacy in Action webinar covered the policy and legislative issues expected to command attention through lame duck and into the next General Assembly. The discussion included the push to advance House Bill 945 and hospice program integrity, proposed behavioral health rule changes, barriers affecting adult day services, PACE rates and House Bill 750, and an update on Quality Incentive Payment back payments tied to LeadingAge Ohio’s mandamus case. Members who missed the call can access the August Advocacy in Action recording.
The webinar also previewed LeadingAge Ohio’s 2027 policy platform, with priorities focused on hospice program integrity, nursing facility Medicaid reimbursement, assisted living and affordable senior housing. The discussion included proposed changes to the nursing facility Quality Incentive Payment methodology, an assisted living personal needs allowance and reimbursement priorities, and preservation of Ohio’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Watch the full recording for the complete discussion and the advocacy issues members should be watching in the months ahead. LeadingAge Ohio’s regular newsletters will not be published next week as staff support the Hospice Pre-Conference and 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show. This includes the Housing Bulletin, Home Health & Hospice Newsletter, Upcoming Education Bulletin and The Source.
Regular newsletter publication will resume the week of Aug. 31. We look forward to seeing many of our members and partners at Annual Conference and returning with the latest news, policy updates, education and member information following the event. LeadingAge Ohio is pleased to announce LeaderStat as a Preferred Provider, giving members expanded access to experienced interim leadership, executive search and recruitment support with preferred pricing.
A longtime LeadingAge Ohio associate member, LeaderStat has more than 25 years of experience serving senior living, long-term care and aging services organizations. Built by operators, for operators, LeaderStat brings a nationwide network of experienced Administrators, Directors of Nursing, operational/clinical leaders and C-suite executives to support members with Executive Search, Interim Leadership and other recruitment and retention needs.
LeadingAge Ohio members now receive a 6% discount on Executive Search placement fees, 3% off qualifying Interim Leadership invoices, 5% off RPO monthly subscription fees, and $1,000 off qualifying building-level leader searches.
Current LeaderStat clients who are LeadingAge Ohio members are encouraged to contact LeaderStat to discuss eligibility and access to these benefits.
Learn more about LeaderStat and your Preferred Provider benefits. The LeadingAge Ohio Political Action Committee (PAC) invites members, partners, and guests to spend Monday, September 28, 2026, at the Golf Club of Dublin for a day on the green that makes a difference.
More than just a round of golf, the annual PAC Outing combines spirited competition, camaraderie, and the chance to connect with colleagues and partners, all while enjoying a beautiful course setting. Every swing supports LeadingAge Ohio’s advocacy, ensuring older Ohioans and the professionals who serve them have a strong voice at the statehouse.
Registration opens at 9 a.m. with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. Both foursomes and individual golfers are welcome, and spots are available through Friday, September 25. Sponsorships are also open for those who want to further champion the PAC’s mission.
View full event details and register. For questions regarding sponsorship, please contact Corey Markham, Director of Education and Business Development, at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org.
Please note that contributions to Political Action Committees must be made by individuals, partnerships, or LLCs, not corporations, and are not tax-deductible. All contributions are voluntary and will not influence membership standing or benefits. Heading to the 2026 LeadingAge Annual Meeting & Expo in Philadelphia? LeadingAge Ohio, LeadingAge Indiana and LeadingAge Kentucky invite you to join us for State Night Out on Sunday, October 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at SPIN Philadelphia. The evening will be a chance to relax and connect with colleagues from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky before the full week of learning and networking begins.
The event is open to both provider (community) members and business firms, with registration available at $50 for provider members and $150 for business/associate firms. Registration must be completed by Wednesday, October 21. Artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation to practical application across senior living. This in-person workshop, taking place October 8 from 9:00AM - 4:30PM, will help senior living leaders identify where AI can support resident care, staff productivity, family communication, marketing and organizational decision-making, while addressing the privacy, cybersecurity, compliance and governance considerations that come with its use.
Participants will explore practical AI applications, learn how to evaluate opportunities for their organizations, and consider the policies, data practices and safeguards needed for responsible implementation.
For more information and/or to register, please click here. There’s always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio. View upcoming events and mark your calendar today.
- August 20, 1 p.m. - 2026 Reimbursement Collaborative: Maximizing Opportunity in a Changing Environment - The High-Performance Playbook
- August 24, 9 a.m. - Hospice Pre-Conference Sessions
- August 25-27, 2026 - Annual Conference & Trade Show
- September 1, 10 a.m. - Professional Development Committee
- September 2, 11 a.m. - Affordable Housing Subcommittee
- September 3, 10 a.m. - Advocacy Committee
- September 11, 11 a.m. - Adult Day Subcommittee
- September 16, 3:30 p.m. - NF Finance/Reimbursement Subcommittee Meeting
- September 21, 10 a.m. - Advocacy in Action
- September 22, 1 p.m. - Nursing Law
Top Top The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) continues to work toward distributing Quality Incentive Payment (QIP) dollars owed to nursing facilities following the Ohio Supreme Court’s mandamus decision.
ODM has completed preliminary provider-level payment calculations, and LeadingAge Ohio and the other nursing facility associations have reviewed data with select members to estimate the impact. The associations and ODM also continue to work through technical questions related to the calculations and payment process.
The remaining major issue is how the payments will be distributed: whether the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will allow Ohio to issue providers a single lump-sum payment, or whether the funds must flow through managed care organizations. The latter approach would be considerably more complicated, and ODM has expressed their preference to issue payments directly.
ODM has indicated it is completing as much work as possible now so payments can move forward as quickly as possible once CMS approves the distribution.
LeadingAge Ohio will continue working with ODM and the other associations to understand the calculations, identify issues that may affect providers and provide members with clear information as the payment process moves forward.
LeadingAge Ohio anticipates receiving additional guidance from ODM in the coming days and will share an update with members as soon as more information is available.
Learn more about this issue and other policy information from Monday’s Advocacy in Action. Top A group of 13 U.S. senators asked the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on August 12 to rescind its July nursing home voting memorandum and restore guidance issued in 2020 and 2024. The request follows CMS’ July 20 decision to withdraw the earlier guidance and replace it with a special alert focused on resident voting rights, autonomy and safeguards against fraud and coercion. CMS has said the memorandum does not create new regulatory requirements.
The senators’ letter does not change the current CMS guidance, and the agency has not announced that it will restore the previous policy. LeadingAge is monitoring the issue as the 2026 elections approach. Nursing homes should continue supporting residents in exercising their rights while ensuring any voting assistance is resident-directed and consistent with applicable law. Members can also review LeadingAge’s 2026 voting information and election resources. LeadingAge submitted comments Aug. 15 urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address persistent gaps in dementia care as the agency updates the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. HHS is developing a comprehensive plan to guide federal efforts through 2035 and sought public input on dementia research, risk reduction, early detection, care and services, caregiver support, workforce needs and other priorities through its 2026 Request for Information.
In its response, LeadingAge identified three central concerns for aging services providers: inadequate funding for comprehensive dementia services, insufficient resources for dementia-specific workforce training and limited infrastructure to support family caregivers. LeadingAge pointed to Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly and adult day services as models that can support people living with dementia in their communities, while also calling for expanded workforce training and consideration of add-on payments for providers serving people with dementia. HHS will use public input as it develops the updated National Plan, making the process significant for Ohio providers delivering long-term services and supports across care settings. Read LeadingAge’s full comments to HHS. Top Recent citations under F656, Comprehensive Care Plans, highlight the importance of ensuring the care plan addresses specialized services, equipment, and interventions identified as necessary for the residents. The comprehensive person-centered care plan must include measurable objectives and timeframes to meet the resident’s medical, nursing, mental, and psychosocial needs identified through the comprehensive assessment. The care plan must also describe the services and interventions that will be provided to attain or maintain the resident’s highest practicable level of well-being.
Recent survey citations have included failure to address:
- Non-invasive mechanical ventilation
- Power wheelchair use, including use of a seatbelt
- Transfers using a mechanical lift
- Turning and repositioning as an intervention to prevent pressure ulcers
- PICC line care and management
- Wound VAC therapy
Importantly, care planning is not just an F656 issue. The care plan is woven throughout the federal requirements and is an important source of evidence when surveyors investigate compliance with many F-tags. When a negative outcome, change in condition, or resident-specific risk is identified, surveyors may review the care plan to determine:
- Was the resident’s risk or need identified?
- Was there an appropriate intervention in place?
- Was the intervention individualized to the resident?
- Did staff know what they were expected to do?
- Was the care plan actually implemented?
- Was the plan revised when the resident’s condition, needs, or outcomes changed?
The Long-Term Care Survey Process (LTCSP) also reinforces the connection between the written care plan and the care actually provided. When concerns are identified in areas such as pressure ulcers or incontinence, surveyors are instructed to conduct continuous observations as necessary to determine whether appropriate care and services are being provided in accordance with the resident’s care plan. Top LeadingAge recently featured Ann Conn, president and CEO of the McGregor Foundation in Cleveland, in its national Changemaker series. The article traces Conn’s path from the 2007 LeadingAge Leadership Academy to her current advocacy for the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, or PACE, and highlights her work to expand access to PACE across Ohio.
The feature also examines the partnerships behind that expansion, including McGregor’s work with Ohio Living to establish a PACE center in Akron, and Conn’s role as board chair of the PACE Association of Ohio. Read LeadingAge’s full feature on Ann Conn. Top LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Enrollment is now open for the Winter 2027 session of the Core of Knowledge, a program designed for Administrators-in-Residence that fulfills the academic requirement set by the Board of Executives of Long-Term Services and Supports (BELTSS) for qualifying to sit for the state licensure board examination to become a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator (LNHA).
The three-week course will be held January 11–28, 2027, Monday through Thursday, at the OCLC Conference Center. This is one of only two opportunities to complete the required coursework in 2027.
The deadline to register is December 11, 2025. Learn more and register for the 2027 Winter Core of Knowledge. For additional information, contact Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org. Ohio nurses must meet specific continuing education requirements to renew their licenses, and rule changes taking effect with the 2027 renewal cycle will alter what they need to track. Join LeadingAge Ohio for Nursing Law webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. September 22 for a focused review of Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 4723-14, license renewal requirements, qualifying continuing education and common misunderstandings that may affect compliance.
Participants will earn 1.0 Category A contact hour and hear from Brittany Turner, MSN, RN, CNEcl, NPD-BC, director of continuing education at the Ohio Nurses Association. The session will explain the 2026 rule changes and help nurses prepare before the next renewal cycle. The Ohio Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Register for the Nursing law webinar. Top
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