August 26-28, 2025 | Hilton Columbus Easton
Are you ready to be inspired, challenged, and equipped to lead meaningful impact?
LeadingAge Ohio proudly presents its 2025 Annual Conference and Tradeshow, themed “Ripples of Impact”—a powerful reflection of how each action we take, no matter how small, can create lasting change in the lives of older adults, in our communities, and within our organizations.
This dynamic, three-day event offers:
- 60 timely, interdisciplinary education sessions on the most pressing issues in aging services, from workforce innovation to regulatory updates, health equity, quality improvement, leadership development, and more.
- Keynote by Ryan Wotherspoon inviting conference attendees to find their music, as they lead with passion and purpose.
- New Ice Cream Social Networking event to enjoy a sweet treat and new connections!
- Annual Awards Luncheon to honor aging service professionals
- A vibrant trade show floor showcasing the latest tools, technologies, and solutions to help you thrive in an ever-evolving care landscape.
Bring your team for a front-row seat to the future of aging services. Every session attended, idea shared, and connection made has the power to create ripples of impact—both within your organization and across the continuum of care. Don’t miss this opportunity to recharge your mission, reimagine your strategies, and reaffirm your commitment to those you serve.
Learn more and register here.
Interested in exhibiting at the Trade Show? Fill out the exhibitor form and contact Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org. Late in the day of June 11, 2025, the Ohio Senate passed its amended version of House Bill 96, the FY26-27 operating budget, after making changes in an omnibus amendment reported out by the Senate Finance Committee the previous day. The bill passed the full chamber by a vote of 23-10 with Sen. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) voting with all Democrats against it. Critically, the Senate-passed version includes the LeadingAge Ohio-endorsed provision related to the PDPM case-mix score calculation to ensure the proper level of funding for reimbursement to nursing facilities.
Also of note in the Senate-passed version, the bill maintains the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) as an independent entity, reversing the House proposal to merge OHFA into the Department of Development; the problematic House-added changes to the private room add-on payment were stricken; and the Senate declined to include PACE Association of Ohio amendments regarding expansion of PACE and timeliness of services.
Following Senate passage, the House declined to concur to the Senate changes, sending the bill to a joint House-Senate conference committee to work out the differences in the measure and agree to a final version, work that’s expected to take place over the next two weeks. LeadingAge Ohio will continue to advocate for the PDPM transition fix to remain a part of the final bill and for the addition of the PACE provisions during this process.
For questions regarding the state operating budget, reach out to Eli Faes at efaes@leadingageohio.org. The Nominating Committee of the LeadingAge Ohio Board of Directors is now accepting nominations for board service beginning in November 2025. In addition to identifying the annual board slate, the committee also seeks rising leaders across the membership to serve on LeadingAge Ohio committees.
Board members help guide the strategic direction of the association, meeting quarterly in Columbus—with occasional virtual meetings to address timely issues. Board candidates must be senior leaders at a LeadingAge Ohio member organization and reflect the diversity of the association’s membership in experience, geography, services, and background. This year, the committee is especially seeking individuals with expertise in philanthropy, managed/value-based care, and workforce development.
Committee service is open to professionals at any stage of their career and offers a valuable opportunity to contribute to statewide efforts, grow professionally, and build connections across the field. Current openings include the Professional Development Committee, Affordable Housing Subcommittee, Home, Hospice & Palliative Care Committee (with an emphasis on Home Care), and the NF/AL Reimbursement Subcommittee.
To nominate yourself or a colleague, click here to complete the nomination form and email it to Molly Homan at mhoman@leadingageohio.org. Those interested in board service are also encouraged to contact Nominating Committee Chair Allison Salopeck at Allison.Salopeck@jenningsohio.org. Top You Asked: Are nursing homes required to have the State Fire Marshal conduct annual fire training on site each year?
We Answered: No. The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed nursing facilities may meet the state requirement by completing the General Fire Safety for Ohio Healthcare Facilities training, available through the Ohio Department of Health’s TRAIN website. This online training was developed in response to the State Fire Marshal’s limited capacity to conduct on-site training for every facility annually.
According to Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 3701-17-25(E) on disaster preparedness and fire safety, each operator shall provide for annual training in fire prevention for regularly scheduled staff members on all shifts, to be conducted by the state fire marshal or township, municipal, or local legally constituted fire department. The operator shall require all staff members to be periodically instructed in the home's fire control and evacuation and disaster procedures and kept informed of their duties under the evacuation plan.
Find more of your “You Asked… We Answered” questions here. Top LeadingAge Ohio extends a heartfelt thank you to all members who took the time to complete our 2025 Member Survey. Your insights are incredibly valuable and serve as a vital guidepost as we shape the strategic direction of the association. Your voice helps us better understand what matters most to you—and ensures we remain focused on the priorities that support and strengthen Ohio’s mission-driven aging services providers.
We invite you to join us on Tuesday, June 17 at 11:30 AM for a special webinar where we’ll share an overview of the survey results, including key trends, member perspectives, and the next steps based on what we heard. This session will offer a transparent look at how your feedback is being used to inform our programming and member services moving forward.
Thank you again for helping us build a stronger, more responsive LeadingAge Ohio community.
Register now for the June 17 All Member Webinar. Did you know your membership gives you access to a powerful hub for professional development? The LeadingAge Ohio Learning Center is your one-stop platform for educational offerings—available live, on-demand, or in-person—to fit your schedule and learning style.
If you’re seeking CE credits in nursing, social work, BELTSS, or accountancy, or looking for targeted content by care setting—from skilled nursing and assisted living to hospice and adult day services—you’ll find relevant, high-quality education at your fingertips.
Explore upcoming webinars, find free resources, revisit recorded sessions at your convenience, or register for in-person trainings to strengthen your team’s skills and stay current with regulatory changes. Plus, don’t miss our monthly members-only calls focused on advocacy updates.
Visit The Learning Center and start making the most of your membership today. June 26 | 10:00AM–2:00PM | LeadingAge Ohio Office, Columbus
Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept—it’s already reshaping how nonprofits approach fundraising, storytelling, and donor engagement. On June 26, LeadingAge Ohio invites development and philanthropy professionals to gather in person for a working session that brings AI out of the headlines and into the hands of those serving aging communities.
This isn't a lecture—it's a lab. Attendees will bring laptops, roll up their sleeves, and work in real time with tools like ChatGPT. Breakout groups will dive into sample prompts and nonprofit scenarios pulled directly from the aging services world, offering a chance to explore how AI might lighten workloads, sharpen messaging, or help teams think differently about the challenges they face.
Seating is limited! Register today! There's always something happening at LeadingAge Ohio, and we don’t want you to miss a moment. From educational opportunities to networking events, our calendar is packed with ways for members to stay informed, engaged, and connected.
Explore what's ahead and make plans to join us—whether you're looking to expand your knowledge, connect with peers, or get involved in shaping the future of aging services in Ohio.
View all upcoming events here and mark your calendar today!
Top Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we deliver services, communicate, and support older adults—but what are the ethical boundaries and opportunities that lie ahead?
On June 16 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET, the Global Ageing Network, in partnership with the National Care Forum and Ontario Long Term Care Association, will host a virtual roundtable to explore the evolving role of AI in social and elder care. This timely conversation will feature expert perspectives from the University of Oxford, the Vector Institute, and U.S. care providers.
If you're just beginning to explore AI or are actively integrating it into your work, this discussion will share how technology intersects with person-centered values across global care systems.
Register now to join the conversation. LeadingAge is launching a new Shared Learning Series, Embracing Dementia Inclusion, designed to challenge traditional models of care and reimagine what it means to support individuals living with dementia. This thought-provoking series invites LeadingAge provider members to join a small, engaged cohort exploring the real-world applications of creating more integrated, less restrictive residential environments.
The series encourages participants to reflect on longstanding practices that separate individuals based on cognitive status and instead embrace inclusive approaches that foster autonomy, purpose, and belonging. Through conversations with subject-matter experts, advocates, and people living with dementia, attendees will explore how communities can move away from confinement toward inclusion—rethinking locked units, reimagining community design, and reshaping culture.
Sessions will share how to balance risk with dignity, how to use the lived experience of people with dementia as a guide for creating meaningful environments, and how to overcome common barriers to integration. Participants will gain fresh perspectives and strategies to support more person-directed, inclusive models of care.
This unique opportunity is open to LeadingAge provider members only and is limited to 36 participants to ensure a high level of engagement and dialogue. Registration is open now and closes September 15.
To learn more or register, visit Embracing Dementia Inclusion – Shared Learning Series. LeadingAge is accepting nominations for two prestigious national awards recognizing outstanding contributions to the aging services field: the Award of Honor and the Joan Anne McHugh Award for Excellence in Frontline Nurse Supervision. The deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
These honors celebrate individuals who demonstrate excellence in leadership, champion innovation, and serve as powerful examples of mission-driven service in aging. Nominees must be affiliated with a LeadingAge provider member and embody the values and impact that merit national recognition.
Each award has its own nomination form and criteria, and the McHugh Award requires additional supporting materials. Nominators are encouraged to begin the process early to allow time for thoughtful preparation and detail-rich responses. Nominees not selected this year will still be considered for other storytelling opportunities through LeadingAge.
Award winners will be notified in late July and recognized at the LeadingAge Annual Meeting in Boston, MA, November 2–5, 2025.
Learn more and access nomination materials here. Top On a call earlier today, Deputy State Long-term Care Ombudsman Erin Pettegrew outlined the Department’s recent evaluation of the Family and Resident Surveys, and plans for changes to both the surveys and the survey processes, to begin later this year. These changes include:
- Conducting both surveys annually, and more-frequent reporting of results via the Long-term Care Quality Navigator mid-survey and post-survey.
- Launching a quality improvement guide in partnership with Person-Centered Care Coalition, Excel Academy, PREP.
- Evaluating survey results to assess the experiences of different populations, including those in memory care.
- Piloting a short-stay survey in 2025, with the goal of developing recommendations for this survey in 2026.
- Continuing to boost visibility of LTC Quality Navigator.
Additionally, the survey items were revised based on feedback gathered during the last survey cycle to improve the clarity of questions and eliminate duplication of concepts in the survey. The survey length is roughly the same as previous iterations.
The most impactful change is the beginning later this year, the resident and family surveys will be administered concurrently, with the Ombudsman capturing information at the same time as they retrieve the census lists from Ohio facilities. This, combined with the more-frequent release of survey results, will improve sensitivity of the data and enable providers to meaningfully use data in performance improvement project. Previously, the significant lag in reporting meant these data were less useful for improvement.
The Department has posted the timeline for this year’s survey process on its website, and will be adding the changes to the survey tool in the coming weeks. Additionally, Pettegrew noted that they have plans for a provider webinar focused on the changes in early summer.
Questions regarding these changes may be directed to Stephanie DeWees, Quality & Regulatory Specialist for Long-term Care, at sdewees@leadingageohio.org. The Washington Times recently featured a story about Ohio’s PACE expansion, and how lagging reimbursement may undermine efforts to expand the program.
The article details Ohio’s opportunity to lead the nation with the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)—a proven model that helps low-income seniors remain in their homes by providing wraparound medical and social services.
PACE improves quality of life, reduces hospitalizations, and lowers Medicaid spending by an estimated $6,000 per participant annually. Ohio’s recent decision to expand PACE was a forward-thinking move—but unexpectedly low reimbursement rates now threaten to stall the program before it begins.
Programs that invested millions based on earlier guidance are now reconsidering whether they can open their doors. Without a sustainable rate structure, thousands of older Ohioans could lose access to this vital option, and federal startup funds may go unused.
There’s still time to course-correct. With the right support, PACE can deliver on its promise—offering Ohioans a dignified, community-based alternative to institutional care. Support PACE in Ohio here. Each day, local agencies across Ohio receive more than 100 referrals for adult protective services. In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Month, the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) and Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) are urging all Ohioans to stay informed and take action. To bring further recognition to elder abuse, Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jim Tressel recently issued a resolution recognizing June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.
LeadingAge Ohio encourages facilities to train staff on the warning signs of elder abuse, which can include unexplained injuries, sudden behavior changes, missing money or unpaid bills, or deteriorating living conditions. ODJFS continues to promote awareness through its Age Safely, Ohio campaign, while ODA offers tools and resources for older adults, families, and professionals here.
Learn more about investigations into elder abuse and neglect on Thursday, August 28 at the LeadingAge Ohio Annual Conference with speaker Charles Angersback from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. Read the Ohio Department of Aging’s full press release here.
Related: Ohio seniors filed 22% more scam and fraud complaints last year with state regulators. The Ohio Department of Health has proposed updates to rules governing Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR) orders as part of its statutory five-year review. The revised rule package (Chapter 3701-62) modernizes language, clarifies legal protections for healthcare providers, and expands authority for advanced practice providers to issue DNR orders.
Key changes include updated definitions, streamlined documentation, and revised appendices—such as a simplified DNR form that no longer requires a physician’s signature if completed by an APRN or PA. The rules also reinforce protections for EMS and healthcare personnel who follow valid DNR protocols and clarify how DNR orders interact with living wills and healthcare powers of attorney.
These updates aim to make DNR protocols clearer and more accessible while ensuring patient rights and provider responsibilities are aligned.
Read the full rule package here. Top Summer recess offers a powerful opportunity to bring the voices of aging services providers—and the older adults they serve—directly to Capitol Hill. While members of Congress are home the week of June 30 and throughout the month of August, LeadingAge Ohio encourages members to schedule on-site visits and show elected officials firsthand the critical work happening in our communities.
These visits provide a unique platform to share personal stories from residents, families, and staff—stories that illustrate the real-world impact of federal policy and funding decisions. Especially now, as the Senate takes up H.R. 1—the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—it’s more important than ever for lawmakers to hear directly from providers about how proposed changes to housing, healthcare, Medicaid, and other services could affect aging Ohioans.
LeadingAge is urging a “no” vote on this legislation, which contains several provisions that could threaten the future of aging services nationwide. To support your advocacy efforts, a comprehensive toolkit is available through LeadingAge’s Take Action hub. Resources include meeting tips, and a step-by-step guide to help you plan a successful congressional visit, and talking points, including the following:
On June 6, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. focused on curbing waste, fraud, and abuse in the Medicaid program. The memo specifically criticizes the use and expansion of state-directed payments (SDPs) and provider taxes as mechanisms to increase federal Medicaid funding. It calls for limiting SDPs—where allowable—to the Medicare rate for a given service.
The president stated, “We will take action to continue to love and cherish the Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure they are preserved for those who need them most.”
While acknowledging the need for greater transparency, LeadingAge warns that capping SDPs without offering alternative funding sources would significantly harm Medicaid-financed services, including long-term care. As discussions around transparency and sustainability of Medicaid funding evolve, LeadingAge continues to advocate for solutions that strengthen—not weaken—provider resources.
Read the full Presidential memo here. A recent report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) calls for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to strengthen oversight of nursing home staffing levels, particularly facilities failing to meet the eight-hour RN requirement. However, CMS responded that additional analysis and reporting would be too burdensome for state surveyors.
While CMS acknowledged potential for increased citations, it emphasized recent updates already made to improve the use of Payroll-Based Journal (PBJ) data. The debate highlights the tension between regulatory enforcement and resource constraints.
Ohio was among the states with a higher rate of flagged facilities, though CMS says further training may result in more citations moving forward.
Read the full article here. Top During this week’s Survey Tips and Tactics (STAT) call, participants reviewed recent citations and the updated requirements for Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI). Under §483.75(d)(1), nursing homes are required to implement actions to improve performance, measure the success of those actions, and track performance over time to ensure improvements are both achieved and sustained. Recent citations have been issued to facilities that failed to demonstrate an effective quality assurance program, particularly when similar deficiencies were cited during consecutive annual surveys.
As part of the QAPI program, the facility must develop and implement policies and procedures that address:
- How it will use systematic approaches (such as root cause analysis, reverse tracker methodology, or health-care failure and effects analysis) to assist in determining underlying causes of problems impacting larger systems.
- How they will develop corrective actions that will be designed to effect change at the systems level to prevent quality of care, quality of life, or safety problems; and
- How the facility will monitor the effectiveness of its performance improvement activities to ensure that improvements are sustained.
LeadingAge Ohio recommends reviewing prior citations and plans of correction to verify that audits were completed as scheduled, and results were reviewed by the QAPI committee. This helps ensure not only compliance, but also that improvement efforts are effective and long-lasting.
LeadingAge Ohio has provided survey tips to help navigate the changes in the revised QSO-25-14- NH memo. An archive of survey tips can be accessed on the LeadingAge Ohio webpage within the Communications menu, under The Source tab.
CMS has updated the survey resources on the CMS Nursing Home webpage in accordance with the revised QSO-25-14- NH memo. LeadingAge Ohio encourages facilities to monitor compliance using the surveyor guidance found in the State Operations Manual Appendix PP . Additionally, the survey pathways can be found in the Survey Resources zip file on the CMS Nursing Home webpage and under the downloads section on this CMS webpage. LeadingAge has developed webinars and resources on the requirements of participation which are located on the LeadingAge learning hub. LeadingAge continues to add QuickCasts on the regulatory groups. Updated resources have also been added on the Nursing Home RoP Tools and Resources webpage.
For more information about the requirements of participation and citations occurring in Ohio, please join us on the monthly STAT: Survey Tips and Tactics call. Register now for the July 7 call at 11:00AM. LeadingAge Ohio is sharing tips to assist members during the survey process. Send questions you would like addressed in future Tips of the Week to Stephanie DeWees at sdewees@leadingageohio.org. LeadingAge Ohio is excited to launch the 2025 Survey Success Collaborative: Building Sustainable Systems for Compliance Excellence, a six-month webinar series designed to help long-term care providers strengthen regulatory compliance, improve health inspection star ratings, and build sustainable systems for success.
Beginning July 24, this monthly series walks participants through each phase of the Long-Term Care Survey Process (LTCSP), with sessions focused on foundational tools, risk evaluation, resident interviews, observation techniques, record review, and Plans of Correction. The collaborative emphasizes interdisciplinary teamwork, real-time compliance strategies, and continuous improvement practices.
Led by LeadingAge Ohio’s survey expert Stephanie DeWees, each session includes practical tools, organization-specific feedback, and real-world guidance to help providers stay survey-ready year-round. Join your peers in transforming survey prep from a reactive task into a proactive, organization-wide system for quality care.
Register today for the 2025 Survey Success Collaborative. Each month, the Ohio Department of Health releases timely answers to common questions related to Minimum Data Set (MDS) coding. Below are June’s Questions of the Month from the RAI Coordinator.
A0310G1, Interrupted Stay
Question: When the assessment coordinator adjusts the assessment reference date on the 5-day assessment to a day after an interrupted stay, is the look-back period limited to the day the resident returns? Do interviews completed prior to the interrupted stay have to be repeated?
Answer: According to page 3-3 of the RAI 3.0 User’s Manual, the look-back period does not extend into the preadmission period unless stated otherwise in the item instructions. When a resident returns during the interruption window, CMS considers the stay continuous. Therefore, interviews and assessments completed prior to the interrupted stay—if they fall within the look-back period—can be used in the MDS and do not need to be repeated.
A0310H, Medicare Part A PPS Discharge Assessment
Question: If a facility fails to open a 5-day assessment before the end of a Medicare Part A stay, is the PPS Discharge Assessment still required? Will this impact Quality Reporting Program (QRP) thresholds?
Answer: Yes. Even if the 5-day assessment is missed, the PPS Discharge Assessment must still be completed. However, without the 5-day assessment, this constitutes missing data for the Skilled Nursing Facility QRP and may affect completeness thresholds.
A0310A-02, OBRA Quarterly Review Assessment
Question: Can a facility retroactively complete a Quarterly assessment for reimbursement purposes? For example, opening a Quarterly on June 30 with an ARD of May 5, between two existing assessments.
Answer: No. Per page 2-9 of the RAI 3.0 User’s Manual, the ARD must be set within the required timeframe for the type of assessment being completed. A facility cannot “go back in time” to insert an extra Quarterly assessment outside the prescribed window. This would not be a valid or compliant assessment.
If you have an MDS-related question to submit, email Cheryl.Moya@odh.ohio.gov with “Question of the Month” in the subject line. The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently confirmed that nursing facilities (NFs) may resubmit claims denied due to system edits that were implemented after the launch of OMES:FI. Following a claims review and conversations with OHCA, three billing errors were identified as the root cause of many recent denials:
- Mismatched covered days
- Claims submitted while a resident was actively enrolled in a waiver
- Claims spanning multiple calendar months
These billing errors trigger edits designed to ensure proper processing and payment. For current claims still within the timely filing window, providers should make the necessary corrections and resubmit through the standard claims submission process.
However, ODM recognizes that some providers were unaware of these issues on older claims that have since been denied due to system-initiated adjustments. Because providers cannot retroactively edit claims once they are outside the timely filing window, ODM is allowing NFs to resubmit these older claims through the Medical Claim Review Request process using the ODM 6653 Form.
To support this effort, ODM has released step-by-step guidance for each of the three billing scenarios. Providers should carefully review and follow the relevant instructions to ensure successful claim resubmission:
ODM will also address these billing scenarios directly with affected providers through an upcoming overpayment and recoupment project. In the meantime, LeadingAge Ohio encourages members to begin reviewing their denied claims and resubmitting any eligible items using the process outlined above. Top In senior living, automation is no longer a nice-to-have — it's a must. It clears bottlenecks, reduces manual work, and gives leaders the visibility they need to plan ahead. The result? Less stress, smoother operations, and smarter decisions across the board.
To read the complete article from LeadingAge Ohio Partner Corpay, please click here. Join TMC as we dive into proven recruiting methods that we’ve not only researched but also implemented successfully. This session will uncover the latest trends, industry shifts, and hiring strategies that are working right now, while also highlighting common practices that may be doing more harm than good.
For complete details and to register, click here.
LeadingAge Ohio Partner Value First is offering this webinar via one of their vendors. Nonprofit organizations nationwide face unique challenges when it comes to managing unemployment claims. Download the new 2025 Nonprofit UI Toolkit from UST Workforce Solutions to explore a curated collection of tools and resources designed to help your nonprofit manage unemployment risk and claims costs more efficiently while optimizing workforce strategies. Download the free toolkit today to learn more! LeadingAge Ohio holds valuable education webinars and in-person events throughout the year. Opportunities are added weekly. See the complete Schedule of Events. Top
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