AL LEADERSHIP FORUM SCHEDULED

VCAL (3/15/2004)

This years annual assisted living program will be held in conjunction with the VHCAs Spring Leadership Forum on April 21st at the Wintergreen Resort .   This four-hour program is designed to help participants become the leader others will want to follow.  It will focus on quality in assisted living, the future of regulatory oversight of Virginias facilities, and the leaders role in the delivery of Alzheimer and dementia care.  Todays assisted living managers face an increasing number of challenges requiring the indispensable qualities of a good leader.  

The forum will feature a presentation by Susan Woodie, Vice President of Assisted Living at Richfield Retirement Community and NCAL Board Member, who will present the vision for assisted living with a focus on the role of the leader in ensuring quality for residents.  Recognizing that good organizations convey a strong vision of where they will be in the future, in this opening session Ms. Woodie will challenge participants to set their goals as a leader to implement their organization's vision and make quality their priority.

Lynne Williams, Assistant Director, Division of Licensing Programs, Virginia Department of Social Services and J. Andrew Byrd, Administrator of Caton Merchant House, will address how to lead in the regulatory environment.  As residents age and prefer to stay in their assisted living communities, the regulatory environment and assisted living managers will have to make changes to respond to the evolving needs and wants of these residents.  Presenters will share their perspectives as regulator and administrator on how assisted living leaders must adapt and develop new skills to accommodate these changes.  A two-hour presentation by Kathleen Fuchs, PhD, from the Memory Disorders Program at the University of Virginia  will provide an in-depth discussion of the differing types of dementia and their  presenting symptoms.  This information will enable administrators and their staff to evaluate their role in the delivery of care to residents and determine the training and services necessary to provide effective and appropriate care.  Dr. Fuchs will also present the stages of Alzheimers disease and explore how professionals define special care units.  Registration forms and brochures have been mailed and are also available on the VHCA website at www.vhca.org/calendar.asp?view=All.  Dont miss this years Assisted Living Forum to sharpen your leadership skills!