The 2026 OPEN MINDS Aging In Place Summit

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in supporting older adults to live independently while improving health outcomes and reducing social isolation. Affordable senior housing providers are beginning to integrate digital health tools, remote monitoring, and supportive technologies directly into residential settings to better connect residents with care and services.

This panel will explore emerging innovations at the intersection of housing, health, and technology, highlighting how housing providers, healthcare organizations, and technology partners are working together to improve resident health, reduce isolation, and strengthen service coordination. Panelists will also share insights from a national research study conducted by the Institute for Public Health Innovation and funded by the Humana Foundation that examines how these models are being implemented in affordable senior housing communities.

Mental health conditions among older adults are often underdiagnosed and undertreated due to stigma, workforce shortages, and limited integration between behavioral health and aging services. At the same time, social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognized as major contributors to depression, anxiety, and declining health among older adults.

This panel will examine strategies to reduce stigma and expand access to behavioral health care while addressing social isolation as a key driver of mental health challenges. Panelists will discuss approaches such as integrating behavioral health into primary care, expanding geriatric mental health training, strengthening partnerships between healthcare providers and community organizations, and incorporating social connection interventions such as peer support and community engagement programs.

States and communities across the country are responding to rapid demographic change as the population of older adults grows and becomes more diverse. Workforce shortages, rising care needs, and evolving expectations around access, technology, and care coordination are placing new demands on aging and health systems. Many states are developing Multisector Plans for Aging (MPAs) to align policy, coordinate services, and strengthen systems that support aging across health care, housing, transportation, and community services. At the same time, cities and counties are advancing Age-Friendly Community Action Plans to translate these broader policy goals into practical strategies that improve daily life for older adults.

This panel will explore how state and local leaders are working together to build age-ready systems through cross-sector collaboration, expansion of home- and community-based services, workforce development, and community planning. Panelists will discuss how statewide policy initiatives and local age-friendly strategies can reinforce one another to create coordinated systems that support healthy aging over the coming decade.

As health care financing shifts toward value-based reimbursement, aging services providers are increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable outcomes while supporting older adults to remain safely at home. This panel will highlight scalable models that align Medicare Advantage plans, provider organizations, hospitals, and community-based services to improve outcomes while controlling costs.

Panelists will share lessons from home-based care coordination programs, hospital-to-home transition models, and provider–payer partnerships that are helping reduce avoidable hospitalizations and improve continuity of care for medically complex older adults.