On October 1, the Vision Centre hosted a panel discussion to answer the question: "What does it take to have a successful senior living and aging services leadership program?"
Rajean Moone, faculty director of Long Term Care Administration at the University of Minnesota, was one of four educators from throughout the country who weighed in on approaches and resources to strengthen and expand academic leadership programs in senior living and aging services.
As a follow up to the panel, Kimberly Bonvissuto, content editor for McKnight's Senior Living, shared what each of the educators had to say, including Moone:
"Moone said that everyone is aware of the culture change in senior living, but such a change is needed in academia as well. Age-friendly frameworks are proliferating, reframing aging and changing people’s perceptions about what it means to live in a senior living community. Universities, he said, need to embrace those initiatives when it comes to long-term care-related programming.
"Consumer demand and expectations for senior living are changing, Moone said, but operators are allowing their creativity to be stifled due to an 'obsessive focus' on regulation and meeting a minimum bar. Universities, he added, have an opportunity to graduate students who look at the regulatory framework but approach things differently.
"A cross-continuum education related to the broader long-term services and supports spectrum is needed to strategically align with consumer demand and preferences, Moone said, adding that higher education needs to produce administrators who can lead those 'complex, dynamic healthcare organizations.'"
Published October 2, 2025, you can read the complete story, "Universities Help Strengthen Pipeline of Senior Living Leaders," on McKnight's Senior Living website.
