Agenda
Day 1 — Main Conference
January 26, 2027
Registration & Networking Continental Breakfast
National Roundtable: Are We Building the Right Future? Rethinking Healthcare Infrastructure for an Aging Canada
Canada’s aging population is transforming how and where care is delivered. As governments across the country invest in long-term care, assisted living, aging in place, and community care, are we building the right infrastructure for the future?
This national roundtable will bring together senior government leaders to compare how different jurisdictions are planning, funding, and delivering infrastructure for an aging population. The discussion will examine whether current approaches are keeping pace with changing care needs and what governments should prioritize as they plan for the next generation of aging-care infrastructure.
- Comparing provincial approaches to planning and developing infrastructure for an aging population
- Exploring how changing models of care are influencing infrastructure priorities
- Examining how governments can create more flexible, adaptable and future-ready care environments
- Identifying the key infrastructure, capital and policy priorities that should shape the next generation of aging care
Growing demand for aging-care infrastructure is converging with rising construction costs, labour pressures, and aging facilities. As governments explore new ways to fund LTC development and renewal, what approaches can help close the infrastructure gap?
This session will examine emerging funding models and compare Ontario and Alberta’s capital strategies, while exploring how government and private investment can support future care infrastructure.
- Exploring new funding and financing models for senior care infrastructure
- Understanding government funding priorities and capital programs
- Identifying strategies to make LTC projects financially viable
- Examining how public and private investment can support long-term infrastructure needs
Networking Break
As aging LTC infrastructure reaches a critical point, operators face the challenge of modernizing existing assets while managing capital constraints, rising operating costs and the need to maintain quality care.
This case study will explore Atlantic Baptist Housing’s approach to renewing and upgrading aging LTC infrastructure through strategic investment, energy efficiency, sustainability, and innovative financing.
- Examining the challenges of investing in and renewing aging LTC infrastructure
- Exploring innovative financing and investment approaches to address aging assets and deferred capital needs
- Understanding how sustainability and energy-efficiency investments can support long-term asset renewal
- Sharing practical lessons on planning, phasing, and delivering infrastructure improvements in occupied care environments
Canada needs to build and modernize long-term care and senior-care infrastructure at scale. Rising construction costs, labour shortages, supply-chain pressures and lengthy approvals are making it increasingly challenging to deliver projects on time, within budget and at the scale required.
This roundtable will examine how governments, developers, operators, and builders can improve project delivery to build faster, control costs and increase capacity—without compromising quality, resident experience, or long-term performance.
- Exploring alternative procurement and construction models
- Examining modular, prefabricated and standardized approaches to accelerate delivery
- Addressing labour, supply-chain and construction capacity constraints
- Identifying strategies to streamline approvals and project timelines
Networking Lunch
Ontario is investing heavily in new and redeveloped LTC homes while resident needs and models of care continue to evolve. With the 2015 Design Manual still guiding LTC design and the new Renovation Program for Long-Term Care Homes allowing greater flexibility and adapted design standards, how can Ontario continue to evolve its approach?
This session will explore how LTC design can better support quality of life, accessibility, flexibility, and increasingly complex care needs, while drawing on BC’s Prince George Long-Term Care Village as an example of emerging approaches to household-scale and community-integrated design.
- Examining how current design standards respond to evolving resident needs
- Exploring what the new Renovation Program means for existing LTC homes
- Learning from emerging approaches to flexible, accessible, and home-like design
- Identifying priorities for the future of Ontario’s LTC design standards
Case Study: Designing for Well-Being in Long-Term Care — Lessons from Niagara Region’s Gilmore Lodge
How can healthcare design support the health, well-being, and quality of life of residents and staff? Niagara Region’s new Gilmore Lodge is pursuing WELL Silver certification, incorporating wellness-focused design principles into a modern, resident-centred long-term care environment.
This case study will explore why WELL was selected, how it influenced design and project decisions, and what other LTC organizations can learn when planning new or redeveloped homes.
- Examining the practical considerations of pursuing WELL in LTC
- Translating wellness principles into design and planning decisions
- Balancing resident well-being, staff needs, and operational requirements
- Applying lessons from Gilmore Lodge to future LTC and healthcare infrastructure projects
Networking Break
As the delivery of aging care evolves, healthcare infrastructure must evolve with it. Older adults are living with more complex needs, care is increasingly connected across hospitals, long-term care and community settings, and expectations for more person-centred environments continue to grow.
This fireside chat will explore how changing models of aging care should influence the way we plan, invest in and design healthcare environments. Drawing on Baycrest’s experience across hospital, long-term care, residential living and community care, the discussion will examine how infrastructure can better support changing care needs, integrated services and both resident and workforce experience.
- Connecting changing models of care to infrastructure and capital planning
- Designing environments for complex aging and dementia-related needs
- Creating flexible, connected and person-centred care environments
- Balancing resident experience, workforce needs and operational requirements
Closing Remarks & Conference Adjourns to Day 2
Day 2 — Main Conference
January 27, 2027
Networking Continental Breakfast
Since Santé Québec became operational, Québec has been moving from system restructuring to implementation, while continuing to modernize aging Centre d’hébergement de soins de longue durée (CHSLD), expand the Maisons des aînés model and reshape how senior care is delivered across public, private and community settings.
This session will examine how Québec’s evolving healthcare model is influencing senior-care infrastructure, capital planning and investment, and what lessons can be applied across Canada.
- Examining how Santé Québec’s operating model is influencing senior-care infrastructure planning and delivery
- Assessing how public, private and community-based care environments are evolving
- Understanding how infrastructure and capital planning are adapting to changing models of senior care
Networking Break
As healthcare systems face growing pressure on hospital and long-term care capacity, the future of senior care will require infrastructure that supports older adults across the continuum and not simply more hospital or LTC beds.
Transitional-care models are creating a bridge between hospital, rehabilitation, community services and home, helping older adults recover and regain independence before returning home.
This session will explore how purpose-built transitional-care environments, home-based support and integrated community services can create a more connected model of care.
- Examining how transitional-care infrastructure can reduce pressure on acute-care hospitals and LTC
- Exploring how purpose-built environments can support rehabilitation, recovery and independence
- Case Study: West Bedford Transitional Health – examining how Nova Scotia is integrating transitional care, rehabilitation and home-based support within a purpose-built environment
As more older adults seek to remain independent and connected to their communities, new approaches to housing and community design are emerging. This case study will draw on senior housing and community projects from Murphy Partners Senior Housing Architects to explore how the built environment can support independence, social connection and changing needs as people age.
This session will explore how housing design, shared spaces, amenities and access to services can create supportive environments and contribute to a continuum of living and care for older adults.
- Identifying design strategies for changing needs as people age
- Exploring how housing, amenities and shared spaces can support a continuum of living and support for seniors
- Learning from real-world senior housing projects and design approaches
From aging facilities and rising construction costs to changing care models and workforce pressures, organizations face growing challenges in delivering future-ready aging-care infrastructure.
This interactive peer exchange will bring attendees together to share challenges, compare approaches and identify practical solutions.
- Gaining practical insights from peers across the sector
- Sharing approaches and lessons learned
- Identifying opportunities for collaboration and action
Networking Lunch
AI and digital technologies are beginning to change not only how care is delivered, but how care environments are designed, operated and experienced. From predictive systems and remote monitoring to intelligent building systems and technology-enabled staff workflows, the next generation of healthcare infrastructure will need to accommodate increasingly connected forms of care.
This session will examine how AI and digital infrastructure can be incorporated into the design and operation of LTC homes, supportive housing, community care environments and other spaces serving older adults.
- Understanding how AI and digital infrastructure could reshape care environments
- Exploring how technology can influence building design, operations and staff workflows
- Identifying infrastructure requirements for connected and intelligent care settings
- Considering how to design technology-enabled environments around residents, staff and care needs
As more older adults remain at home longer, the home is becoming an increasingly important part of the healthcare infrastructure. Smart-home technologies, sensors, remote monitoring and connected systems can support safety, accessibility and independence, but must work alongside the physical environment and evolving care needs.
This session will focus specifically on the home, exploring how technology and design can work together to support aging in place, featuring B.C.’s Long-Term Care at Home (LTC@Home) program as a case study.
- Exploring how connected technologies can support safety, independence and care at home
- Examining how sensors, remote monitoring and digital tools can integrate with accessible home design
- Identifying infrastructure considerations for scalable, technology-enabled aging in place
- Learning from B.C.’s LTC@Home experience in delivering technology-enabled care
Networking Break
Senior-care facilities already have emergency preparedness plans in place, but increasingly frequent extreme heat, wildfire smoke, flooding and power disruptions are creating new challenges for the buildings where older adults live and receive care.
Health Canada’s 2026 guidance specifically highlights the need to protect older adults from rising indoor temperatures, while federal investments are supporting climate-resilient health systems.
This session will explore practical strategies for designing, upgrading and operating senior-care facilities to better withstand climate-related disruptions.
- Identifying key climate risks facing senior-care facilities
- Exploring building and infrastructure strategies that strengthen resilience
- Understanding how to protect residents and maintain continuity of care during disruptions