On Aging 2026: Bringing end-of-life planning tools to professionals

In a country where only one in three adults has completed an advance directive, we seek to collaborate with partners  and professionals who have the power to help change that number. 

The American Society on Aging (ASA) is one of those partners, and we are so happy to have attended On Aging 2026. This exciting annual event brings together more than 1,500 experts from across the aging services field. Over four days in Atlanta, the Compassion & Choices team offered a variety of educational experiences and resources to equip ASA members to better serve their patients, clients, and communities at the end of life. 

“On Aging is always a highlight of our year,” says Zeena Regis, director of priority populations at Compassion & Choices. “It brings us into conversation with a diverse community of professionals doing incredible work in aging, and that exchange deepens and sharpens our own impact.” 

Zeena offered a powerful session titled “We May Not Talk About Death, But We Do Sing About It,” exploring the cultural and communal ways Black elders and communities process grief, celebrate life, and navigate the difficult realities of aging, illness, and mortality. She also hosted “Advance Care Planning Without Ageism,” a roundtable discussion for those looking to acknowledge and avoid ageism while facilitating advance care planning conversations. 

Ashley Johnson, a member of the Compassion & Choices African American Leadership Council and an active volunteer in Florida, led a lunchtime workshop highlighting the work of end-of-life doulas. She emphasized how they can collaborate with and be of service to aging services professionals. This topic lit excitement in many attendees, who had never heard of doulas or considered the ways their work may intersect. 

African American Leadership Council member Missy Moore, RN, hosted a roundtable focused on health literacy as an important foundation to advance care planning. The standing-room-only discussion included insights on organizational health literacy and actionable steps attendees could take to improve literacy in their workplace. 

Bernadette Nunley, chief legal and policy officer, hosted a widely sought-after session on emerging trends in end-of-life care and the challenges and opportunities they bring. 

Our team was also honored to offer a screening of Right to Die, a documentary about Barbara Mancini, a Pennsylvania nurse, who was prosecuted for her aging father’s death. Barbara flew to Atlanta, along with Emmy award-winning filmmaker Wren Rene, to join Bernadette for a discussion after the film, exploring the question: “What does it take to honor wishes at the end of life?” 

Through our discussions, workshops, and chats at the exhibition table, we noted a few takeaways during our time with these dedicated professionals:

• Personal values, culture, beliefs, and faith are the strongest foundations for patient-driven healthcare. Professionals of all kinds can make an impact by being a safe space for questions, sharing resources, and helping clients identify what matters most to them in their everyday life.  
• This work belongs to us all! Aging services professionals across the country are seeking reliable resources and information for their patients and clients. Even if they do not work directly in palliative or hospice services, they each play a role in someone’s circle of care and want to be prepared to support them. 
• Getting the end-of-life conversation started remains the hardest part for even the most experienced professional. Compassion & Choices’ resources are great entry points to discussion, and we are honored that our planning tools and sessions at ASA offered so much for attendees. 

If you are a healthcare provider, aging services provider, or other professional, learn how you can help transform the delivery of end-of-life care.