Nashville, TN– Argentum is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Best of the Best Awards, recognizing breakthrough programs and services that are setting new standards in senior living. These awards celebrate the creativity and dedication of senior living professionals who are addressing challenges and elevating care across the industry.
Best of the Best Awards: Recognizing Innovation
The Best of the Best Awards celebrate Argentum member companies that are leading the way with innovative programs, products, and services. These awards focus on solutions that solve industry challenges, enhance operations, and advance excellence in senior living.
This year’s winners exemplify the highest standards of service and commitment:
- UC San Diego Stein Institute Living Lab at Belmont Village Senior Living
The award was accepted by Lorena Grimes, Vice President of Communications, Belmont Village Senior Living
A first-of-its-kind, decade-long academic–industry partnership that embeds cutting-edge aging research directly within a senior living community to translate science into practical, scalable improvements in residents’ health, well-being, and quality of life.
- Make It Mine
The award was accepted by Kelsey Lawrence, Director, Social Media, Brookdale Senior Living
A branded web series that features professional designers transforming selected residents’ living spaces in just one day, creating personalized, functional homes while engaging audiences through entertaining, lifestyle-focused content.
- Charge Nurse Transition to Practice Program at Silverado
This award was accepted by Kim Butrum, SVP, Clinical Services, Silverado
A comprehensive Transition to Practice Program for newly hired charge nurses to strengthen clinical competency, provide structured mentorship, and reduce turnover in the complex assisted living memory care environment through interactive, competency-based training.
- The Golden Gang Podcast
The award was accepted by Jenay Sherman, Communication Consultant, The Arbor Company
A first of its kind, senior‑living‑based podcast that amplifies resident voices through candid, on‑site conversations, fostering meaningful engagement, challenging perceptions of aging, and strengthening connections within communities and beyond through a scalable, low‑resource model.
“These programs exemplify the innovation shaping the future of our industry,” said James Balda, president and CEO of Argentum. “We are proud to recognize the leaders behind these impactful ideas and commend their creativity, dedication, and commitment to excellence.”
The Best of the Best Awards underscore the ways in which senior living organizations are enhancing quality of life, operational effectiveness, and community connection through innovation. The 2026 Best of the Best awards were presented during a special ceremony at the Senior Living Executive Conference, powered by HMP Global, celebrating the extraordinary people who make senior living communities vibrant, safe, and meaningful places to call home. Learn more about the contributions of this year’s winners.
About Argentum:
Argentum is the leading national association exclusively dedicated to supporting companies operating professionally managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the older adults and families they serve. Since 1990, Argentum has advocated for choice, independence, dignity, and quality of life for all older adults.
Argentum member companies operate senior living communities offering assisted living, independent living, continuing care, and memory care services. Along with its state partners, Argentum’s membership represents approximately 75 percent of the senior living industry—an industry with a national economic impact of nearly a quarter of a trillion dollars and responsible for providing over 1.6 million jobs. For more information, visit www.argentum.org.
About HMP Global:
For 40 years, the company has built trusted brands including Psych Congress, the premier source for mental health education, and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. HMP Global partners with leading experts around the world to deliver more than 450 annual events, medical strategy and marketing for pharmaceutical and medical device customers through HMP Collective, and pharmaceutical market insight, engaging a global community of healthcare stakeholders that includes nearly 2 million clinicians across 600 medical specialties as well as managed care, behavioral health, senior living, emergency medical, and pharmaceutical commercialization professionals.
Media Contact:
Stephanie Robert
Vice President, Marketing, Content and Member Services
Argentum
[email protected]