Assisted living executives see federalization as a major challenge
Assisted living operators need to be more proactive if federal rules for the industry are to be avoided. Greater involvement at the state level, combined with education efforts, is the key to making this happen. That's according to panelists at a Senior Living panel Thursday at the Assisted Living Federation of America's 2011 Conference & Expo in Orlando.“The best way to guard against federal legislation is to have strong state legislation,” said Brenda Bacon, the president and CEO of Brandywine Senior Living. Bacon added that operators need to be more involved with their state associations, but that they also need to give regulators and lawmakers more context and a better understanding of the realities of assisted living care.
“Most of the game for assisted living is at the state level,” noted Pat Mulloy, the president and CEO of Senior Care, Inc.
The panel also addressed increasing resident acuity, and how the line between assisted living and skilled care could blur. One possible remedy might be the development of a new hybrid category called “transitional care,” they said. ALFA's annual meeting ended Thursday.
