Seniors For Living

The assisted living industry has weathered a few storms of late, as more state regulators move towards stricter regulations, a movement spurred on by consumers, consumer advocates, and even some providers. (Read up on the controversies and conflicts here.)

A new SeniorHousingNews.com article offers the latest news from that battlefront, focusing particularly on the need for education. Said Ginger Lynch Landy, part of the Assisted Living Federation of America’s legal team, “the biggest barrier is a lack of understanding of the model.”

As the model has only been in existence for about 25 years, per the piece, there is still much for all players, not just those in state government, to learn. A better understanding of what assisted living is, what services it can or should provide, and how to ensure quality care without driving up costs associated with more regulations, is something that policymakers, providers and the public should strive towards.

Of course, part of the problem (or opportunity) lies in the fact that assisted living is regulated at the state level, so there are 50 different assisted living models in the US. This makes educating the public much more of a challenge. However, since assisted living is probably not going anywhere anytime soon, it’s probably worth the effort.

Do you agree?