State Strides, Renewed
Consumer choice
fueled assisted
living advocacy
efforts and laid the
groundwork for new
legislative strategies
Efforts
By Adam Stone
FAST FORWARD
the LegisLAtive sessiOns Of the PAst six mOnths hAve seen Assisted Living mAKe strides in A few stAtes. mOre Often thAn nOt, thOugh, the AgendA Of heLPing seniOrs tO Live
› An aggressive nursing
home lobby has stymied
efforts to protect consumer
choice in Georgia, but
assisted living advocates
have laid groundwork for the
next fight.
in cOmfOrt And dignity was held hostage to an increasingly aggressive nursing
home lobby. Threatened by the strides assisted living has made in recent years, the
nursing home industry this year has shown itself to be ever more belligerent in its
efforts to turn back the tide.
› Advocates for seniors
in Virginia succeeded in
improving the process for
community assessments by
state officials.
› Lobbying efforts in Iowa
have strengthened ALFA’s
brand before local trade
associations and lawmakers,
establishing a solid basis for
a future coalition.
“To our dismay, assisted living met with exceptional opposition and political ma-
neuvering from state nursing home organizations this year,” says richard grimes,
president and CEO of the Assisted Living federation of America (ALfA). “We con-
tinued our 20-year fight for seniors’ right to choose, for independence, for dignity,
and for quality of life, while the nursing home industry seemed more interested in
preserving its dwindling market share. Ultimately, of course, emphasizing market
share over resident-centered care and choice is a losing proposition for the nursing
home industry.”
The nation’s economic environment has factored in as well, with potentially ben-
eficial new laws and regulations stalled by concerns about funding.
“In several states, legislators shelved new rules that would have been favorable
to residents of assisted living,” Grimes explains. “It seems that, worried about the
weak economy, lawmakers were reluctant to create new regulations with additional
oversight and new expenses that might further drain the state coffers.”
A representative example comes from California. At press time, lawmakers were
still debating a proposal that would mandate state inspections once a year, replac-
