Assisted Living Executive to Senior Living Executive

RIcHARD P. gRIMES, AlFA president/CeO rgrimes@alfa.org twitter.com/rickgrimes publisher

DEBRA J. StRAttON

edi TOr

LISA JuNKER

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ANgELA HIcKMAN BRAD Y

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tERESA tOBAt

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ADAM StONE, AN YA MARtIN, BRYAN OcHALLA

Ar T direCTOr

JANELLE WELcH

nATiOnAl sAles MAnAger

StEvE ScHWANZ

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For circulation information, call 703.894.1805.

Insights and critical review provided by the

ALFA OPERAtIONAL ExcELLENcE ADvISORY PANEL tHOMAS cROAL, CFO, silverado senior living, CFO Roundtable JENNIFER WEISt, director of Clinical services, Carlton senior living,

Clinical Quality Roundtable

ALAN FAIRBANKS, evp, bickford senior living, COO Roundtable JuDD HARPER, COO, The Arbor Company, COO Roundtable gu Y HEMOND, director dining service, benchmark senior living,

Dining Service Roundtable

ANNA DE LA cERDA, director of licensing and public policy, emeritus senior living, Government Relations Roundtable

ANDREA tEIcHMAN, svp and general Counsel, benchmark senior living, Government Relations Roundtable gLENN MAuL, svp human resources, brookdale senior living,

Human Resources Roundtable

ScOtt RANSON, Chief information Officer, brookdale senior living,

Information Technology Roundtable

MIcHELLE HAMILtON, svp of Operations, Country Meadows retirement, Regional Executives Roundtable

AARON D’cOStA, Chief business development Officer, pathway senior living, llC, Sales and Marketing Roundtable tHOMAS BAKER, svp sales and Marketing, Country Meadows retirement, Sales and Marketing Roundtable

StEvEN HEANEY, vp of development, brandywine senior living,

Regional Executives Roundtable

published by tHE ASSIStED LIvINg FEDERAtION OF AMERIcA, Alexandria, virginia. Senior Living Executive (print issn 2161-6698, online issn 2161-67ix) is published bimonthly by the Assisted living Federation of America, 1650 King street, suite 602, Alexandria, virginia 22314. periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, vA, and additional mailing offices. AlFA member companies receive subscriptions for staff as part of their membership. Free controlled subscriptions are also available to qualified individuals in the senior living business. senior living and other professionals who do not qualify may purchase an annual subscription: $95 for individuals and $125 for institutions. go to www.alfa.org/subscribe for details. pOs TMAs Ter: send Address ChAnges TO

Senior Living Executive, 1650 King street, suite 602, Alexandria, virginia 22314 703.894.1805. printed in usA. Copyright 2011. prior to photocopying items for educational classroom, internal, or personal use, please contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Customer service, 978.750.8400, 222 rose wood dr., danvers, MA 01923 or check CCC Online at www.copyright. com. Senior Living Executive will not be responsible for the return of any unsolicited manuscripts or photographs.

Copyright ©2011 Assisted living Federation of America. All rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form— print, electronic, or otherwise—without written permission from AlFA.

One Conversation at a Time
We were invited to participate in the annual meeting of the Association of Health Fa- cility Survey Agencies (AHFSA)—the larger of two national associations of state reg-
ulators—held last month in Seattle. Sue Farrow (Integral Senior Living), Melanie Werdel
(Emeritus Senior Living), Maribeth Bersani (ALFA’s SVP of public policy), and I took the
opportunity to help AHFSA members understand the sharp differentiation between the
professionally managed assisted living communities serving seniors (like yours) and all
those under their watch who serve other populations in the name of “assisted living.”
During our time at AHFSA, we put to rest the notion that our members are driven to
excellence only because regulators and surveyors keep them on their toes when, actually,
the provider’s incentive to do well has little to do with them. Our members are superior
performers (and inherently compliant with state regulations) because of their commitment
to providing quality care for seniors and because they know that seniors have a choice about
where they live. That is, Mrs. Jones can “vote with her feet” and move to the competition
down the street if she (or her family) doesn’t feel she is getting the attention or quality
service she deserves and for which she is paying.

Richard P. Grimes, rgrimes@alfa.org, is president/CEO of the Assisted Living Federation of America, www.alfa.org, representing professionally managed senior living communities and the residents and families they serve.