SILVER BULLET HITS THE ROAD

WITH AN LTC MESSAGE

When;Stephen;A.;Moses,;president;of the;Seattle-based;Center;for;Long-Term;Care;Reform,;saw;the;Airstream trailer,;he;knew;he;had;found;more;than a;cost-effective;combination;of;transporta-tion;and;lodging;for;the;“National;Long-Term;Care;Consciousness;Tour.”;The iconic,;sleek;aluminum;trailer;has;become the;“Silver;Bullet;of;Long-Term;Care,”;to bring;attention;to;the;grassroots;campaign that;takes;place;throughout;this;year.

“The;public;needs;to;look;at;long-term care;through;the;windshield,;not;through the;rearview;mirror,”;Moses;says.;“The reality;is;that;the;[Medicaid];safety;net;will not;be;there.”

During;the;tour,;Moses;will;not;only engage;in;advocacy,;but;also;educate and;consult;with;key;stakeholders;about

how;non-Medicaid-based;long-term;care financial;planning;results;in;better;care;for most;seniors.;He;will;meet;with;long-term care;providers,;insurers,;reverse;mortgage specialists,;financial;advisers,;think;tanks, political;officials,;media;representatives, local;businesses;serving;seniors,;and senior;advocates.

Being;primarily;private-pay,;assisted living;communities;are;in;a;unique;posi-tion;to;benefit;when;seniors;don’t;divest themselves;economically;to;qualify;for Medicaid;and;instead;utilize;such;methods as;long-term;care;insurance;and;reverse mortgages,;Moses;says.;Communities;that are;able;to;educate;consumers;about;long-term;care;insurance;and;reverse;mortgag-es;will;have;a;leg;up;in;driving;occupancy, he;explains.

Throughout;2008,;Moses;will;spend two;months;each;in;six;regions,;starting in;the;Southeast;in;January/February; Southwest;in;March/April;;Central/East in;May/June;;Northeast;in;July/August; Midwest;in;September/October;;and;West in;November/December.

Moses;is;funding;initial;expenses;for the;trip;out;of;pocket,;including;$75,000 to;purchase;the;Airstream;and;the;silver FJ;Cruiser;to;pull;it,;but;also;is;seeking sponsors;who;will;both;partner;in;his efforts;and;receive;valuable;consulting, education,;and;networking;for;pledging;a dollar;amount;toward;each;of;the;10,000 total;miles;Moses;estimates;he’ll;cover;on the;tour.

“What;we;do;and;how;we;do;it;depends on;what;sponsors;seek;to;achieve,”;Moses says.;“We’ll;work;together;for;months;in advance;to;plan;events;and;presentations.”

To;find;out;more;about;the;National Long-Term;Care;Consciousness;Tour, arrange;a;visit;by;the;Silver;Bullet;of;Long-Term;Care,;or;become;a;tour;sponsor, contact;the;Center;for;Long-Term;Care;at 206/283-7036;or;e-mail;Moses;at smoses@centerltc.com.

2000

BROOKINgs;INs TITUTION:

MORE SENIORS OPT FOR ASSISTED lIvING

10%

2006

8% 7.4%

More seniors, particularly white and affluent seniors, are opting to move to assisted living communities, says a demographer at the Brookings Institution. The trend mirrors a decline in the number of seniors living in nursing homes.

1990

According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, 7. 4 percent of Americans age 75 and older lived in nursing homes in 2006, compared with 8 percent in 2000 and 10 percent in 1990.

According to a USA Today report, the downward turn in the nursing home population is also attributed to the improved health of seniors and more care choices.

seniors;Living;in;Nursing;Homes

The latest National Housing Survery of adults age 55+ finds that
awareness of assisted living has increased significantly in the last
decade, according to recent national survey results. Since 1998, the percentage of adults 55 years old and
older who say they are aware of assisted living has jumped 16 percent—from 59 percent to 75 percent in
2007—according to the latest National Housing Survey of Adults Age 55+. The survey also found that an
increasing number of people 60 years old and older are now residing in age-qualified housing.

In 2007, 12 percent of respondents living in age 60-plus households were in residences “planned specifically for people at least 55 years of age” compared to 7 percent of respondents in 1998. Further, seniors age 75 and over are moving out of their primary homes at a higher rate, the survey found. The average “tenure of current residence” among this age group was 24 years, down from 27 years in 1998, and 19 percent of the 75-plus households reported living in an age-qualified community in 2007.

Of households where residents are 60 years old and over, 37 percent prefer or are willing to consider age-qualified housing, up from 18 percent in 1998; 9 percent of these residents said they plan on moving to an age-qualified property in the future, which is more than double ( 4 percent) indicated in 1998.

The study was conducted by ProMatura Group for the National;Investment;Center;for;the;seniors Housing;&;Care;Industry;(NIC).

New;Finance
Director
Joins;ALFA

Gina Mamone has joined AlFA as director of finance and administration. She is responsible for managing AlFA’s daily financial operations as well as its long-term financial needs.

Mamone has a background in association financial management and most recently was director of finance and administration at Safety Net Hospitals for Pharmaceutical Access, a trade association in Washington, DC.