One;of;the;great;joys;of;my;work;at;ALFA;is;visiting;assisted;living;communities when;I;travel.;I;try;to;see;at;least;one;community;on;every;out-of-town;trip.
The;truism;that;“when;you’ve;seen;one;assisted;living;community…you’ve;seen;one
assisted;living;community”;is;reinforced;on;every;visit.;Each;assisted;living;com-munity;is;very;different—
except;that;they;all;have;in;common;very;dedicated;execu-tives;and;staff;serving;seniors;and;their;families.
Each;time;I;leave;the;city,;I;enjoy;the;double;benefit;of;traveling;to;someplace;that
fills;the;spirit;(an;assisted;living;community);and;away;from;someplace;that,;too;often,
depresses;and;deflates;(“inside;the;beltway”;of;Washington,;D.C.).
Not;much;will;happen;inside;the;beltway;between;now;and;the;first;half;of;2009.
Washington;is;largely;preoccupied;with;the;November;election,;yet;Republicans;and
Democrats;will;be;busy;introducing;legislation,;holding;hearings;(more;on;steroids
in;baseball?),;and;continuing;to;neutralize;each;other’s;initiatives.
Thus,;much;of;ALFA’s;efforts;in;2008;will;focus;on;preparing;for;what;may;hap-
pen;in;2009—after;a;new;administration;settles;in.;In;the;interim,;we;will;continue;to
educate;our;elected;officials;in;the;U.S.;Congress;about;assisted;living.;(“No,;Senator,
an;assisted;living;community;is;not;a;nursing;home…”)
In;February;we;held;an;Advocacy;Day;during;which;a;record;number;of;our;ALFA
member;executives;visited;a;record;number;of;members;of;the;U.S.;Senate;and
House;of;Representatives;and;their;staff.;A;second;Advocacy;Day;will;be;held;in;April
to;ensure;our;voice;is;heard;about;the;so-called;Employee;Free;Choice;Act,;which
represents;organized;labor’s;attempt;to;eliminate;the;right;of;employees;to;vote;for
or;against;a;union.
ALFA’s;highest;priority;in;2008;involves;what’s;happening;“outside;the;belt-
way”—our;effort;to;align;state;laws;and;regulations;with;ALFA’s;Core;Principles.
(See;www.alfa.org/CorePrinciples.);Our;efforts;focus;on;continuing;to;ensure;state
regulations;remain;resident-focused;and;reflect;consumers’;changing;needs.;In;the
states;that;lack;resident-focused;regulations,;we;will;work;to;support;more;appropri-ate;and;progressive;legislation.
“Raising;the;bar”;for;excellence;in;each;state’s;regulations;will;provide;federal
lawmakers;with;confidence;that;the;oft-discussed;federal;intervention;in;assisted
living;is;unnecessary.;On;all;state-level;issues,;ALFA;works;closely;with;its;33;ALFA
State;Affiliates,;five;ALFA;State;Chapters,;and;ALFA;members;in;each;state;to;ensure
state-level;public;policies;and;regulations;meet;the;needs;of;the;residents;served;by
ALFA;members.
The;most;effective;advocacy;takes;root;at;home.;To;become;more;active;in;grass-roots;efforts;in;your;state,;contact;your;ALFA;State;Affiliate;or;ALFA;State;Chapter
office.;You;can;find;the;contact;information;online;at;www.alfa.org.
Serving professionally managed assisted living communities
for seniors by:
➤ driving business excellence
➤ ensuring a more informed public and
➤ influencing public policy.
The Assisted Living Federation of America is continuously raising the bar
for operational excellence in resident-centered senior living. ALFA serves as
the voice for senior living and advocates for informed choice, quality care,
and accessibility for all Americans needing assistance with long-term care.
Through the committed leadership of its member company executives,
state affiliates, and alliance partners, ALFA is creating the future of senior
living in America.
Richard P. Grimes, rgrimes@alfa.org, is president/CEO of the
Assisted Living Federation of America, www.alfa.org, representing
professionally managed assisted living communities and the
residents and families they serve.
