Register for New Federal Study Affirms Philosophy
Assisted LivingSeptember 10, 2001
2001 SEP 10 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- At a time when the U.S. is moving toward home and community-based services such as assisted living over traditional institutional care, a new federal study affirms that assisted living is an "important" option that is delivering "a high degree of consistency" on key philosophical promises such as privacy and autonomy and "has many components valued by consumers."
"It is very gratifying to learn that there is high degree of consistency between the assisted living philosophy of personal dignity and independence and actual experiences of our residents. At the same time, we are pleased that industry efforts to address staffing and other typical challenges are right in line with what the findings indicate may be needed," said Karen A. Wayne, president/CEO of the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA). "While the natural inclination is to focus on the areas that need improvement, the report was generally positive and will be useful in helping providers and state regulators ensure assisted living is the best it can be."
The just-released national study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the latest in a series on assisted living and particularly focuses on residents and staff of communities that fall into the high service and/or high privacy category of assisted living. It specifically addresses consistency with the assisted living philosophy, services, staffing, cost, and the ability for residents to age in place and/or substitute assisted living for nursing home care.
Among major findings of the study were mixed results on staffing. Residents give staff high satisfaction ratings for treating them with dignity and respect (79%) and caring and affection (61%) - key goals of assisted living. At the same time, only 42% of residents report that an adequate number of staff is always available and 28% say that their facility is very successful in retaining good staff. Resident perceptions of training excellence and of staff attentiveness were mixed (52%).
"At a time when all health care providers face a nationwide staffing shortage, there is no doubt that the recruitment and retention of adequate staff is the number-one challenge for assisted living providers," said Wayne. To address these issues, ALFA supports federal legislative efforts to increase the pool of available workers, has created a number of certification and training courses for caregivers and other staff, and is working on recommendations for states.
"A key component of good care is training. The fact that residents are pleased with the current level of respect and affection indicates we're attracting people who enjoy working with the elderly. There's no doubt that appropriate training enhances employee commitment to the job, making it a profession that is more attractive for recruitment, as well," added Wayne.
The study was inconclusive on the ability of residents to "age in place" as a permanent substitute for nursing home care. While it clearly indicates an overarching desire of residents to remain in assisted living, it questions the adequacy of current services to meet the needs of those extremely ill with physical and mental impairment. The annual resident turnover rate is 41%.
To put this issue into context, most states restrict how long someone can receive care in assisted living once their needs become advanced. At the same time, the federal government, since the 1999 Olmstead versus LC Supreme Court decision, has been urging states to promote the right of the frail elderly and disabled persons to receive care in home and community-based settings such as assisted living.
"State and federal trends on aging in place were not mentioned in the report but are key to understanding this important issue. We don't believe that residents should have to move out because their needs move up. But that's a very individualized decision that should be made collaboratively by the resident, family, physician, and assisted living community," said Wayne.
Through its ongoing Informed Choice campaign, ALFA reinforces the right of consumers to choose where and how to receive care, as well as the importance of providing consumers with adequate information so that they can make informed decisions.
"Through our Informed Choice campaign, we are working with states to favor case-by-case decision-making so that residents need not fear an automatic move to nursing homes once their needs increase," said Wayne.
Often, creative solutions to increasing care needs are found through the use of home health care and other third party providers.
"We know that residents want choice and that, in fact, the ability for residents to make their own day-to-day choices makes an already pleasant homelike environment into a true home. When you add choice to the wide range of services available in assisted living, it is an extremely attractive option for the elderly and their families," said Wayne. This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports.
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