About 8.5 months ago I posted about moving my mom into assisted living. Today, we drove away from that assisted living center for the last time as she moved to a new center. One that we are both excited about and marks a new chapter.
I’ve learned so much about long term care for aging populations these past months. The good, the bad, and the ugly. There is a tremendous need to invest in new solutions as the largest aging generation comes to a head with high costs of living, depleting savings, and soaring healthcare costs.
A few quick thoughts before I unplug for a self-care afternoon after 12 hours of moving yesterday followed by a doctors appointment and final moving to-do’s earlier today:
1. Assisted living centers are not regulated as much as nursing homes. We need federal regulations to set basic requirements pertaining to food (including food inspections the same as restaurants face), care and communication standards, pricing transparency, cleanliness, reporting, and filing grievances.
2. Once set at the federal level, states need to be held accountable for their state laws and regulations for assisted living centers, uniform across for-profit and non-profit centers.
3. Conflicts of interest between owners of privately-owned assisted living centers who also serve as elected officials, influencing the budget and resourcing of consumer watchdog groups, need to at the very least be made public.
4. Websites should be easy for consumers to navigate, including how to file grievances, again with cost transparency, and more critical information to navigate supporting a loved one in assisted living.
5. Assisted living centers should be required to have cameras in the hallways to monitor who exits and enters rooms, and when. The same applies for managing who gains access to buildings beyond just a “sign yourself in” setup. Security and safety are minimalistic.
After a cleanliness/sanitation issue in February, I learned from state agencies that retaliation is a very real concern for those who need to file a complaint. We need a path for safely submitting and investigating complaints.
And, we need more funding for the Ombudsman program, which serves as the only real frontline defense and advocate for the consumer navigating assisted living centers.
I am grateful to do the work that I do as an investor and researcher, as I come away from these experiences knowing I can use my newly gained insights to create a positive impact at scale.
And thanks to everyone for the support and comradery this past while. If you are a caregiver to a loved one, know I stand in solidarity with you and I see you. ❤️
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