Protections Consumers Need
Consumer Reports recommends these 6 steps to improve care in assisted
living.
It’s clear that the assisted living industry needs to evolve
to manage the increasing health needs of the population it aims to attract. In
that vein, more federal and state regulatory oversight is urgently needed to
protect residents and their families. CR believes policy makers should better
protect consumers of assisted living facilities by doing the following:
1. Define Assisted Living and Levels of Care
The term “assisted living” can describe anything from a facility that merely offers room and board to one that provides full-time nursing care. As a result, confused consumers can end up paying for services they don’t need or, worse, not getting the care they do need. Policy makers should establish and clearly define level-of-care classifications, and facilities should be required to use the classifications to communicate the assisted living services they offer.
The term “assisted living” can describe anything from a facility that merely offers room and board to one that provides full-time nursing care. As a result, confused consumers can end up paying for services they don’t need or, worse, not getting the care they do need. Policy makers should establish and clearly define level-of-care classifications, and facilities should be required to use the classifications to communicate the assisted living services they offer.
2. Set Staffing and Training Standards
Staff training and qualification requirements, and minimum per-resident staffing levels, should be set according to level-of-care classifications. Qualified, licensed medical staff should monitor the overall health of residents and administration of medications. Special staffing requirements should be established for residents with high-level care requirements, including residents with dementia.
Staff training and qualification requirements, and minimum per-resident staffing levels, should be set according to level-of-care classifications. Qualified, licensed medical staff should monitor the overall health of residents and administration of medications. Special staffing requirements should be established for residents with high-level care requirements, including residents with dementia.
3. Establish Resident Rights
Policy makers should establish a comprehensive Bill of Rights to ensure some basic rights for residents, including the right to make everyday decisions; receive visitors at any time; refuse treatment; access and control their own money; question and object to facility practices and policies; make formal complaints to administrators and regulators; and bring lawsuits seeking court orders to stop illegal activities and violations and to compensate residents for rights, standards, or contractual violations (a right that should prevail even when residents have signed forced-arbitration clauses, which should be restricted).
Policy makers should establish a comprehensive Bill of Rights to ensure some basic rights for residents, including the right to make everyday decisions; receive visitors at any time; refuse treatment; access and control their own money; question and object to facility practices and policies; make formal complaints to administrators and regulators; and bring lawsuits seeking court orders to stop illegal activities and violations and to compensate residents for rights, standards, or contractual violations (a right that should prevail even when residents have signed forced-arbitration clauses, which should be restricted).
4. Support Aging in Place
Policy makers should narrow the number of allowable reasons for evicting residents. Reasonable accommodations should be made, when possible, to allow a resident to remain in a facility, and all services allowable under a resident’s level-of-care designation should be made available. If a resident who initially paid privately goes on Medicaid and resides in a Medicaid-certified facility, that facility should be required to accept Medicaid reimbursement for that resident.
Policy makers should narrow the number of allowable reasons for evicting residents. Reasonable accommodations should be made, when possible, to allow a resident to remain in a facility, and all services allowable under a resident’s level-of-care designation should be made available. If a resident who initially paid privately goes on Medicaid and resides in a Medicaid-certified facility, that facility should be required to accept Medicaid reimbursement for that resident.
5. Enforce Regulations
Policy makers should establish rules requiring inspections tied to levels of care. Penalties for violations should be strengthened and applied on a per-violation and per-day basis.
Policy makers should establish rules requiring inspections tied to levels of care. Penalties for violations should be strengthened and applied on a per-violation and per-day basis.
6. Make Price and Quality Information
Transparent
Policy makers should establish a system that enables consumers to compare costs, features, and services across facilities and types of facilities, including information related to facility inspections and disciplinary actions.
Policy makers should establish a system that enables consumers to compare costs, features, and services across facilities and types of facilities, including information related to facility inspections and disciplinary actions.
Editor’s Note: This
article also appeared in the October 2017 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Blog reprinted from article called: Elder Care and Assisted Living: Who Will Care for You? By Penelope Wang, August 31, 2017, https://www.consumerreports.org/elder-care/elder-care-and-assisted-living-who-will-care-for-you/
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