On January 25th, the Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing to examine the state of assisted living in America. The Committee took action following a series of news reports from The New York Times and The Washington Post highlighting challenges pertaining to care quality, safety, costs, and staffing. The hearing, “Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults,” was the first hearing the Committee has held on assisted living in 20 years, according to Chairman Robert Casey (D-PA). Chairman Casey and Ranking Member Mike Braun (R-IN) expressed strong interest in understanding the impacts of workforce on resident care and what policies and supports are needed to ensure that all older adults can afford care.
Ranking Member Braun also highlighted two bills LeadingAge supports, S. 2853, the Train More Nurses Act, passed by the Senate on January 24th, which would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study and issue a report on grant programs to support the nursing workforce, and S. 2442, the PELL Act, which would increase access for low-income borrowers to participate in short-term training programs.
Other topics covered by the Committee members and witnesses included challenges in accessing affordable assisted living services; the need for more recruitment and training programs, particularly in dementia care; and the need for greater transparency for consumers. Many of these issues were reflected in LeadingAge’s written testimony submitted to the Committee in advance of the hearing, as well as LeadingAge’s public statement following the hearing.
Finally, the hearing included a request from Democratic Senators for the Government Accountability Office to study assisted living costs and transparency for consumers, and a call for stories from families on their experiences with assisted living. LeadingAge will continue to monitor any developments that follow.
