GAO: Give all info.

Improved disclosure urged at ALFA meeting

WHILE MANY ASSISTED LIVING PROVIDERS ARE improving the information they disclose to consumers and the quality of care they offer, some organizations in the industry still are not fully addressing concerns such as providing key information to prospective residents as well as other concerns raised in a report last year by the General Accounting Office, according to a U.S. Senator and other industry members.

"I think you all are making progress and at the same time I think there are opportunities for improvement. Every-body knows there are a relatively small number of people who are not being as sensitive to the rules as they ought to be," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Or.) declared at a national legislative and regulatory conference in Washington sponsored by the Assisted Living Federation of America.

"Usually, it's one person that brings the rest of us down. It's an issue we have to address and move forward," added Jane Davis, government affairs director of Emeritus, an assisted living provider. Attendees agreed, however, that while they could address the issues the GAO raised in their own organizations, it was difficult to police other providers.

The GAO said many assisted living facilities did not routinely provide prospective residents with key information they need in advance so that they could compare facilities and select one appropriate to their needs. The agency also said residents of several facilities encountered problems with quality of care or consumer protection. (See "Legal Briefs," "page 43.) At a hearing following release of the GAO report, the Senate Aging Committee put the industry on notice that its performance would be under tighter scrutiny, although no new federal oversight was anticipated.

Panelists representing three companies described how they were responding to the GAO report to help the industry avoid federal regulation. To improve disclosure of information, "we clarified confusing areas like move-out criteria,." said Mauro Hemandez, public policy director of Assisted Living Concepts.

To improve quality of care, Assisted Living Concepts installed an 800 number to "make it easier for residents and families and visitors to get hold of us," explained Hemandez. The company also added four regional quality improvement managers who perform "more intensive surveys of our buildings than some state surveyors." Emeritus established an internal quality assurance program.