SHOW TIME.

IT'S NOT ALWAYS TRUE OF TRADE shows, but the opening session of Assisted Living 1999 truly helped set the tone for the two-and-a half-day conference held jointly by ALFA and Contemporary. ALFA Chair Al Holbrook began by rallying attendees with his pep-talk tone. Though he acknowledged the whims of the stock market and other troubles weighing the industry down, he buoyed spirits with such calls to arms as "America needs us," and "Let's never, never, never give up and give in." Contemporary publisher Nick Pappas praised the value of partnerships, and deserving award winners glowed in the spotlight. Dynamo keynote speaker Barry S. Scheur wrapped up the invigorating session. President of Scheur Management Group, Scheur, who is blind, was led quietly to the mike. He may as well have charged the stage. With his unabashed, in-your-face style, he not only charmed and entertained but also informed, drawing insightful parallels between managed care--his main field of expertise--and assisted living. Urging providers in this hot senior housing sector not to rest on their laurels, he launched into a satirical look at titles from a hypothetical future best seller list; among the most memorable were Staffing with Robots, Servicing Your Customers Without Coming in Contact with Them, and How to Turn Your Garage into an Assisted Living Facility. Later he joked, "Is there a movie coming out called 'Private Pay lasts Forever?' It doesn't, and it won't."

The buzz. Many attendees were still talking about the recent conference of the American Health Care Association--and not in glowing terms. Vendors in particular were disgruntled about the show, which was held in Honolulu in late September. High shipping costs coupled with light traffic in the exhibit hall were their chief complaints.

In between sessions, while downing the hotel's super-sized brownies, many attendees talked about staffing. Concerns about a shortage of workers was a central theme at sessions also, with presenters and attendees trading tips on how to counter the trend. Alterra managers talked about paying college students $500 for tuition and books in exchange for 20 hours of work each week. Others suggested part-time shifts when more hands are needed, The biz. Attendees seemed intent on taking home as much new knowledge as possible. One woman was overheard weighing the downside of rush hour traffic against the benefits of attending a late afternoon session on risk management. She decided to stick around. And many sessions were standing-room-only. Particularly well-attended was "Truly Affordable Assisted Living: Myths v. Realities," presented by Jim Moore, president of Moore Diversified Services, and Robert Mollica, deputy director of the Academy for State Health Policy. Another hot seminar covered the nurse's expanding role in assisted living.

At the opening session, Susan Reinhard, deputy commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services, was awarded ALFA's Public Policy Pioneer Award, for her role in developing the state's innovative Medicaid waiver program for assisted living. Winners of Contemporary's annual Order of Excellence design competition were honored at a luncheon. A poor sound system--and some said poorer manners--marred the ceremony, however, but jury chair Victor Regnier carried on, bestowing the awards even as the back half of the nearly full ballroom opted to talk amongst themselves.

The best. Steady doses of humor carried attendees through the meeting. Presenter Hammond Hunt, president of Hunt Assisted Living, noted that "Americans can overbuild anything." Quoting George Will on the difference between Americans and Germans, he said, "When a German sees a speed limit, that's the law; when an American sees it, that's a challenge to entrepreneurship." But speakers were also serious in their challenges to attendees, "Your mission now--and you are obligated to accept it--is not to screw it up," Scheur said. "Not to screw it up for your investors, your parents, and your residents."

JUST THE FACTS

Who: Assisted Living Federation of America and Contemporary Long Term Care

What: Assisted Living 1999

Where: Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington. Virginia

When: October 3-5 Number of attendees

(non-exhibitors): 668

Number of exhibitors: 114