Sixteen states made changes to assisted living regulations, statutes, and policies in 2011, according to the National Center for Assisted Living’s 2012 edition of “Assisted Living State Regulatory Review,” and several more have changes in the works.
Four of those states (Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, and South Dakota) made “major” changes, according to Karl Polzer, NCAL’s senior policy director and the report’s author. And Florida, along with several other states, is considering major changes this year.
Six states added or revised education and training requirements, including Washington, which began requiring most new direct care workers to take 75 hours of training within 120 days of being hired, and then to become certified as home care aides within 150 days.
Medicaid changes impacted assisted living residents in several states, the report found. For example, New Jersey assisted living residents who receive Medicaid must choose a healthcare provider from within a managed care network, and Colorado’s Medicaid agency is making changes that are supposed to ensure assisted living communities serving Medicaid clients are “home-like and integrated into the community.”
Other regulatory changes include disclosure of information to consumers, infection control, discharge/transfer between sites, move-in and move-out criteria, and medication managment.
The 241-page report, which contains state-by-state information on assisted living definitions, requirements, training protocol, and various state Medicaid programs can be viewed here.
Written by Alyssa Gerace
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