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Workgroup Nears Completion on Assisted Living ReportMarch 21, 2003 The report, 18 months in the making, will recommend guidelines for state regulation, federal and state policy and facility operations to promote quality in assisted living and ensure consumers’ needs are met. The guidelines address the definition of assisted living and seven topic areas: resident rights and facility ethics; staffing; medication management; direct-care services; affordability; accountability and oversight; and operations. The workgroup was formed in August 2001 at the request of Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), then chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, who asked a group of assisted living stakeholders to develop recommendations to ensure consistent access to quality care for assisted living residents. Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), the present committee chair, also has been committed to the effort since the beginning. During the past year-and-a-half, the workgroup’s deliberations have been characterized by lively debate, consensus and healthy compromise. Where opinions have differed, the process has provided workgroup members the opportunity to file supplemental positions, which will be reflected in the report. The commitment has been to work collaboratively to improve the quality of care in assisted living for every consumer. It has reached significant agreement, for the first time between divergent stakeholders, on what assisted living is, how to ensure that meeting consumer needs and preferences remain at the core of assisted living regulation and operation, recommended minimum standards, and a way to develop practical and reliable outcome measurements. The strength of the report will be the consensus reached, the explanation of the divergent opinions, and its usefulness in assuring quality in assisted living. Preliminary components of the report can be seen at www.alworkgroup.org Participants in the Assisted Living Workgroup include:
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