Since January 2012, 18 states have undergone state-assisted regulatory policy changes for eldercare communities. Of those states, nine have made major changes, according to a report from the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL).
The nine states that made major adjustments to eldercare – Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Washington – are at the forefront of a nationwide trend that is seeing state governments rethink the way they administer support for advanced-age citizens. According to the report, moves made by states included adding to or adjusting disclosure or reporting requirements, changing life safety or physical therapy plant standards, revising or adding admission/retention thresholds, adjusting rules relating to medication management and modifying staffing requirements.
While the actions taken by state governments ranged from minor tweaks in the official language of a state's eldercare industry to passing bills that overhauled the reporting system for abuse claims, the report showed that many administrations are taking the need for elderly living solutions more seriously.
As we've previously reported, the overall aging of the American population has put stress on assisted living communities, with more individuals looking for housing solutions that focus on independent senior living. However, in the face of staffing shortages and the economic struggles of many older individuals, it's harder for assisted living communities to keep costs down while maintaining quality care.
This is why companies like Independa provide telemonitoring solutions that reduce the need for constant supervision by eldercare support staff. With services like our Caregiver Web App, care managers can set up social calendars, prescription reminders and alerts to make sure the care recipient has eaten his or her meals. By using a remote dashboard to coordinate the schedules and alerts, current support staff can be more productive and efficient by monitoring more residents with the personnel that is already in place. To learn more about Independa's services, visit our contact us page to reach us via email.
