Gardant Management Solutions Co-president and COO Julie Simpkins stressed the need for closer collaboration between the government and private-pay senior living operators in order to maintain quality and affordability in the assisted living industry. This plea came during a U.S. Senate hearing called by Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging. The hearing was organized in response to a series of articles by the Washington Post highlighting elopements and staffing issues in assisted living and memory care communities.
Simpkins, who is one of the nation’s largest providers of assisted living, emphasized the importance of expanding Medicaid waivers from states in order to maintain affordable assisted living communities. She proposed that creating more public-private partnerships and expanding funding programs are necessary to address the growing need for more affordable long-term care options and the growing caregiver shortages.
The senior living industry, however, has been cautious about accepting government funds if they come with increased oversight. Industry advocates have stressed the need for more public-private partnerships to improve access and affordability of assisted living and to minimize the impact of increasing costs on residents and their families.
During the hearing, both Gardant’s Simpkins and other industry advocates emphasized the importance of maintaining collaborative comprehensive solutions to ensure the ability of assisted living communities to continue providing safe, quality care to residents. They also called for increased transparency, oversight, and standardization of monitoring to ensure the quality and safety of senior living services.
The hearing also highlighted the challenges faced by families when it comes to affordability of assisted living services, with costs averaging around $13,000 per month. In response, experts and advocates recommended establishing standards for training and professional development for assisted living staff, increasing access to assisted living, and improving oversight and transparency to address the evolving needs of assisted living residents.
Overall, the hearing underscored the need for a more comprehensive and equitable long-term care financing system to support both residents and senior living operators.
