Current Initiatives
Each year an estimated 10 million adult children
consider assisted living for an elderly loved one. Studies on assisted
living from the U.S. General Accountability Office and the 2001 Institute
on Medicine report on the status of long term care in America have identified
the lack of sufficient and appropriate information about assisted living
as a significant problem for consumers. Quality, informative consumer materials
and resources continue to be CCAL’s
chief priority. Current efforts include:
Consumer/Caregiver Education & Information Resources
Promotion of Quality Assisted Living Consumer Care & Services
Consulting
Consumer/Caregiver Education & Information
Resources
Consumer video “Choosing Assisted Living…What You Need
to Know”
CCAL, working with an Emmy award-winning production
company, developed an outstanding public education video. This compelling
25-minute video helps individuals navigate the often complex array of
assisted living considerations through the voices and experiences of
residents, family members and professionals. Critical decisions, frequently
made during a crisis with little consumer information available, have
often led to unsettling consequences for vulnerable older adults as well
as their caring families. The video won the 2004 National Mature Market
Media Silver Award for excellence.
Consumer booklet “Choosing an Assisted Living Facility: Considerations
for Making the Right Decision”
This booklet assists consumers in addressing the many questions and issues
they should consider before making a selection on an assisted living facility.
It details what to look for and what to ask when evaluating a facility, and
has been selected by Smart Money magazine as the best consumer guide for
this process.
Website
CCAL’s website provides consumers with information, industry updates,
research, and links to other resources as well as a message board to
submit questions and concerns for personalized assistance. Last year, the
website received over 200,000 visits. The expansion, currently under way,
will provide increased informational capabilities, including links to other
relevant resources.
Media
CCAL works with national and local print media on articles throughout
the year to help educate consumers and the general public about assisted
living issues. Articles have appeared in The Boston
Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Business Week,
Consumer Reports, Kiplinger’s, New
York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, TIME,
US News and World Report, The Houston Chronicle, The Philadelphia Inquirer,
The Oregonian, Newsweek, The Dallas News, Washington Post Magazine, Baron’s
Magazine, Richmond Times Dispatch ,and The
Charlotte Observer among
others.
Promotion of Quality Assisted Living Consumer Care & Services
Reflecting the need for improved quality in assisted living, the U.S. Senate
Special Committee on Aging convened a two-year task force (the Assisted Living
Workgroup) to provide Congress with recommended guidelines for federal and
state policy, state regulations and facility operational practices. As co-facilitator
of the ALW, CCAL played a key leadership role in this seminal national initiative.
CCAL continues its key leadership role through the following efforts:
Center of Excellence for Assisted Living (CEAL) Operating Committee
CCAL has committed to a leadership role in establishing a national Center
of Excellence for Assisted Living (CEAL). The mission of CEAL is to bring
together the diverse stakeholder entities of assisted living to foster high
quality assisted living care and services. Typically each entity works separately,
and the non coordinated efforts create a fractured system and often poor
outcomes. CEAL will coordinate efforts among the many entities by:
- Creating resources and serving as a national resource
center/clearinghouse
to promote quality efforts and practices
- Promoting and advocating for applied research to identify quality
practices in assisted living
- Providing technical assistance to states on policy, programs,
and effective practices
- Establishing an annual Quality Summit to disseminate quality
efforts in assisted living practices, research and policy
Community Initiatives
CCAL’s commitment to champion quality in elder care also recognizes
that quality initiatives are essential on the community level as well as
the national level. CCAL is dedicated to maintaining its meaningful relationships
and collaborative efforts across the aging spectrum including home, community-based
and nursing care sectors. CCAL is currently involved with the following community
initiatives: Caring Community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Albany, New
York’s Capitol District Coalition; and the Virginia Coalition for
Culture Change among others.
National Demonstration Project
CCAL has initiated a national demonstration project in collaboration
with numerous strategic national organizations, state provider associations
and assisted living and nursing facilities to identify, implement and
assess practices that enhance and improve the quality of care and quality
of life for residents. A key feature of this project will be integrating
research – practice –and
policy.
Consulting
Consulting Services
As the only national consumer advocacy and education organization, CCAL
has developed unique consumer-focused expertise. Known for its versatility
and breadth of experience, CCAL’s extensive network of assisted living
and aging experts can provide exceptional fee-based consulting services.
CCAL’s talented team has experience, knowledge and expertise in:
assisted living service delivery including quality improvement and culture
change initiatives; developing customized staff training materials and
conducting on-site training; coordinating and conducting focus groups;
public policy…. Clients include: AARP, Assisted Living University,
the Nursing Home Community Coalition of New York State, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals,
Century 21, and the Washington, DC Area Geriatric Education Center
Consortium among others.
Community Leaders’ & Public Officials’ Guide: “Assisted
Living in Your Community”
Seminars based on this unique handbook
can be conducted to educate local governments and community leaders on
the issues and community impact involved in developing assisted living
as a housing and long term care option for its citizens.
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