Regulation varies dramatically from state to state.
It is time for policymakers, industry, and consumers to join together to develop national quality standards. Assisted living originated as an alternative for people needing some assistance with daily activities, but not the intensive medical care provided in nursing homes. Some states simply do not have adequate standards or consumer protections in place and this can have deadly consequences. Last August in our community, an elderly woman died in an assisted living facility due to hemorrhaging from her dialysis shunt. Two times, she pressed her call button for help, but the assisted living facility staff cleared the alarms and reset the machines both times.