We're not a glamorous industry. While assisted living can be less regulated than nursing homes, it is hardly stress free. This business is census-driven. Census is the term managers use for the number of residents living in a center, versus the number of empty rooms. If a center is less than 90 percent full, it is usually not making money.
Resources can be tight, and corporate or private owners can be unhappy.
In Washington particularly, Feeney said, some corporations have built too many centers. If census is down, there may be pressure to take in residents who need greater care, Yanez said, and that can cause problems in meeting care levels. You have to have money to provide the buildings and services. But you have to have the right balance. That means owners and managers need to feel a certain calling to provide good homes for the elderly, as well as be motivated to turn a profit.