News

CEAL@UNC is dedicated to promoting national partnerships and dissemination opportunities that advance the well-being of those who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy. In calendar year 2025, CEAL@UNC presented to the following groups and organizations: Organization Date of Presentation AHCA/NCAL Annual Quality Summit March 2024

Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, is a guest columnist in McKnight’s Senior Living. The fourth article in this series discusses the current federal footprint in assisted living and current related regulation. The article, “Is It Time for the Federal Government to Become More Involved in Assisted Living?,” reframes the titular question and explains […]

CEAL@UNC’s staff and executive board recently published a partner perspective in Caring for the Ages, the official newspaper of PALTmed. The article “Advancing Excellence in Assisted Living: The Evolution of CEAL@UNC,” charts the course of CEAL and its transition to CEAL@UNC, as well as its role in advancing the well-being of those who live and […]

Rory Farrand, Vice President of Palliative and Advanced Care at the National Alliance for Care at Home, recently presented about palliative and hospice care in assisted living communities and other long-term care settings to CEAL@UNC’s Strategic Advisors. View the presentation below:

The CEAL@UNC Advisory Board recently met with representatives from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to share their perspectives on federal funding and the accessibility of assisted living services. The meeting discussed the role of public funding in an industry that is predominantly private pay and strategies to enhance accessibility of assisted living services based on […]

Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, is a guest columnist in McKnight’s Senior Living. The third article in this regular series discusses transparency in assisted living as it gains increasing focus at both the state and federal levels. The article “The Three-Legged Stool of Assisted Living Communication: Clear, Timely, and Relevant,” introduces a practical […]

CEAL@UNC Executive Director Sheryl Zimmerman was recently quoted in McKnight’s Senior Living in an article discussing federal legislation expected to be introduced by US Senator Mark Kelly in the coming months. The Advancing Supportive Services, Information Sharing, and Transparency for Evidence-informed Decisions in Assisted Living Act (ASSISTED in Assisted Living Act) seeks to: 1. Establish […]

Teresa Hoosier, Associate Clinical Director at the Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC); Terrence Carolan, Managing Director at CARF International; and Sapna Patel, Director of The Joint Commission, recently presented about the accreditation in assisted living to CEAL@UNC’s Strategic Advisors. View the presentation below:

The seventh wave of the National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS) has now begun. CEAL@UNC friends and affiliates are asked to encourage assisted living and other post-acute/LTC providers that receive a data collection packet to participate in the study, as well as to share how they have used NPALS data in their work. The […]

CEAL@UNC recently convened a special meeting of its Strategic Advisors at the invitation of U.S. Senator Mark Kelly’s office to provide commentary on the draft legislation: Advancing Supportive Services, Information Sharing, and Transparency for Evidence-Informed Decisions in Assisted Living Act (ASSISTED in Assisted Living Act). This opportunity underscores the value of CEAL@UNC’s diverse Strategic Advisors […]

Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, is a guest columnist in McKnight’s Senior Living. The second article in this regular series notes that a defining characteristic of assisted living is the provision of person-centered services and policies promoting quality of life, privacy, choice, dignity, inclusion and independence, and asks why those core principles of […]

CEAL@UNC is dedicated to promoting national partnerships and dissemination opportunities that advance the well-being of those who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy. In calendar year 2024, CEAL@UNC presented to the following groups and organizations: Organization Date of Presentation Argentum Public Policy Institute March 2024 Voice PA September 2024 Annual […]

Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, is now a guest columnist in McKnight’s Senior Living. The first article in this regular series is “Toward a Common Definition of Assisted Living,” which promotes CEAL@UNC’s definition of assisted living for industry-wide use. This definition addresses the diversity of assisted living, while also highlighting person-centeredness, evolving resident […]

CEAL@UNC submitted commentary for the Aging in The United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging created by the Administration for Community Living. This report “lays the groundwork for a coordinated effort — across the private and public sectors and in partnership with older adults, family caregivers, the aging services network, and […]

Dan Stewart, Deputy Director of The Aging Equality Project at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, and Sherrill Wayland, Senior Director of Special Initiatives and Partnerships at SAGE, presented about LGBTQ+ inclusion in assisted living and the Long-Term Care Equality Index to CEAL@UNC’s Strategic Advisors. View the presentation below:

CEAL@UNC recently developed a checklist of the consensus expert medical and mental health care recommendations that are being promoted and disseminated by the Be Well in AL coalition, one of CEAL’s practice core featured projects. Be Well in AL was established after the publication of these recommendations in the Journal of the American Medical Association […]

Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, was quoted in McKnight’s Senior Living about the recently published Health Affairs commentary “Does Assisted Living Provide Assistance and Promote Living?”, which she co-authored with CEAL@UNC affiliates Drs. Paula Carder and Kali Thomas and LeadingAge senior vice president of research Dr. Robyn Stone. The article examined the growing needs […]

Dr. Tetyana Shippee, Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, recently presented about the development of the Minnesota Assisted Living Report Card to CEAL@UNC’s Strategic Advisors. View the presentation below:

CEAL@UNC submitted a Statement for the Congressional Record related to the introduction of the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act by Senator Robert Casey (D-PA), Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). This act recognizes the essential role of professional caregivers in serving older adults and those with disabilities in a variety of home, […]

Dr. Sheryl Zimmerman, Executive Director of CEAL@UNC, was featured on the front page of McKnight’s January/February issue. She spoke with McKnight’s about the transition to CEAL@UNC, emphasizing increased capacity while maintaining the same mission: advancing the well-being of the people who live and work in assisted living through research, practice, and policy. View the issue […]

Nicolette Reilly, Senior Vice President of Quality at the Oregon Health Care Association (OHCA), presented about Oregon’s acuity-based staffing tool (ABST) to CEAL@UNC’s Strategic Advisors. Her presentation informed the group about ABST’s intent, implementation, and ongoing challenges. View the presentation below:

Press Release – Last week’s U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging’s hearing on assisted living shone a national spotlight on the continued challenges facing the industry.  Staffing concerns, rising costs, and resident safety were among the issues brought to light by Senate leadership and witness testimony.  As more families seek the services of assisted living […]

CEAL@UNC submitted a Statement for the Congressional Record related to the January 25, 2024 Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing “Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults.” This bipartisan, full-committee hearing was led by Committee Chairman Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) and by Ranking Member Senator Mike Braun (R-IN). Learn more and watch […]