Today, more than 800,000 residents live in almost 31,000 assisted living communities across the country. The communities are diverse, and the residents’ needs for supportive and health-related services have grown. Administrators, clinicians, and professional caregivers are responsible for providing person-centered care that addresses the health and wellbeing of residents in accordance with regulations.
Quality improvement efforts in assisted living are integral to meeting residents’ needs and advancing resident and staff wellbeing. One such CEAL@UNC effort is the Be Well in AL Coalition, which aims to promote medical and mental health care based on consensus recommendations from national experts.
Current Projects
The medical and mental health care needs of assisted living residents have increased over the last decades, raising concern about the suitability of services to address those needs. Recently one of the journals of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published Recommendations for Medical and Mental Health Care in Assisted Living Based on an Expert Delphi Consensus Panel.
This first-ever set of recommendations launched the national Be Well in AL (Assisted Living) Coalition, led by CEAL@UNC in collaboration with numerous national organizations. The goal of Be Well in AL is to effect change in assisted living practice and policy based on the recommendations.
Review the recommendations for medical and mental health care in AL, the complete JAMA article, and the Be Well in AL webinar slides and recording.
The Coalition has developed a checklist for residents and their families considering or residing in assisted living to begin a conversation with assisted living providers about current and future needs, and how they can be met.
