Assisted Living Communities (Essay Sample)

Assisted Living Communities
Institutional Affiliation
Student’s Name
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Assisted Living Communities
Assisted living facilities are community-focused institutions that specialize in offering care for senior citizens. Assisted living administrators manage all the facility’s operations through profound business skills and compassionate human touch (Howe, 2014). They are responsible for a broad array of responsibilities, although the ultimate goal is to avail a secure and empowering setting for the elderly population they serve. Serving as an assisted living administrator has advantages and disadvantages. One must obtain required licensure and certifications and follow stipulated federal or state regulations to govern the community operations successfully.
Pros and Cons of Managing Assisted Living Communities
Managing assisted living communities is a rewarding endeavor. The primary gain from this job is the satisfaction one attains from making a difference in people’s lives (Howe, 2014). Indeed, advocating and caring for those who cannot care for themselves and leading others to offer this unique service is a gratifying responsibility.
However, overseeing assisted living communities is a challenging task with a reported high turnover rate. The most outstanding disadvantages that cause people to exit this field include job burnout, emotional exhaustion, low cynicism, and ever-changing regulations (Wilson, 2018). These issues adversely affect those unprepared for the depth and breadth of challenges prevalent in this role.
Administrator Education, Licensure, and Certification
One must have a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administrator to work as an assisted living administrator. An MBA with a healthcare focus, an MHA with a gerontology emphasis, and other specialized educational choices can empower an administrator’s skills and abilities in the right combination of social, clinical, and business knowledge (Howe, 2014). Besides academic requirements, most states require licensure of assisted living administrators. The National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB) offers the federal Residential Care Assisted Living (RCAL) licensing exam for all assisted living administrators (Howe, 2014). Professional certification is also an essential requirement to serve as an assisted living administrator, especially in states that do not mandate licensure. The American College of Health Care Administrators (ACHCA) offers Certified Assisted Living Administrators (CALA) certification to help experienced assisted living administrators demonstrate their knowledge and ability to manage these communities (Howe, 2014). Indeed, administrators undertake the education, licensure, and certification processes to show a commitment to excellence and best practices in their profession and offer a high quality of care to assisted living communities.
Federal and State Regulations
It is vital to note that states, instead of the federal government, regulate assisted living communities. Every year, the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) publishes the “Assisted Living State Regulatory Review,” which includes information on recent legislative and regulatory updates affecting the assisted living (Yang, 2015). Most regulations affect updating the licensing and renewal processes, resident assessment, changes to requirements for admission and retention, staff training, disclosure, incident investigation, and medication management. For example, assisted living communities must have a license from the state before opening. However, in some states, such as Indiana and Michigan, a facility may operate legally without a permit if it offers a lower level of care than a licensed assisted living establishment (Yang, 2015). Most states require that each senior citizen have a medical examination by a physician not more than 30 days before entering an assisted living institution (Yang, 2015). Undoubtedly, state regulations cover the same elements of assisted living, although the specifics of each requirement vary considerably from state to state.
Addressing Current Issues in Long Term Care Administration
Long-term care facilities continue to experience notable increases in resident acuity and dependency, regulatory requirements, and the number of admissions and discharges, which challenge administrati