Senior Living Series Overlooked the Good
By Catie Ramp, President & CEO
Georgia Senior Living Association
 
Every day, thousands of skilled employees and administrators in Georgia care for more than 43,000 seniors in nearly 1,700 senior living settings.
 
These dedicated men and women choose to work in a highly regulated environment because they deeply desire to provide dignity and comfort to seniors seeking to age in place in a choice-driven environment. Senior living communities are not medical facilities rather, they are home to our dearest population.
 
Unfortunately, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s recent investigative series about senior living used a broad brush to paint an unflattering and somewhat inaccurate picture of the industry as a whole.
 
By focusing solely on the negative, the series missed the opportunity to tell the stories of the tens of thousands of Georgia seniors whose lives have improved because of their access to quality senior living communities.
 
Granted, every healthcare setting has its challenges. However, we know that Georgia's rules and regulations governing senior care in senior living communities are some of the strongest in the country.
 
We also believe that providers with issues should assume responsibility for residents in their care. Although heartbreaking on an individual level, the situations in your series should not unduly influence the perception or regulation of the majority of providers, who instead provide safe and dignified communities where seniors choose to age in place.
 
We wish the series had mentioned that, should an issue arise, the Department of Community Health (DCH) works with the provider on a Plan of Correction (POC) where all parties work together to address the issue. The community typically has 30-60 days to implement new plans and procedures to reduce the likelihood of a repeat occurrence.
 
Senior living, which in the state of Georgia is defined by assisted living, personal care homes and memory care communities, has seen rising family and resident satisfaction scores.  According to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Senior Living Satisfaction Study, released in November, overall satisfaction with senior living communities is up 18 points from a year ago. 
 
Andrea Stokes, hospitality and senior living practice lead at J.D. Power, attributed the increase in scores to a positive trend “evident in the assisted living/memory care segment, where there are improvements in every satisfaction area, particularly the quality of care provided by staff. Post-pandemic investments are really paying off with higher satisfaction and advocacy scores.”
 
Most consumers, both the residents and their families, are pleased with the environment in which they choose to live. For those concerned about the care their loved one is receiving, we invite them to visit the communities regularly and participate actively in their loved ones' lives.
 
If they have concerns about care, they can contact the State Long Term Care Ombudsman’s office for assistance. This valuable resource enables residents to raise and address concerns quickly and efficiently.
 
Remember those dedicated caregivers? The hours those special people spend with your mother, father, sister, brother, aunt, or uncle help your loved ones combat one of the most challenging aspects of aging - loneliness.
 
The recent Netflix series, “A Man on the Inside,” starring Ted Danson shines a spotlight on that very issue. Danson plays a retired professor who loses his wife to Alzheimer’s and discovers a new hobby as a private investigator's assistant who moves into a senior living facility.
 
The script of this show is powerful and moving. In an interaction between Danson’s character and Didi, the community’s executive director, she highlights one of the primary reasons senior living is so valuable: “For the majority of seniors, the biggest threat to their well-being isn't an accident or health. It's loneliness.” 
 
Loneliness as a risk factor for seniors has received much research attention, and for good reason.  While home care options may be good for some, the care offered through a senior living community can be more cost-effective, offer life-giving opportunities, and reduce loneliness affecting our most vulnerable population.
 
Although loneliness may look different in different people, choosing senior living over home care primarily means that an individual may find community in a friend or group of friends; they are part of daily activities, building relationships, and looking forward to the cadence of their life.  Home care, although a valuable solution for some, can become costly and has the potential to highlight feelings of isolation, with only occasional visits from caregivers.
 
The Netflix series has an incredibly relevant message for this time of year. As one reviewer wrote, the message is to “value the time you have with loved ones and recognize that it's never too late to meet people who can change your life forever.”  
 
Chances are, you’ll meet them at one of Georgia’s many fine senior living communities.
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November 24, 2024

Letters to the Editor
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1200 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30309

To the Editor:

Every day in Georgia, thousands of skilled employees and administrators care for over 43,000 seniors residing in nearly 1,700 senior living settings. They choose to work in a highly regulated environment because of their deep desire to offer dignity and comfort to seniors seeking to age in place in a choice-driven environment.

Unfortunately, “State’s senior care homes skate by with few fines” (AJC, 11/24/2024) used a wide brush to paint an unflattering and somewhat inaccurate picture of the industry as a whole. We believe that the rules and regulations in Georgia are some of the strongest in the country. We also believe that bad actors should assume responsibility for the care they offer seniors. However, these bad situations should not unduly influence perception or regulation of the majority of providers who instead offer safe and dignified communities where seniors choose to age in place.

While this story focused on negative incidents, readers would be better served by having the opportunity to learn about the tens of thousands of people who are thriving while residing in senior living communities in Georgia.

Sincerely,

Catie Ramp
President & CEO
Georgia Senior Living Association