Executives Explore Technology, Best Practices to Advance Quality in Senior Living Communities

ALEXANDRIA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) today hosted 140 executives interested in advancing excellence in senior living at the ALFA 2012 Senior Living Leadership Forum. The two day event in St. Louis offered attendees deep insight into factors influencing the growth of senior living communities and the care and service offered to seniors and their families.

“More seniors and their families are turning to senior living communities for long term services and support due to the social, residential and resident-centered nature of them”

“More seniors and their families are turning to senior living communities for long term services and support due to the social, residential and resident-centered nature of them,” said Richard P. Grimes, president and CEO of ALFA. “The ALFA forum is designed to focus participants on the influences shaping the future of senior living as well as encourage dialogue among executives who seek to advance excellence through shared experiences, knowledge and insights. Additionally, the ALFA forum is designed to facilitate development and sharing of best practices among providers of senior living and companies offering solutions to improve care and services to seniors.”

Dr. Daniel Kraft, TED conference speaker and executive director of FutureMed, opened the program yesterday by exploring the rapidly changing world of technology and its applications in serving seniors in greater need of physical and psychological support in senior living. A Stanford and Harvard trained physician, Dr. Kraft discussed major technological advancements in health and geriatric medicine and later led a roundtable discussion about the possible impact of technology on senior living over the next ten years.

In addition to this roundtable, a group gathered to discuss how to offer seniors a more seamless experience between acute care settings, rehabilitation and senior living environments and reduce the chance of readmission to hospitals through closer relationships with accountable care organizations. Another group met to discuss best practices in labor relationships and health benefits for staff, while yet another group focused on funding opportunities for renovation and modernization of senior living community infrastructure.

This morning, participants received a briefing on the state of national elections. Less than twelve hours after the first presidential debate, Michelle Bernard, a national political and policy commentator for MSNBC and other news stations, dissected the debate as well as offered an outlook on the post-election season and public policy issues needing attention by the government. Bernard, chairman, founder, president and CEO of the Bernard Center for Women, Politics and Public Policy is a leading national politics analyst.

Following the executive breakfast briefing with Ms. Bernard, the participants moved into roundtable meetings and discussions about the different business areas of senior living. A summary report of the gathering is being produced and will become available in November on the ALFA website at www.alfa.org/forum.

About ALFA

The Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA) is the largest national association exclusively dedicated to professionally-managed, resident-centered senior living communities and the seniors and families they serve. Since 1990, ALFA has advocated for choice, accessibility, independence, dignity, and quality of life for all seniors. ALFA’s programs promote business and operational excellence through education, research, publications, professional networking and online tools designed to foster innovation and entrepreneurism in the field of senior living. Visit ALFA’s website at www.alfa.org.