US Senate Holds Hearing on Assisted Living

LTCCC testimony calls for national standards promoting quality, safety, and integrity in assisted living

January 26, 2024 – Yesterday, the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging held a hearing, Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults, co-chaired by Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senator Mike Braun (R-IN).

“It’s been 20 years since the Committee held a hearing on assisted living. With the dramatic growth of the assisted living industry in recent decades, it’s long past time for Congress to reexamine this model and ensure it is meeting our Nation’s needs,” said Senator Casey.

The hearing included testimony from LTCCC Executive Director Richard Mollot. Mollot spoke about how the absence of any federal quality or safety standards, coupled with the virtual absence of reliable public information on the quality, safety, and costs of assisted living, have made assisted living a sector ripe for investment by sophisticated private enterprises. The result, too often, is that seniors are at risk for serious neglect, abuse, and financial exploitation. Read LTCCC’s testimony below, or watch the video here.

Other witnesses included Patricia (Patty) Vessenmeyer (Advocate), Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan (Director and Professor, The Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University), and Julie Simpkins (Co-President, Gardant Management Solutions).

The hearing was prompted by investigations in The Washington Post and The New York Times which revealed patterns of neglect and excessive costs in the assisted living industry.