Seniors Housing Business is the magazine that helps you navigate the evolution of the seniors housing industry.
Issue link: https://seniorshousingbusiness.epubxp.com/i/484276
n Operations The acuity As the population of residents grows older and frailer, the industry grapples with new ways to provide care and services. challenge c r e e p A resident walks with his son at Benchmark Senior Living at Shrewsbury Crossings, Shrewsbury, Mass. Senior living providers are fnding it increasingly common to take care of residents with ever-rising acuity levels. Benchmark responds by providing additional training to nursing assistants so that they are prepared for more advanced levels of acuity. The Wellesley, Mass.-based company has also identifed resident and family learning needs and begins education earlier. By Jane Adler A popular expression about aging says 50 is the new 40. Other versions say 60 is the new 50, and 70 is the new 60. You get the point. Every- one is healthier and living longer, and feeling better at older and older ages. But it's a dilemma for seniors housing and care providers. The 80-year-olds who feel like they're 70 probably won't even think about moving into a retirement community until they're quite advanced in age and often suffer- ing with multiple chronic conditions. A majority of assisted living residents are 85 or older, and need help with at least one activity of daily living (ADL), according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities. Nearly 40 percent need help with three or more ADLs. The average age of assisted living residents has risen noticeably over the last decade, building operators say. One property manager observes that the typical assisted living resi- dent of today is more like the nursing home resident of the past, while the current inde- pendent living resident resembles the previ- ous assisted living resident. The growing prevalence of older and frailer residents is often referred to in the industry as acuity creep (see sidebar, page 51). In other words, a gradual shift is taking place that is changing the nature of the population of seniors in retire- ment settings. They need more services, more supervision and often more medical attention. Even seniors who enter a community at a rela- tively young age will age in place and naturally suffer decline, requiring extra help. Rising acuity, or frailness, among residents is a huge issue for the industry. Providers face liability questions and they struggle to meet the needs of residents while operating within a regulatory system that varies widely from state to state. Operators of independent living properties often have residents who need help with ADLs, though the building is not licensed to provide assistance. As a result, housing and care providers are implementing new programs and policies to manage acuity creep. Outside vendors often fll the gap by providing home health and other services. New technologies offer pos- sible solutions, too. "A building has to have the right infra- structure in place to care for this new type of resident," says Stephanie Handelson, presi- dent and COO at Benchmark Senior Living, a Wellesley, Mass.-based operator of 50 seniors housing properties. Learning how to manage acuity creep In 2009, Benchmark changed its business model to manage rising resident acuity. The company invested $6 million over a two-year period to hire additional nurses and certifed nursing assistants. Benchmark also partnered with home health, rehabilitation and hospice providers to bring those services into the buildings as needed for residents. "We became "A building has to have the right infrastructure in place to care for this new type of resident," says Stephanie Handelson, president and COO, Benchmark Senior Living. 50 www.seniorshousingbusiness.com Seniors Housing Business n February-March 2015