ESAAL Members Will Urge Lawmakers to Reject the Governor's Proposal Forcing Seniors into Institutions

ALBANY, NY (02/26/2009)(readMedia)-- On Tuesday, March 3, members of the Empire State Association of Assisted Living (ESAAL) will meet with lawmakers at the State Capitol in Albany and ask them to reject a proposal by Gov. Paterson that would relax the licensing framework of the Assisted Living Program ("ALP").

Currently, New York's ALP program allows seniors to remain in their current assisted living communities even as they begin to require more care, allowing them to age in place. Likewise, the program permits residents to utilize Medicaid for assisted living expenses. With the cost of assisted living roughly one-third of the cost of a nursing home, this program has proven itself to be a successful, cost-effective alternative for residents.

Unfortunately, Gov. Paterson's budget proposal fundamentally changes the program and exempts nursing homes from the stringent adult home licensing and regulatory framework. The current framework is designed to protect consumers and ensure that residents are permitted to age in place in their assisted living residence.

This is not the original intention of the program, nor what seniors want. While ESAAL supports the expansion of the cost-effective ALP program, New York's seniors should not be forced to move out of their homes and into more expensive nursing home institutions.

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The Empire StateAssociation of Assisted Living (ESAAL) is a not-for-profit organization that since 1979 has been dedicated to strengthening New York State's assisted living industry and promoting the best interests of providers and residents. It is the only association that exclusively represents the assisted living industry, serving more than 240 Assisted Living Residences, Adult Homes and Enriched Housing Programs throughout New York. These member residences are home to more than 20,000 elderly people.

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