Change can and does start from the ground up. For those who think politics is something distant and that resides only in the hands of powerful insiders, think again. Experience within the assisted living community says otherwise.
ALFA and its state affiliates work hard to influence regulation and legislation, using professional lobbyists who know the ins and outs of the system. But the work of these lobbyists is augmented by the invaluable grassroots participation of assisted living providers, executive directors, rank-and-file employees, and families.
The role of these grass-roots efforts turns is critical in influencing the policy decisions that impact the dynamic role of assisted living in the realm of senior care.
***
Kathleen Kelly
Executive Director
RI Assisted Living Association
[email protected]
When it comes to legislative and regulatory advocacy, assisted living providers can and often do play a pivotal role.
Late last year, the Rhode Island Association introduced legislation specific to the care of residents with Alzheimer’s disease in assisted living settings. Numerous providers threw their weight in behind that effort, to positive effect.
A few days prior to the committee hearing (between the posting of the bill for hearing and the actual hearing), we asked Rhode Island Assisted Living Association (RIALA) providers to call and e-mail their general assembly members who were serving on the committee, and furnished them with a list of talking points in support of the bill. In order to be effective these calls had to be made in a specific window of time, and providers were diligent in working within those limits.
On the hearing day RIALA provided a handout identifying assisted living providers in each member’s district. As part of our testimony we had three nurses and administrators testifying on technicalities of the bill.
RIALA’s experiences with the Alzheimer’s bill show the possibility of a powerful alliance between providers and state affiliates. That effort goes deeper at times, with providers and the Association working cooperatively to invite elected officials into their buildings. In this way, providers have developed relationships with their local elected officials before they need help.
That’s something providers need to be aware of as they plan their advocacy efforts: The ability to influence lawmakers is not a hit-and-run effort. It requires an action plan implemented over time. It’s about getting and maintaining the attention of an elected official through relationship building.
There’s a real opportunity there for providers, since lawmakers rely not just on lobbyists and stakeholders but also on grass-roots constituents. As representatives of families and residents, providers speak with a powerful voice and can help keep assisted living on the radar screen.
Ultimately, providers in Rhode Island have been most effective when they coordinated their advocacy through RIALTA. Lawmaking is done largely in committee rooms, and the association has been a key conduit in connecting providers with the most influential committee members.
Rhode Island’s experience with the Alzheimer’s bill and other legislation has shown that provider advocacy, when carefully crafted and targeted, can have a direct impact on the laws and regulations that impact assisted living every day.
***
Stephanie Handelson
Chief Operating Officer
Benchmark Senior Living
[email protected]
It’s our expectation that all our Benchmark communities have a responsibility not just to their residents but also to their industry. Within our 44 communities we have established an understanding that executive directors are not only leaders within their teams but also take a leadership position in regard to laws and regulations.
Last year we asked our executive directors to recruit family members to take part in ALFA’s Washington, DC fly-in. We had three families who participated on Capitol Hill, and look forward to multiplying that number every year.
It makes good policy sense for executive directors to play an active role in advocacy. They are the ones who talk to the referral sources; they are the ones with an ear to the ground in terms of the needs and wants of consumers who make up a lawmaker’s constituency.
More to the point, advocacy of necessity brings with it involvement. Executive directors who put a hand toward helping shape legislation are naturally plugged into the legal landscape: They know the rules of the road. That’s significant. When families come to us seeking help and guidance, our executive directors know firsthand what the legal environment holds and what it’s likely to hold in the near future.
We encourage our executive directors to embrace this triangle of understanding. That is, advocacy forges a link that connects providers to lawmakers to families and residents. In advocating on behalf of assisted living as a whole, our directors are acting in a very direct way to make the case on behalf of residents and families who may not be in a position to advocate on big-picture issues at the governmental level. Those issues nonetheless may have a direct impact on their care and quality of life, and so it falls to our people to speak up in their interests.
At the same time, Benchmark looks to close the loop, broadening grassroots advocacy to include the families that make up our wider community. We know that today’s legislation and regulation will influence families’ decisions tomorrow and so we encourage adult children to get involved.
We believe the families of today are the residents of tomorrow. Our goal is to have providers and families come together for grassroots advocacy. Then there can be a net gain for families, providers and for the assisted living industry overall.
