More than 100 senior living experts visited Washington, D.C., in March to connect with policymakers and advocate for assisted living and its unique value as part of Argentum’s latest Public Policy Institute.
During the two-day event, attendees met with lawmakers and staffers on Capitol Hill and engaged in educational sessions on critical topics, such as enhancing quality through value-based care, affordable senior housing solutions, building career pipelines and navigating regulatory changes affecting the industry.
Energy, Engagement, and Shared Purpose
Tana Gall, president of Merrill Gardens, lauded the energy she observed at the PPI this year.
“All of the attendees were incredibly engaged,” Gall said. “With so much chaos in Washington, D.C., it was refreshing to be a part of something that is important and beneficial to all people and that is caring for our seniors. The PPI is an incredible chance to connect with industry leaders, engage in key policy discussions and shape the future of senior living.”
Making Early Inroads in a Year of Change
Chris Hyatt, co-CEO of New Perspective, said leaders were thrilled to have a packed event for the PPI, including dozens of first-time attendees who proved eager to learn more about policy solutions and to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill.
“There is no doubt that this year presents enormous change, with a new administration and Congress that is looking to advance sweeping reforms that will affect all sectors of the economy, including long-term care,” Hyatt said. “The Public Policy Institute could not have been better-timed, as we were able to get our message across early in the year while lawmakers are still deciding how they want to advance major legislation this year, and so we can be part of those early conversations, especially around tax reform and many of our proposed solutions.”
Clear Messaging and Strong Legislative Priorities
Gall said the meetings with lawmakers’ staff members went well, and staff proved open to hearing their messages and seemed appreciative of the time that industry representatives took to both share their stories and their support for their key legislative priorities.
“Our messages were strong and clear – assisted living is a vital part of solving the long-term care challenges,” Gall said. “Assisted living is cost-effective, especially when compared to skilled nursing or 24-hour home care. Additionally, our communities have built in-socialization, which we know has huge benefits to our residents.”
Hyatt said the group’s core message is that assisted living is the most cost-effective long-term care model “and that we must make critical investments to help more Americans choose assisted living for their long-term care needs and to develop the caregiving workforce to provide this care.”
“We were thrilled to be able to talk about new legislation that was just introduced: the Care Across Generations Act to co-locate childcare with senior living, the SENIOR Act to help address senior loneliness, the Caring for Seniors Act to promote affordability and workforce solutions and the Credit for Caring Act to help more Americans better afford their long-term care needs,” Hyatt said. “We also promoted the new law — the Elizabeth Dole Act — that will be a small start to allowing veterans to choose assisted living. But all of this comes back to helping more Americans choose assisted living because our communities offer the best value for long-term care: cost-effectiveness, high satisfaction, better outcomes and quality of life, and saving public programs money.”
Legislation Moving Forward Since PPI: The Caring for Seniors Act
In a major step forward for the industry, Argentum’s priority legislation—the Caring for Seniors Act (H.R. 3000)—has officially been introduced in Congress. Led by Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Lori Trahan (D-MA), this bipartisan bill addresses two of the industry’s most urgent needs: access and affordability of assisted living, and the development of a robust caregiving workforce. The legislation would create a cost-reduction program to help seniors choose assisted living over more expensive Medicaid-funded skilled nursing facilities, and re-target existing workforce training initiatives—such as Job Corps and American Job Centers—to include specializations in senior care. This bill represents a critical opportunity to secure long-term policy solutions that align with the value and promise of assisted living.
Continued Education of Policymakers
Hyatt said few lawmakers and even fewer legislative staff truly understand assisted living, its value and how it fits into the long-term care system.
“These meetings are important in educating policymakers about who we are, what we do, and why our policy solutions are needed,” Hyatt said. “The education campaign is continuous, which is why PPI is only part of our strategy of getting our policy solution message to lawmakers; we must also invite lawmakers to tour our communities to see first-hand how we are different from other settings and how we help our residents every day. Once this clicks with lawmakers, they are eager to help advance our solutions.”
Advancing the Conversation: Senate Spotlight on Senior Loneliness and Solutions
Hyatt and Gall agreed that the highlight of this year’s PPI was a hearing in the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging on “Breaking the Cycle of Senior Loneliness: Strengthening Family and Community Support.” Hyatt called it “a perfect opportunity to tell our story.” James Balda, CEO of Argentum, represented the senior living industry “superbly” in the hearing, Hyatt said, and Gall said “the timing could not have been better.”
“It was incredibly powerful and James represented the industry well,” Gall said.
Meeting the Moment: Advocacy Beyond PPI
Hyatt said the PPI is a landmark event each year that helps the assisted living industry spread its message about its role in caring for the aging population and what it can offer.
“Our nation is rapidly aging, far too few people are financially prepared for their care needs, and we do not have the housing capacity or workforce to care for them,” Hyatt said. “Significant investment is needed at the federal level, and assisted living is eager to be part of the solution. We fully believe that we have a tremendous amount to offer in providing high-quality care at a fraction of the cost of other settings. We just need to make the investments and get the federal support to help more Americans be able to get the care they need.”
Hyatt noted that PPI is only a part of the industry’s overall public policy strategy.
“We must continue these conversations throughout the year, with Argentum’s federal policy team, and also each of us as messengers of what we do day-in and day-out in caring for our residents, by meeting lawmakers where they are, inviting them to our communities, and getting our word out,” he said.
Get Involved: Building a Stronger Voice
Ultimately, Hyatt said the most important thing is to stay engaged. He pointed to Argentum Advocates, a free membership program focused exclusively on public policy efforts for assisted living, as “a great way to get started.” Members of the program receive regular updates on key developments impacting the industry from a public policy perspective and earn guidance for taking action.
Hyatt said interested members should connect with Argentum’s public policy staff and state partners to become part of conversations with policymakers.
“We urge you to not only register for the next Public Policy Institute but bring your colleagues with you,” Hyatt said. “The more senior living advocates we have with us making our case, the louder our message will be, and the better will be heard. We face big challenges as an industry, but I am confident that by offering our policy solutions and getting them advanced, we can meet these challenges head-on.”