ALFA’s State Legislative & Regulatory Tracking Service allows members to receive up-to-the-minute e-mail alerts about state-specific legislative news and regulatory developments affecting the senior living business …

From securing appropriate power-of-attorney documents to working with an ombudsman, providers have several strategies in place for helping residents with important decisions regarding their care. Three senior living executives weigh in on their best courses of action when a vulnerable resident with little family support needs their help ...

If your company – or even your part of the company – can tackle the four critical factors needed to implement a successful business strategy focused on sustainability, then get going, says Adam Werbach, global CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi S. Ultimately a company’s CEO and executive leadership are key to long-term success, but “many of the best efforts start renegade,” Werbach admits …

A new Medicare effort that attempts to make it easier for seniors to pick prescription plans may result in 3 million seniors switching coverage options during this fall’s open enrollment season …

The Affordable Health Care Act signed into law by President Obama earlier this year is entering the implementation stage. Over the next few months regulations will be drafted and consumers will begin to see some tangible outcomes …

Summer is coming to a close, and the fall hiring season is about to start. The ALFA Career Center is a tool designed to connect managers seeking talent and professionals seeking employment in senior living. Visit ALFA.org/Jobs today ...

The National Association of Realtors released its existing homes sales report on Aug. 24 and the findings were staggering. What do these findings mean for the senior living market?

Provider companies and caregivers nationwide have been closely watching the case of an Indiana nursing home resident who did not receive care after a fall because she had issued specific instructions about the race of her caregivers …

The average occupancy rate for assisted living communities in 2Q10 was 88.3 percent, up from 87.8 percent in 2Q09. Construction activity in 2Q10 also saw a jump …

Pharmaceutical researchers at Eli Lilly have halted two late-stage clinical trials of an experimental Alzheimer’s drug – “a completely unexpected result” and setback in the race to effectively treat the degenerative disease, reports The New York Times. Individuals who took the drug – semagacestat – experienced worse cognitive function than those who took a placebo, and also developed a higher risk of skin cancer …

The Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) Training Institute will present a free Webinar, “Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide Among Older Adults,” on September 14 …

Lawsuits filed by U.S. employees whose caregiving responsibilities affected their work have grown by 400 percent since 1995. As a result, companies have been fined as much as $11 million for family-responsibility discrimination …

ALFA continues to work with The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace to oppose EFCA and keep it from passing in the remaining days of the 111th Congress, including any lame duck session that may occur after the November 2 2010 election. However at least 4 states are taking action to ensure that if the federal bill should pass, their state law would prohibit card check.

As the economic environment begins to look more positive, company leaders must make sure the get the balance right – says Mark Foster, group chief executive of Global Markets & Management Consulting, Accenture – between continuing the tough measures the downturn forced and the forward-thinking measures that will spur company growth. And among the most important strategies is spending more time with your management team ...

Laura is the CEO of a regional assisted living company with several communities, all built in the late 1990s. Recently, a couple of new, high-end communities have come to town and Laura is worried her communities may pale in comparison. Plus, she's noticed a slight dip in occupancy rates. Is this reason enough to renovate? Two senior living executives weigh in...

Platforms such as Facebook and Twitter can extend a company’s voice, sharing information across diverse audiences. At the same time, it takes some skill and savvy to choose the right venue and to establish policies for its appropriate use. How do company leaders best leverage social media? Two senior living executives weigh in …

Senior living companies whose staff earned 2010 ALFA Champion Awards are showcasing those awards on their Web sites and in the local press – a great way to show potential residents the high-quality caregivers at your company’s communities …

Rates for a single occupancy private assisted living residence now approach an average $3,330 per month, according to a new study. That’s up about 9 percent from the 2009 Overview of Assisted Living, published by ALFA and other senior living organizations. But are the comparisons apples to apples?

Easy-to-download podcasts from the 2010 ALFA Conference & Expo are now up at ALFA Exchange, the social community exclusively for senior living …

The White House has released a series of state-by-state guides to what health reform means for your state and your community . . .