OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., June 03, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Joint Commission today announced the launch of a new Assisted Living Community (ALC) accreditation program. The program will help assisted living organizations deliver consistent and reliable care for residents. Applications will begin to be accepted on July 1.
Today, there are more than 30,000 ALCs in the United States serving more than 800,000 residents. With growth in recent years, ALCs have been increasingly shifting from a mostly hospitality-based environment to a more health care-focused setting by offering services for medication management, skilled nursing and dementia care. This shift has highlighted the need for national, consensus-based standards and accreditation.
The Joint Commission’s ALC accreditation standards were developed with consideration of scientific evidence and best practices, as well as state regulations and Life Safety Codes. Experts in the field of geriatrics, dementia care, rehabilitation, infection control and senior housing were actively engaged in a collaborative effort to design standards that align with quality care delivery and safe practices.
The standards address the environment, staffing, emergency management, dementia care, medication management, provision of care and services, process improvement and more. In addition to an extensive internal review of the standards by subject matter experts, feedback and expert guidance were received from learning visits, a Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), Standards Review Panel/TAP field review, public field review, and pilot testing.
The new standards appear in the March 2021 E-dition® of the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Assisted Living Communities. Organizations may view the standards by requesting a free 90-day trial of E-dition.
In addition to the standards, the ALC accreditation program requires organizations to track and report on five standardized performance measures:
- Off-Label Antipsychotic Drug Use
- Resident Falls
- Resident Preferences and Goals of Care
- Advanced Care Plan/Surrogate Decision Maker
- Staff Stability
“The Joint Commission is pleased to launch a new accreditation program, the first care continuum expansion in more than 20 years,” says Gina Zimmermann, executive director, Nursing Care Center and Assisted Living Community Services, The Joint Commission. “We are excited to offer the Assisted Living Community accreditation program to help organizations provide a safe living environment for their residents. Accreditation is an important marker to help demonstrate organizations’ commitment to providing safe and quality treatment and services.”
To learn more about the ALC accreditation program, please visit The Joint Commission website.
About The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 22,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, nonprofit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
Media Contact:
Maureen Lyons
Corporate Communications
(630) 792-5171
mlyons@jointcommission.org