An interesting article in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlights the difficulty the state is having in its attempts to regulate the long-term care industry. Governor Ed Rendell (D) is meeting today with representatives from LTC advocacy groups to discuss a proposal that would create a new assisted living licensing category, separate from personal care and nursing homes. Currently, Pennsylvania lacks any official definition of assisted living and is struggling with recent personal care home regulations that The Department of Public Welfare cannot enforce due to personnel and funding shortages.

With its theme “Think Big,” the Assisted Living Federation of America’s 2007 get-together will be May 15 through 17 in the state that has embodied “big” since it won independence from Mexico.

Dallas, Texas, will be the conference site, with ALFA setting up at the Hilton Anatole Hotel. “The location in Texas, the fact that our industry is bigger, and the fact that we’re going to have over 300 vendors represented – this is why our theme is `Think Big,’” says Megan Webster, ALFA’s spokeswoman.

Designed for executives in the senior-living industry and professionals in the fields that service it, the ALFA conference this year will be easier to navigate for attendees who want to make the most of their time, says Ms. Webster. Previously, she says, seminars took place on a one-at-a-time basis. This year, several programs will often overlap, making it possible to absorb a variety of topics over a morning or afternoon. Operations, clinical issues, government relations and legal issues, human resources, and sales and marketing will all be explored.

Additional information and registration is available at www.alfaconferenceandexpo.com.

A recent bomb scare forced a Kansas City assisted living community to evacuate residents while authorities conducted a thorough search. While nothing dangerous was found, the incident is a timely reminder of why senior living facilities should frequently review their emergency evacuation plans. Do you have any helpful tips for creating or executing an emergency response plan?

For assistance in planning your community’s emergency evacuation plan, visit www.redcross.org.