Proceedings of the AMDA Assisted Living Consensus Conference, Washington, DC October 24, 2006

Assisted living (AL) residents are older and frailer than the patient population industry first envisioned they would be. As a result, these individuals require stronger medical care by the industry. It is believed that there is inadequate clinical guidance, systems, and protocols for these clinically complex residents. The AMDA-led Assisted Living Consensus Conference was organized to discuss the scope of this problem and conclude with steps to address those problems.

This article is an edited review of the presentations and discussions held by the attendees, consisting of medical experts and assisted living representatives including consumer advocate groups, together with physicians, practitioners, and nurses caring for frail elders within the long-term care continuum. This conference was held in Washington, DC, on October 26, 2006.

There are a growing number of AL residents who are frail and have multiple chronic conditions. Effective ways to address these issues and protect the safety and quality of life for these individuals are needed. While AL has moved from a hospitality model to a model that includes significant medical components, there is a need to further flesh out and standardize these components in AL. Identification of specific projects in each area were discussed at the conference, such as the development of standard assessment tools and clinical protocols to improve the clinical care residents receive in this setting.

All of the prevalidating opinions were summarized and are included in this article.