Assisted Living
Assisted living has become an important residential care option within many states’ home and community based services systems, providing supportive and health-related services and assistance with activities of daily living. Since assisted living services are not typically funded by the Medicaid program except through state-designed waiver programs, the definition, regulation and oversight of this community based residential service option is determined exclusively through state policy.
NASHP has supported state policy decision-making by tracking policy developments, growth trends, changing regulatory models, approaches to quality, and licensure standards. Our reports have provided detailed comparisons of crucial elements of assisted living policies across states and summary profiles of each state’s regulatory framework.
In addition to regulating assisted living services, some states have chosen to include them as a covered benefit under their Medicaid home and community based services waiver programs. NASHP’s work has documented state Medicaid payment policies to enable states to draw upon the methodologies developed by their counterparts across the country.
NASHP’s work in assisted living policy has been supported the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, both part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
