The Iowa Senate voted Monday to give the state more regulatory authority over assisted living homes and adult day care centers. Current law does not allow the Department of Inspection and Appeals to investigate the facilities the way the department investigates traditional nursing homes.
Iowa Department of Elder Affairs director, John McCalley, says that made it difficult for Iowans researching the best care for their loved one. McCalley says the long-term care centers and nursing homes have reports that are updated regularly as required by state code, so you can do some comparing. He says there’s been a problem with having the same information available for assisted living facilities.
McCalley says assisted living is growing very fast, with new facilities being built daily, so people have to visit the facilities in person and see what they are like. Anthony Carroll of the A-A-R-P says these are important changes for Iowa seniors.
He says it gives family members some assurance that there’s going to be some regulation and some assurance that adult abuse will not take place at the facilities. McCalley says if the governor signs the bill into law, the department will post inspection reports on-line the same way they do for nursing homes. McCalley made his comments on the Iowa Public T-V program "The Iowa Journal."