January 24, 2002

Mr. Paul Anger, Editor
The Des Moines Register
Box 957
Des Moines, Iowa 50304

Dear Mr. Anger:

The Right Time for the Right Regulator

In response to the Register's January 17, 2002 editorial, "The Wrong Regulator", the Department of Elder Affairs is absolutely the right regulator for the very important job of overseeing Iowa's assisted living centers. To ask the Department of Inspections & Appeal (DIA) to simply "…keep in mind that assisted living centers are not nursing homes and need not be regulated as stringently…" shows a lack of understanding of the basic philosophy of assisted living and asks too much of an already overburdened department of government.

A different approach and mindset is needed to regulate an industry serving consumers whose expectation is to "have it their way." The inflexibility imposed in the rules the DIA must use to administer nursing homes becomes ingrained in those who apply the rules and cannot, and should not, be used as a model to administer Iowa's assisted living programs. It is not so easy to simply change hats and say: "Today I survey nursing homes and tomorrow, I survey assisted living centers." Further regulation does not necessarily equate to better care, but it does mean more time spent by caregivers processing paper than attending to the seniors who entrust themselves to their care. The focus of assisted living is now and should remain on satisfying people, not pushing paper.

The Department of Elder Affairs (IDEA) is exactly the right regulator to oversee Iowa's assisted living industry. The IDEA has a refreshing 21st century attitude towards a form of long term care tailor-made for the 21st century. Those of us who will need this type of assistance in years to come will appreciate the end result of a collaborative approach towards rule making and monitoring between industry and regulators - a consumer-oriented assisted living product that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes to serve our varied needs. Indeed, one size does not fit all.

Perhaps the legislature had exemplary foresight in granting the IDEA jurisdiction over Iowa's assisted living centers. Why on earth would our lawmakers want a burgeoning new industry in the state to be so heavily laden with rules and regulations that it couldn't flourish? In these days when the state struggles for economic growth, here is an industry that has blossomed, with an annualized growth rate of 25% over the past 2 years. Let's not strangle the growth simply because a few don't understand it.

Growing pains. Every industry has them and this is what Iowa's assisted living is experiencing now. The IDEA has nurtured the industry during its infancy and is ultimately capable of seeing it through this adolescent stage and into full-fledged adulthood. The IDEA is focused on the consumer and that is where the focus belongs, because the consumer is the industry. If the industry fails, it will be because we haven't satisfied our customers, not because we haven't satisfied the regulators.

Sincerely,

Debbie Fisher
President
Iowa Assisted Living Association