How do US states define person-centered and family-involved care in assisted living regulations

Introduction A large share of assisted living (AL) residents have a diagnosis of dementia or cognitive impairment, and these individuals can benefit from person-centered care and family-involved care. This study examines whether and how states’ AL licenses address these topics. Methods This research analyzed a national database of 249 unique licensing requirements that govern 35,602 ALs in all states and associated regulations, including those that govern memory care (MC) services. We reviewed each regulation for the presence of person-centered or family involved care and then used content analysis of license requirements with at least one relevant policy to identify key categories and regulatory specificity. Results A larger share of AL with licenses that govern MC services are covered by person-centered care policies (44%) and family-involved policies (62%), compared to AL without MC-specific requirements (20 and 32% respectively). Key categories of person-centered care included staff training, care planning procedures, and social activities; and family-involved care included care planning, direct involvement in providing care, and support for families. Few states’ licenses contained highly specific regulations. Discussion This study reveals substantial variation in whether and how states define and regulate person-centered and family-involved care for people living with dementia in AL. MC-specific licenses are roughly twice as likely to require these policies, but fewer than two-thirds of MC-AL communities are covered. State licenses take different approaches to categorizing and specifying these policies. These findings suggest uneven application of core principles of AL associated with quality of life and satisfaction.