NCAL Day
70th AHCA/NCAL Convention and Expo
Vicki McNealley, PhD, MN, RN
Corporate Director of Regulatory Compliance
Village Concepts
Disclosure: Nothing to Disclose
Assisted living communities are changing—residents want more freedom, more ability to make personal decisions. This session describes an assisted living company in the state of Washington that drastically revised its policies and offerings to meet the demands of the upcoming (and current) resident demographics. Resident activities have morphed from “the three B’s” (bingo, bus rides, and Bible study) to educational sessions on safe sex, world travel, history, natural health care, cooking classes, and other topics driven by resident interest and recommendations. A “bucket list” has been developed for each community, for which residents identify “If I could…” activities that have resulted in air balloon rides, riding with biker gangs, flying airplanes—the list is endless. Educational sessions on the uses of THC and CBD, along with planned trips to the cannabis shop (and the ability to use their purchases in the assisted living community), have created quite a stir among residents and families alike. Just five years ago, these bold changes would have been unheard of in an assisted living company.