Blair Minton Founder of BMA Management, Ltd.
I had the privilege last week of serving as guest speaker for a meeting of the Advisory Council of a National Coalition dedicated to promoting quality and affordability in assisted living.
The meeting of the Advisory Council of the Center for Excellence in Assisted Living or CEAL was held at the headquarters of the
AARP in Washington, D.C.
Click here for a complete list and web links of the
CEAL Advisory Council.
We talked about the tsunami of older adults that will be hitting the United States in the coming years and about the Supportive Living program that we have here in Illinois as a model for affordable assisted living throughout the United States.
The Silver Tsunami
Today, there are 2.5 million individuals in the U.S. who are 85 years of age and older. In 2030 the number is projected to triple to more than 8 million. In 2050, the number is projected to swell to 21 million.
In 2009, 16% of all men and 21% of all women over the age of 65 who lived alone had incomes that fell below the federal poverty level.
Nearly 45% of our 75+ population living at home have annual household incomes of less than $25,000 and 60% have less than $35,000. The average cost for assisted living tops $3,000 a month and $36,000 a year.
The Supportive Living Program
The Supportive Living Program that we have in Illinois serves as a prime example of how we can meet the needs of older adults, while improving the quality living in a more cost friendly manner
Before the Supportive Living Program, the only options available for older adults who needed assistance and couldn’t afford assisted living was to move into a nursing home (which was much more costly to the state) or struggle alone at home.
The program benefits the state. In the 2009 fiscal year, estimates show that the Supportive Living program saved the State of Illinois $90 million.
The first Supportive Living community opened for occupancy a little over 10 years ago. Serving as an economic stimulus, the program has generated $750 million in new construction and renovation projects. Creating more than 4,321 new jobs.
Best of all, the program provides older adults with a much more dignified. They can enjoy a residential environment designed to provide safety, security, love, compassion and independence.
Unlike assisted living communities that tend to be located in areas of higher incomes and higher housing values, Supportive Living communities are located throughout Illinois – in urban, suburban and rural areas. Together, the nearly 120 Supportive Living communities currently in operation house nearly 9,400 apartments.
On average, more than 60% of the residents at the 30 affordable assisted living communities that we operate receive financial assistance from Medicaid.
I invite you to visit our website at www.bma-mgmt.com for more information about Supportive Living, the affordable assisted living communities that we operate through the program, and how we are touching the lives of older adults and their families.
All affordable assisted living communities managed by BMA Management, Ltd. are certified and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. All assisted living communities are licensed and surveyed by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
“BMA Management, Ltd. is the leading provider of assisted living in Illinois
and one of the 20 largest providers of assisted living in the United States.”
What are your thoughts? Leave a comment and let us know.
