National Coalition Releases Infection Prevention Guidelines for Assisted Living

(Dec. 2, 2024) Our partners at LeadingAge National have shared the following regarding their efforts to work on a national level to develop guidelines for assisted living providers. Please note that this is not a requirement and is not a state-specific resource.

Contact: Diane Darbyshire, ddarbyshire@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8828

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From LeadingAge National: The Quality in Assisted Living Collaborative (QALC) has released Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines for Assisted Living Communities, a new resource outlining best practices for infection prevention and control (IPC) in assisted living settings. Developed collaboratively by QALC members, including LeadingAge, Argentum, the American Seniors Housing Association (ASHA), the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), and the National Association for Regulatory Administration (NARA), the IPC Guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for planning and implementing IPC strategies. This is the first initiative from QALC, which was launched in June 2023 to identify, define, and develop model voluntary guidance for assisted living. Broad adoption of these guidelines across the assisted living sector will help ensure a consistent, effective approach to IPC nationwide. QALC convened a subject matter expert workgroup that met over the past year to develop the IPC guidelines including designating an IPC Leader, annual evaluation of the IPC program, staff training and preventative and control measures, policies, and procedures. The IPC Guidelines are intended to support assisted living communities in developing and implementing a comprehensive approach to infection control practices to promote the health and safety of staff and residents, as well as quality care. The Collaborative’s resources will be available to aid and educate providers, regulators, policymakers, and other stakeholders. LeadingAge joined QALC to prioritize quality of care for our members and collaborate on pressing issues—one of the most critical being infection control in the post-pandemic environment. LeadingAge members will find the IPC guidelines available on the Assisted Living landing page. The guidelines are member-only resources and can be found towards the bottom of the landing page under the section, trusted links and resources.