Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living, (AHCA/NCAL) the largest U.S. associations for long-term care, representing 14,000 for-profit and not-for-profit nursing homes and assisted living residences throughout the United States, advocates for substantive change with a new nursing home reform agenda.

Phoenix, AZ -- (SBWire) -- 06/11/2021 --Under Mark Parkinson's leadership, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living are responsible for delivering policy solutions to improve care in our nations nursing homes and assisted living residences to both Capitol Hill and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Prior to serving as the 45th governor of Kansas, Parkinson owned and operated long-term care facilities in both Kansas and Missouri, bringing to his position an understanding of the landscape from an insider perspective.

The pandemic highlighted problematic issues that have long-existed in our nation's nursing homes. Mark Parkinson, recognizing much-needed change to improve quality of care for our nation's elder citizens, worked collaboratively with Leading Age to develop the Care for Seniors Act. The Act addresses four main pillars for needed policy reform: Clinical, Workforce, Oversight and Structural.

- Included in the Clinical Pillar is the need for nursing homes to maintain a minimum 30 day supply for PPE shortage of PPE was a well-known critical issue during the pandemic.

- Workforce reform addresses supporting healthcare workers to develop and maintain a robust long-term care workforce that will be able to meet the needs of our growing older population.

- Change in Oversight would link facility ratings to customer satisfaction

- Finally, the Structural component would address modernizing existing nursing homes, attempting to shift to more private rooms creating more autonomy, dignified and respectful living environments which would also support improved infection control best practice.

SeniorsSTRAIGHTTalk host Phyllis Ayman and Mark Parkinson were mentioned together in an article entitled: Long Term Care Change Is Good, published in McKnight's Long Term Care News back in January 2021. https://www.mcknights.com/daily-editors-notes/long-term-care-change-is-good/

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