Membership Information

The Assisted Living Association of Alabama (ALAA) is a non-profit corporation dedicated to advocacy for seniors in our state. The Organization represents 85% of all licensed facilities, more than fifty commercial, educational, and professional Associate Members, and Individuals with a community interest in senior issues. For more information about ALAA, please follow this link About ALAA.

There are three categories of ALAA Membership:

1. Provider Membership for professional providers. This category is facility-based and dues are apportioned on a per-licensed bed basis.
2. Associate Membership is designed for industry partners; companies and individuals who sell products and services to provider facilities, owners, and managers.
3. Individual Memberships are available to anyone who wishes to help develop public policy and support issues important to seniors.

Provider Membership (application)

Professional, licensed Assisted Living facilities are the core of ALAA membership. In addition to the general benefits of associating with professionals from all across our state and nationally through our ALFA affiliation, ALAA members benefit from:

Advocacy

• Government Relations. ALAA maintains a legislative and regulatory standing committee, chaired by a sitting Board Member and including skilled and knowledgeable provider-members. In addition, professional lobbyists are retained for special needs and the President is a Registered Lobbyist in the state of Alabama. ALFA maintains a permanent full-time Government Relations Specialist for federal legislative issues and support for state affiliates as needed.
• Regulatory Compliance. ALAA provider-members benefit from individualized consultation regarding licensure issues with the Alabama Department of Public Health, State Health Planning And Development Agency, Alabama Medicaid, Department of Senior Services, Department of Human Resources, and Mental Health.
• Assistance with preparation of forms, applications, and reports is available from the Association office. Through the Association, members may access professional survey preparation, plan-of-correction assistance, and representation before ADPH informal hearings panels.
• Legal representation is available from ALAA-endorsed attorney working with the Association in licensure action.
  Consumer Advocacy. Through community programs, senior support groups, AARP, Alzheimer’s support groups, Mental Health, and others ALAA works year-in and year-out to ensure the voice of Alabama’s seniors is heard.

Education:

Second only to Advocacy, the Association is committed to education; first for ALF and SCALF licensure and Administrator licensure from the Board of Examiners, and then for staff training.

• Annual Meetings. Statewide membership conferences are held twice each year. The Fall Conference is a major symposium on senior issues in housing, healthcare, elder-law, and dementia. The most recent conference was recognized by twenty-six professional licensing boards for continuing education units (CEUs).
• The Spring Conference provides a focus on legislative and regulatory issues. The Spring Conference is timed to convene concurrently with the state legislative calendar.
• State-Approved Training. Staff and Administrator training programs throughout the year that are state approved for Board of Examiners and Alabama Department of Public Health requirements.
• Seminars. ALFA, Alzheimer’s, and other topic-specific seminars in care giving, marketing, activities, and risk management are offered four to six times per year.
  
  A note: ALAA is working with several institutions of higher learning to develop Assisted Living programs of study that will integrate with Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorial requirements in the state’s colleges and universities.

Group Purchasing:

ALAA has group-purchasing programs in place and is adding more each year. Currently, these programs include everything from consumables to the “kitchen sink”.

• A mortgage-financing program has been added this year and more programs are planned for coming months.
• Insurance: The single largest hurdle to a profitable operation is affordable business insurance. ALAA is currently developing data for a group-purchasing option for Commercial and Professional Liability insurance, auto, and other business lines.
• Workers’ Compensation Insurance. ALAA offers an endorsed program for workers’ compensation insurance at very attractive premium rates through AlaComp, an Alabama captive program.
• Marketing: The Association routinely makes referral to member providers through its community public awareness program. The publications, community action, and website direct referral to ALAA member providers.
• Communications: Members receive a monthly newsletter containing up to date regulatory information, marketing information, and other timely items. More urgent material is frequently sent to members via fax, email, and telephone notification.
• Media Relations: ALAA provides assistance and development of public media news placement, assists members in advertising media cost/benefit evaluation, development of public awareness programs.

Associate Membership (application)

Associate Members are professionals (pharmacies, attorneys, physicians, consultants, etc.) and commercial partners who provide services and products to the Assisted Living facility.

• Access: Associate Members enjoy a “preferred provider” status with our facilities. The ability of Associate Members to work with ALAA staff to develop specific product and service lines meeting specific ALF and SCALF needs improves their profitability and marketing efficiency.
• Sponsorship: Associate Members are given preference in sponsoring educational events, seminars, and other group activities. In addition, each month an Associate Member is highlighted in the “Communicator” newsletter.
• Advertising: Associate Members are featured in the quarterly publication “Assisted Living in Alabama” and on the Association website. Discount advertising rates are also offered to Associate Members for special publications.
• Conferences and Expositions: ALAA annual conferences draw more than forty exhibitors two times a year when exhibitors have the opportunity to meet and display their services to the entire senior health and housing community.
• Education and Advocacy: ALAA Associate Members have opportunities throughout the year to participate in strategic policy development, proposed regulatory and legislative initiatives. The input received by the Association from our specialists in pharmacy, law, operations, and training help ALAA craft recommendations for public policy that improve quality in all facilities.

Individual Membership (application)

Consumers, individuals interested in a career in assisted living, educators, researchers, and others who wish to participate in assisted living public policy.

• Communications: Newsletter and other Association communications, notices, alerts, and policy papers.
• Discounts: ALAA endorsed products and services are available to individual members as well as provider and Associate members.
• Free or Discounted Education: Seminars, Conferences, and other educational opportunities are extended to individual members.
• Participation: Individual members are invited to participate on committees, task forces, and other groups developing public policy initiatives.