U.S. Senate Proclaims Sept. 9-15, 2007 National Assisted Living Week
Contact:
Lisa Gelhaus, NCAL, (202) 898-2825
For Immediate Release
September 7, 2007
Washington, DC –Today, the U.S. Senate proclaimed Sept. 9-15, 2007 to be National Assisted Living Week (NALW) by enacting Senate Resolution 292.
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), creator of NALW, thanks the Senate for its recognition. NCAL also applauds Sens. Mike Crapo (R-ID) and co-sponsor John Thune (R-SD) for introducing Senate Resolution 292, which commemorates the 13th annual NALW and its theme “Legacies of Love.”
“On behalf of the entire assisted living profession, NCAL thanks the Senate for bestowing the national honor to the 13th annual NALW, which is celebrated by residents and the staff of assisted living facilities nationwide,” said David Kyllo, executive director of NCAL.
The proclamation draws national attention to the estimated 1 million Americans residing in the approximately 36,000 assisted living facilities. The Senate’s commemoration urges citizens to visit friends or loved ones who are in an assisted living facility to learn more about assisted living services and how these services benefit communities.
“NCAL also sincerely thanks Sens. Mike Crapo and John Thune for their commitment to seniors and people with disabilities in their home states of Idaho and South Dakota, and all residents across the nation,” said Kyllo. “This proclamation urges citizens to visit and learn about these residents and the contribution they have made to our society.”
NCAL established NALW in 1995. It provides a unique opportunity to bring together residents, families, employees, volunteers, and the local community to celebrate our elders and the services provided within assisted living and residential care communities. NALW always begins on Grandparents Day, the first Sunday after Labor Day.
Each year a theme is selected and this year the theme is “Legacies of Love,” which highlights the privilege, value and responsibility of passing the legacies of our elders’ lives down through the generations. Each assisted living resident has a unique story to tell, a proud heritage to celebrate, and mementos and keepsakes that can be acknowledged, shared, and cherished.
For more information about NALW, please visit www.nalw.org.
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The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) represents nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to 1.5 million of our nation’s frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org.