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Contact: Bijou Ikli
850-383-1159
bijou@fala.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | May 2, 2024

Florida Health Care Association and Florida Assisted Living Association Announce Strategic Partnership to Strengthen Long Term Care in Florida

Alliance will enhance existing support for Florida’s nursing centers, assisted living facilities and the residents entrusted to their care.

Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA) and Florida Assisted Living Association (FALA) announced a strategic partnership between the two statewide organizations that will result in enhanced services and supports for Florida’s nursing centers, assisted living facilities and the residents entrusted to their care. The FHCA-FALA “Caring Together” partnership will leverage the expertise of both associations, which represent a combined 100 years of experience serving more than 1,200 nursing centers and assisted living facilities in Florida.

 
“For 70 years, FHCA has focused on initiatives that promote high-quality care and quality of life for Florida’s elders. Partnering with FALA will allow us to further extend and elevate Florida’s long-term care delivery system, making impact on a greater scale,” said Emmett Reed, Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Health Care Association.

 
“For assisted living facilities, community connections and partnerships play an important role in delivering on the promise of providing high-quality care to residents,” said Bijou Ikli, FALA Chief Executive Officer. “We’re excited to partner with FHCA to ensure that Floridians have the best choices and quality services in long-term care so they may live and age with dignity.”

The FHCA-FALA “Caring Together” partnership will help center the focus on the evolving needs of Florida’s seniors and those who will care for them, both today and into the future, by collaborating on initiatives to strengthen the long-term care workforce and improve the coordination of high-quality care. FHCA and FALA will also work together to educate consumers, policymakers, and other stakeholders about the important role of both skilled nursing and assisted living providers in the continuum of long-term care for Florida seniors and their families.

“Florida’s aging population expects the gold standard when it comes to long-term care. We’re excited about this collaboration, which will allow each of our members to do more together to meet our residents’ unique needs as they change across the continuum of care," said Anita Faulmann, FHCA President.

“This collaboration between FHCA and FALA marks a significant step forward in enhancing our resources and strengthening our ability to support and advocate for the needs of our facility members and for Florida’s frail, elderly and disabled citizens,” said Donna Damiani, Chair of the Florida Assisted Living Association.

Through the "Caring Together” partnership, FHCA and FALA will strengthen the level of service to each of its members. The partnership kicked off with letter of agreement signed by both associations in Tallahassee, with additional activities to include joint FHCA and FALA member facility tours and event participation, informational meetings with state and federal stakeholders, a public awareness campaign and combined communications to support member recruitment and retention efforts, emergency preparedness and response, coordination of care and more.

Florida is home to 700 nursing centers that care for over 70,000 frail elders, and over 106,000 seniors reside in the state’s more than 3,000 assisted living facilities. By 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that over 32% of Florida's population will be 60 and older. As more and more individuals make the decision to call Florida home, it’s important the state is prepared for the growing number of individuals that will require high-quality, long-term care in both settings.