The Ahepan Winter 2019 - 22

HOUSING

A Win-Win: The Merits of Affordable Assisted Living
Steve Beck, President/CEO, AHEPA Management Company
My short experience with the AHEPA Management team already
has yielded a deep sense of pride working for the company and
the mission we serve.
Thus far, my time with the company has afforded me the
opportunity to meet the executive board and to work with the
operating committee. Everyone I have met has a dedication and
sense of purpose to AHEPA. The people who are part of AHEPA
are smart, dedicated, and committed to helping and growing
the mission. Sometimes I forget our board members are volunteering their time and do not get paid or recognized for all the
good they do.
I'd like to focus my column on the state of the Affordable
Assisted Living Housing industry and Hellenic Senior Living. As
everyone knows we have four large assisted living communities
with one still under construction in Mishawaka, Indiana. Across
the country there is a growing need for the services these communities provide, and lawmakers have been slow to react. Most
states provide some sort of financial assistance to people who
need assisted living, but it's not enough. Therefore, what happens to someone who cannot afford market rate assisted living?
They end up in a nursing home where the states are paying for

AHEPA 310 Exhibits at
Senor Expo
Jennifer West, Property Manager, AHEPA 310-V
AHEPA 310 residents and employees enjoyed the Senior
Expo in Mobile, Ala. The Area Agency on Aging sponsored
the expo. AHEPA 310 properties participated by having a
booth at the event.

THE AHEPAN · Winter 2019

services these residents do not need, such as 24-hour nursing.
Alternatively, if they are fortunate, they may move into a market
rate community where the owner will dedicate a few units to
Medicaid. In these instances, the communities take the residents to fill units,
but they cannot cover their costs so it's
not an ideal situation.
Illinois has figured out this concept
works and has welcomed Affordable
Assisted Living along with a few other
states, including Indiana. Indiana has
Steve Beck
recognized the need. As a result, the number of communities and beds are growing in the state. AHEPA
Management Company, through Hellenic Senior Living, has four
communities totaling 522 units in New Albany, Indianapolis,
Elkhart and Mishawaka. Other states need to understand the
benefit of Affordable Assisted Living and allocate money so more
communities can be built to support future demand. Affordable
Assisted Living is needed around the country. States will benefit
financially, and residents will benefit by living in an environment
that is purpose built and can meet their needs. What AMC, along
with Hellenic Senior Living, are doing as industry leaders is educating lawmakers and the public on what Affordable Assisted
Living is and how it will improve the lives of people who live in
these communities. In addition, Affordable Assisted Living saves
taxpayers' dollars.
Our communities are built as well as any I've been associated
with in the for-profit sector. They are quality communities with all
the amenities one would find in a private, for-profit community.
The difference is how they are financed and supported. AMC utilizes tax credit funding and state Medicaid reimbursements to provide people with the opportunity to live with purpose.

What qualifies a resident for Affordable Assisted Living?
If a resident is below the annual median income for the county
in which they live, they qualify for assistance through the state.
A state can save money by placing a resident in Affordable
Assisted Living; it can be half the cost of a nursing home. The
resident lives in a better environment-it's a win-win!
As an industry, AMC and Hellenic Senior Living need to get the
word out to not only the public, but to policymakers and other state
leaders who can help us help those in need with this concept.

www.ahepa.org

http://www.ahepa.org

The Ahepan Winter 2019

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