Assisted‑living administrators board reports complaint resolution, website update and appointment delays

Claire Austin, executive director for the Board of Assisted Living Administrators, told the Joint Sunset Committee the board resolved a complaint that had been initiated by the Alabama Department of Public Health and that the licensee involved was suspended for six months and paid $5,000.

Austin said that the complaint was resolved during fiscal 2025 and that the board considered the matter closed after its disciplinary process. She also described modernizing the board’s online services: the board replaced an older website with a platform that lets administrators upload continuing‑education credits, stores records for about 10 years and calculates CEU totals automatically.

Board chair K. Jill Benefield and others described the board’s exam and licensing process, saying the board delivers testing and swears in successful candidates the same day, reducing the prior wait time of up to two weeks. Benefield said roughly 70% of administrators pursue dementia/Alzheimer’s qualifications (CAT 2).

Members of the committee asked about the board’s per‑member cost and the administrative intensity of reviewing applications, internships and background checks; board members said their workload and the multi‑day training required for administrators justify the time involved. The board also raised concerns that association control of appointments had left some seats unfilled for long periods and suggested possible legislative changes to appointment procedures.

No formal votes were recorded during the hearing.