Assisted Living Issues for Nursing Practice

Assisted living has become a popular setting for older people and their families. Although health care services in these settings are limited, many residents require some level of medication management. In some states, unlicensed assistive personnel can perform medication management, suggesting delegation of nursing activities. However, confusion may arise between the licensing requirement for settings and the nurse practice act on this issue. This report discusses assisted living, nurse delegation with regard to medication management, and recommendations for nursing practice for both delegator and delegate. (GERIATR Nurs 2003;24:99-105)