Direct care staff and administrator education and training requirements are the focus of many of the new assisted living regulations recorded in 18 states, including the District of Columbia, between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025, according to the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL).

The changes are part of NCAL’s 2025 Assisted Living State Regulatory Review released last week.

“States continually demonstrate their ability to respond to the changing needs of residents and providers within assisted living,” said LaShuan Bethea, NCAL executive director.

She said this effort fosters quality improvement, supports consumer transparency, and ensures residents and families have peace of mind that proper safeguards are in place.

NCAL identified emerging trends in regulatory changes within the specific topics of the Regulatory Review for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The top areas for regulatory changes in 2025 included:

• Direct Care Staff Education and Training Requirements – 10 states (20 percent)

• Administrator/Director Education and Training Requirements – Nine states (18 percent)

• Staff Scheduling Requirements – Seven states (14 percent)

“Similar to past years, this report highlights how states are working with assisted living providers to safeguard high-quality care for residents, and this year we are seeing a reinforced commitment to updating training and staffing requirements,” said Jill Schewe, NCAL’s director of policy and regulatory affairs and the report’s author.

The 2025 overview and executive summary, along with summaries for each state, is available on the NCAL website.

Comments or questions? Contact Patrick Connole at pconnole@parkplacelive.com.