Kitch Drutchas Wagner Valitutti & Sherbrook

To say that assisted living has undergone recent growth is akin to saying that Mount Everest is just a mountain. The proliferation of provider facilities across the country over the last decade has been nothing short of amazing. Anticipating the aging of the baby boom generation, assisted living facilities seem to be going up around every corner.

Not only has the growth been in terms of sheer numbers, the variety of homes and the types of services they provide has also increased. Homes range from large, luxurious, nationally-owned facilities to small, quaint homes run by a dedicated and hard working family, and everything in between. These facilities may offer assistance with activities of daily living, dementia care, or the independence of adult apartments.

This explosion of facilities and services has resulted in what is often a complex set of challenges for providers. Federal and local laws classify facilities as homes for the aged, adult foster care, housing with services, among others, and with each classification comes its own set of requirements. The offering of multiple services can require the employment of numerous staff members and their associated employment problems or the use of outside vendors that raise contractual and agency issues. Furthermore, the long term care industry as a whole, including assisted living, seems to be the target of more and more lawsuits related to the care that is delivered. And this is only the beginning. In what appears to be a growing movement in certain governmental circles, all long term care facilities, including assisted living, may soon face the requirements of licensing.

The Kitch firm has attorneys who help assisted living providers understand and navigate through the maze of requirements now demanded of them on a daily basis. Whether it be the careful drafting of an admission agreement, addressing licensure concerns including regulatory compliance, handling construction and employment issues, responding to a sentinel event at midnight, or aggressive representation in a lawsuit concerning resident care, Kitch attorneys are there fighting for the interests of assisted living providers nationwide.

The Kitch firm was co-founded in Detroit in 1969 by Richard A. Kitch and Richard F. Suhrheinrich, now a Senior Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge.

Historically, the Firm has attracted a diverse pool of attorneys and staff, seeking only the most talented individuals to serve our clients.

The Kitch firm was recognized in 2006 by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as the Detroit area law firm with the highest percentage of women attorneys (41%) and the highest percentage of female partners (27%).

The Kitch firm recognizes and celebrates the concept of diversity and  equal opportunity in the workplace.