Assisted living managers say an algorithm prevented hiring enough staff; The Washington Post, April 1, 2024

Douglas MacMillan

 and 

Christopher Rowland

, The Washington Post; Assisted living managers say an algorithm prevented hiring enough staff

"Two decades ago, a group of senior-housing executives came up with a way to raise revenue and reduce costs at assisted-living homes. Using stopwatches, they timed caregivers performing various tasks, from making beds to changing soiled briefs, and fed the information into a program they began using to determine staffing.

Brookdale Senior Living, the leading operator of senior homes with 652 facilities, acquired the algorithm-based system and used it to set staffing at its properties across the nation. But as Brookdale’s empire grew, employees complained the system, known as “Service Alignment,” failed to capture the nuances of caring for vulnerable seniors, documents and interviews show."