A new association has formed to represent organizations that provide referral and placements to senior living communities, the trade publication McKnight's Senior Living reported Thursday.

The National Placement and Referral Alliance will advocate for those in the industry that places residents in senior living while pushing for a uniform set of standards for the referral agents, according to the group's website. The association has applied for 501(c)6 tax status.

Chuck Bongiovanni, one of NPRA's founders and CEO of referral service CarePatrol Franchise Systems, told Senior Living there are about 800 full-time referral and placement agents in the U.S. He also said the new association has been meeting with other advocacy organizations in the senior living sphere.

"We're meeting with them and telling them what we're doing and why we're doing it. We're getting some very good responses so far," he said. http://bit.ly/2wsZVZM

NPRA's website lists four initiatives for the association. The group will advocate for families' "right of choice," which it says is being lost to "questionable online referral agencies." It will promote "fair marketplace" policies that require online agencies to disclose whether they are part of larger companies. The association will also push for best practices for the industry and establish a national certification program.

Annual membership fee is $250, although the group is offering an "early bird" discount for agencies that join before Sept. 30.

The association does not list staff on its website and its founders haven't said whether they intend to hire employees. www.npralliance.org

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