Washington, DC –The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) today unveiled the symbol of the 2009 National Assisted Living Week® (NALW) the “Traditions of the Heart” logo. NALW will be held Sept. 13-19, 2009.

“This year’s theme, ‘Traditions of the Heart’ pays tribute to the personal connection that caregivers, relatives, and volunteers have with nearly 1 million people residing in more than 38,000 assisted living and residential care communities nationwide,” said David Kyllo, NCAL’s executive director.

NCAL established NALW in 1995 to provide a unique opportunity to bring together residents, families, employees, volunteers, and the surrounding community to celebrate residents and the services provided within assisted living residences.

As the NALW founder, NCAL produces and distributes a NALW planning guide and product catalog to help administrators/directors, activity directors, and residents plan a fun-filled week focused on this year’s theme. The planning guide, scheduled to be available in June, will contain suggestions and resources to create resident focused activities and the products catalog will offer products featuring the 2009 logo.

The logo is available for communities to use on celebration materials, such as calendars or invitations. To obtain a copy of the logo, contact Shane Osborne at sosborne@ncal.org or (202) 898-2843; or Lisa Gelhaus at lgelhaus@ncal.org or (202)898-2825.

As NALW approaches, those interested are encouraged to visit the NALW Web site at www.nalw.org to find the NALW planning guide and product catalog and additional materials that will help assisted living communities develop and promote interesting and well-attended events. The planning guide will be mailed to NCAL members and anyone interested in obtaining a copy.

The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) represents more than 2,700 not-for-profit and proprietary assisted living and residential care communities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional compassionate care and services for the elderly and disabled. NCAL is the assisted living voice of the American Health Care Association.