CHOOSING AN ADULT CARE HOME
Finding the right long term care home for yourself or your loved ones can easily lead you down a rabbit hole of researching, calling, and visiting one home after another. From speaking with individuals we have cared for as well as their families, we noticed that most of them went through this long cycle before finding a home that met all of their needs.
From these conversations we found that a few key steps helped them find they a safe place to call home and a team that could cheer and support them on their journey. If you are in the search of long term or short term care we hope that this helps you find the perfect fit! Let’s start at the beginning.
Step 1: What is an Adult Family Home/ Assisted Living Facility?
The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services explains that Adult Family Homes are, “Residential homes licensed to care for up to six non-related residents. They provide room, board, laundry, necessary supervision, and necessary help with activities of daily living, personal care, and social services. RCW 70.128.010.”
Assisted Living Facilities are, “Facilities in a community setting that are licensed to care for seven or more residents. The assisted living facility (ALF) provides room and board and help with activities of daily living (ADL). Some ALFs provide limited nursing services; others may specialize in serving people with mental health problems, developmental disabilities, or dementia (Alzheimer's disease). RCW 18-20-020(2).”
In addition to providing the above, both of these facilities also provide meals, intermittent nursing care, and assistance with medication management. The two important questions for you or your loved ones to ask yourselves are:
What are your health needs?
Where would you (or your loved one) feel most comfortable?
To answer these two questions, you can discuss what life changes have occurred that would be easier to handle if you had a 24-Hour care team available to assist or manage for you. To make sure that care needs are not missed in this step, we have a few tips for you.
Be sure to rest well and prepare for this discussion - it’s easy to miss the small daily life nuances that help brighten the day.
Include the person affected in the conversation - This is a significant life change, and emotions play a large role in this decision. When possible, encourage an open and safe environment where everyone involved can voice their thoughts and concerns.
Remember, finding the right home and team to provide the care needed may take longer than expected but it’s worth it.
Step 2: Okay, you have decided…. What’s next?
Well, the next step is to start searching, calling and touring! As we mentioned earlier, this step can take quite a bit of time and may sometimes start feeling a bit overwhelming. We’ve found that instead of just typing “Adult Family Home Near Me”, into Google and moving down the list, what works a bit better is to know who to call from the moment the decision is made:
Washington State DSHS recommends first calling Community Living Connections. CLC’s provide, “Information about local senior services in the community. CLC staff can assist with such things as what services may be available and their cost, names and addresses of local adult family homes and assisted living facilities, how to fill out forms, and how to find out about what benefits you may have. CLC is part of your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA). To find the CLC or AAA office nearest you, go to www.waclc.org/connect. You can email the office directly, or find the local phone number. You may also call the statewide toll-free number at 1-855-567-0252.”
If you are thinking about using state funding like Medicaid, you should call Home and Community Services. They can help walk you through applying, getting an assessment, or just provide you insight on your specific situation. Washington State is separated into regions that each have their own Home and Community Service offices.
REGION 1
509-568-3700
1-800-459-0421
TTY 509-586-3697
Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima Counties
REGION 2
206-341-7600
1-800-346-9257
TTY 1-800-833-6384
Island, King, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties
REGION 3
253-476-7200
1-800-442-5129
TTY 253-593-5471
Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, and Wahkiakum Counties
Step 3: Now you are ready to start calling facilities!
One of the best resources for all care facilities in Washington is actually the DSHS website. They’ve compiled a list of both Adult Family Homes & Assisted Living Facilities in the State and its searchable by location or by the type of funding you intend to use. You can find this search tool here -> https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup/AFHPubLookup.aspx
The only downside is that some areas may not have any facilities or they may have 1 or 2. For instance, Maple Valley, WA only has 2 care facilities while a few miles away in Kent, WA there are 20+ places to choose from. Depending on how often you or your loved ones plan on visiting, distance can be a very important factor in finding the right place for you.
Remember, finding the right place and team may take a while. So be patient with yourselves, take a break when you need it, and if you need help moving through the process you can always contact us! We will try our best to get you the information you need.
