Annie Fairchild of Park West, an assisted living facility in West Seattle shares the three most important things she recommends families remember when looking for a retirement community or assisted living facility for a loved one.

• Find a community that’s compatible with the family member’s interest. Make sure it’s a place where your loved one can establish friendships and a sense of community as soon as possible.
• Check the Medicare web site to get accurate information on any facility which accepts Medicare. This site rates facilities and can alert you if there have been quality of care problems.
• Stop by unannounced for a site visit; come at different times of the day and evening. See for yourself if the facility is properly staffed and if residents are getting the care and attention that they should.

In addition to the things Annie has suggested you can also check out the State of Washington’s web site for residential care facilities. This site has great information but it takes some effort to find what you’re looking for. I found it helpful to have someone from the Department of Aging and Disability walk me through it. Their number is 360.725.2300.

State law requires a residential care facility to be licensed. These include adult family homes, nursing homes and boarding homes aka as assisted living facilities.

This site will tell you if the facility you’re considering has had any citations or if the state has had to bring an enforcement action against the property.

One other thing you can do is ask to see the Inspection Logs that the facility is required to make available when asked. These logs will note any issues the state uncovered while doing an on-site inspection. (DSHS does unannounced site visits to all licensed facilities on a rotating basis.)

Annie Fairchild can be reached at 206.937.9750. For more information on Park West click on their web site. Park West is located at 1703 California Ave SW, Seattle.

If you have comments or suggestions to share please post a note a note or call me at 206.915.1076.

Mary