90 assisted living communities near Seattle

What is Assisted Living?

Assisted living can be summed up as a community that offers round-the-clock care in a home-like environment. It can range in size from a single house to a large complex and typically offers seniors wellness programs, housekeeping and laundry services, social engagement, support with the activities of daily living (ADLs) and more.

Services Available in Assisted Living Communities in Seattle

Assisted living communities in Washington are licensed to provide several different kinds of service packages depending on the needs of a resident:

• Assisted living in its basic form must include a private apartment, occasional nursing care and help with administering medications and ADLs.
• Adult Residential Care (ARC) includes the above services and may provide limited supervision in case residents need monitoring for their safety.
• Enhanced Adult Residential Care (EARC) includes all the services provided with ARC with the addition of help administering medication for residents who can't take it themselves. Shared rooms are possible with this package, but with no more than two people. Some forms of EARC also offer Specialized Dementia Services.

Assisted living communities in Seattle must also provide:

• Activities for residents
• Housekeeping
• Laundry
• Meals and nutritious snacks
• Service in a language the resident understands

A community may provide further amenities based on its scale and resources.

Getting Ready to Move to Assisted Living in Seattle

A move can be a complicated and stressful process at any stage of life, but particularly so when transitioning into long-term care. There are ways to make it easier, however:

• Start by touring a prospective community before you commit. There's no substitute for seeing the interactions of the staff with residents, its food preparation and hygiene practices and its skills at personal care and support with your own eyes. A tour can show you how well you will fit into that community.
• Get pre-assessments from your doctor and a candidate community's staff. It's important to have a clear and realistic idea of medical and personal care needs.
• Plan the move early, and break it down into chunks. Starting early lets you tackle the sometimes emotional work of figuring out what to take or leave. It also allows you to organize the move and reduce the physical strain.
• Recruit a support network. Avail yourself of all the friends and family you can muster, particularly if you or your loved need physical help with the tasks of moving. A senior move manager can also help in supporting and organizing your move.

Costs Associated with Assisted Living in Seattle

According to the Genworth Cost of Care survey, the monthly cost of assisted living in Seattle is $5,250, well above the national average of $3,700. Fortunately, there are options for offsetting the cost through a managed care program using Medicaid.

When you work with our Seniorly Guides to find a home to love, this is always a free service for families. The Seniorly Guide is compensated directly from the community you eventually select in Seattle.

Assisted Living vs. Other Types of Senior Care

There are plenty of options for long-term care, and Washington only licenses some of them. Understanding the differences is important in helping choose the right option.

In-home care is a popular alternative, as it's not uncommon to prefer to age at home. This model provides for caregivers to visit the resident in their home and provide needed support at many different possible levels. Washington offers many different programs to enable this.

The types of long-term care licensed by the state include assisted living communities along with:

Nursing homes provide 24-hour supervised nursing care, therapy and personal care, social services and nutrition management. This is an option for those with more intense medical needs.

Adult Family Homes are regular neighborhood homes with a staff, typically providing ARC.

Not licensed by the state are:

Independent living communities made for aging citizens who are healthy, alert and aware enough to live on their own with minimal supervision.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities offer a range of long-term care solutions from assisted living through nursing home levels of care on the same campus.

Helpful Apps and Websites for Assisted Living in Seattle

Although their mandate is to provide support, assisted living communities will also leave certain areas of life to residents' discretion. Since extra help in these areas can often come in handy, there are many useful apps and websites for Seattle's aging citizens. Here is a small sampling:

• Swedish Express Care at Home is an app that provides same-day urgent care appointments.
• Pet Care through Care.com connects pet owners with pet-sitters on timelines ranging from "right now" to one or two months ahead.​
• Moovn is a ride-share app with affordable rates and guaranteed no-surge pricing.

Resources for Caregivers in Seattle

Seattle caregivers deserve attention and support in taking on the challenging task of caring for a loved one. Some resources specific to Seattle include:

• King County Caregiver Support Network provides counseling and referrals to support services for unpaid caregivers.
• The Caregiver Support Program through Sound Generations offers a range of financial, legal and counseling supports.
• The Caregiver Support Hub through the University of Washington provides links to a vast range of caregiver resources in the state, including crucial information and useful technologies.

Government Resources for Seniors in Seattle

There are many organizations in Seattle dedicated to serving the senior community by providing useful resources and information. A few of most prominent are:

• Washington's Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for the rights of residents in assisted living and other forms of care.
• The Area Agency on Aging for Seattle and King County is a robust and well-organized chapter of the nationwide Area Agencies on Aging network.
• The City of Seattle offers a wide range of age-friendly programs.
• The Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives provides at-home behavioral counseling for seniors.
• Sound Generations is a volunteer organization that has been in action for five decades, providing everything from Meals on Wheels to free transportation to medical appointments for seniors.

Seattle Demographics

Seattle is America's 18th most populous city, and its population has grown rapidly since 2010, driven by job growth and a strong local economy. In a pattern seen in many cities, the highest rate of growth in the past decade has been for adults aged 65 to 74, reflecting the aging of the Baby Boomer generation. In King County, where Seattle resides, 18 percent of the population is aged 60 or older, a demographic that's expected to grow to 25 percent by the year 2040.

Seattle Weather

Seattle's reputation for constant rain is misleading. In fact there are plenty of American cities that get more annual rainfall, though it is true the Pacific Northwest gets more than its fair share of overcast days. The city enjoys a temperate marine climate with mild winters and warm (but not blazing) summers, seeing average high temperatures up to 76 degrees in the summer months.

Transportation In and Around Seattle

Seattle is a major port and international air travel hub, and Sea-Tac International Airport is a 15-minute ride from downtown. It's also served by several rail lines, including three different Amtrak routes.

Public transportation offers a formidable array of ways to get around once you've arrived, including buses, light rail, streetcars and monorail. Ride shares, car rentals, taxis, shuttles, courtesy vehicles and limousines are readily available, as well. These resources include:

• Link Light Rail
• King County Metro Transit for bus service
• The South Lake Union and First Hill Streetcar lines
• The Seattle Center Monorail
• Uber and Lyft for ride sharing
• Zipcar and Car2Go for by-the-hour car rentals and car sharing
• The Shuttle Express Downtown Airporter and SpeediShuttle for shuttle service to the downtown core
• Amtrak for rail service to and from the city

You can find further details here.

Fun Facts About Seattle

Seattle sports a diverse range of neighborhoods, lively arts and culture scene, flourishing parks and beautiful natural surroundings and a fascinating history. It divides into five major areas:

• Central Seattle includes the bustling business district of Downtown, the diverse melting pot of the International District, chic high-income communities such as Madison Park, Belltown and Broadmoor and much more.

• Northeast and Northwest Seattle are known for their affluent and picturesque bedroom communities such as Lake City, Greenwood, Ravenna, Whittier Heights and more.

• West and South Seattle comprise a variety of communities from the remote and affordable Beacon Hill with its uniquely spectacular view to West Seattle Junction, the busy "downtown" of West Seattle.

You can find a comprehensive guide to each of the city's neighborhoods, including details about their demographics, walkability scores and interesting historical facts here.

A few more facts about Seattle:

• The Underground Tour in downtown Seattle is a unique experience that shows remnants of the original city that was lost in the fire of 1889, with the modern city built directly on top of it.
• Seattle hosts the second-most live performances annually of any city in the U.S., second only to New York.
• Seattle is a major departure point for Pacific Northwest and Alaska cruises, and has two downtown cruise terminals.