Six steps to finding the right home for you as suggested by
The Department of Social and Health Services:
- Talk about life changes.
- Review your needs.
- Get the information you need - DSHS website is a great start.
- Get a list of long term facilities - this website is the best resource for this step. Use it.
- Set up visits with facilities.
- Make a decision.
- Although this is not a step in finding the right home for you, we encourage
you to return to our website and use the Forum to share your experience.
Later, after you had time to evaluate your choice, please add a facility review. A lot of people can use your feedback.
You can also download a very good brochure produced by DSHS about
choosing care in an Adult Family Home or Boarding Home.
You can download it
here.
What is the difference between a Nursing Home, an Adult Family Home, and a Boarding Home? Please see the table below for differences and similarities between the two types of facilities.
| Feature | Nursing Home | Adult Family Home | Boarding Home |
| Definition | A place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living. Residents include the elderly and younger adults with physical or mental disabilities. | Regular neighborhood homes where staff assumes responsibility for the safety and well-being of the adult | Facilities in a community setting where staff assumes responsibility for the safety and well-being of the adult |
| Services provided | Housing, meals, supervision, and varying levels of assistance with care. | Room, meals, laundry, supervision and varying levels of assistance with care. | Housing, meals, laundry, supervision, and varying levels of assistance with care. |
| Nursing Care? | Yes, provided by RNs or LPNs. | Some, occasional. | Some. |
| Specialized care for people with mental health issues, developmental disabilities or dementia? | Yes. | Yes, some. | Yes, some. |
| Number of residents | Seven or more | No more than six | Seven or more |
| Licensed by State? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Source: Department of Social and Health Services
