Hosting facility tours for legislators and other policymakers is the single most effective way to advocate for your residents and staff. This toolkit will guide you step-by-step to make this essential action easy.
Lawmakers’ knowledge must run a mile wide and an inch deep, so they rely on relevant experts to inform their decisions. This is especially true for long-term care. As a local leader in long-term care, you are an expert. Hosting a facility tour is a powerful opportunity to help state officials understand how their decisions impact your residents and staff. We make it easy for you to participate in this activity and improve the lives of the people you serve.
Here are 5 easy steps to host your tour:
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- Identify and get to know your local legislator(s). Find who represents you in Olympia by entering your facility’s address in the state’s District Finder. Research their bios and what committees they serve on. Consider signing up for their newsletters.
. - Send your legislators an invite by email. Pick one or more of your legislators and send them a personalized invitation to visit your facility. Follow up if you don’t hear back in a week.
- Tip: Your legislators’ emails will follow this format: [email protected]
- Schedule and plan your tour. Once it’s on the books, let attendees know if other legislators are scheduled to attend the same tour. Prepare for your tour by planning how the visit will go, what to highlight in your facility, and what stories you want to share.
. - Conduct your tour! The preparation you do in step 3 makes this part easy. Just tell your story, and remember your legislator is there because they want to help.
- Tip: Avoid partisan and politically charged language. Be brief and polite, and have some questions ready to ask them.
- Tip: Have a designated photographer to take lots of photos during the tour!
- Follow up. Post photos and thank the legislator(s) for coming on social media. Tag them (and WHCA) if possible. Make sure to send a follow up thank you note, including any pictures featuring them, to the legislator.
- Identify and get to know your local legislator(s). Find who represents you in Olympia by entering your facility’s address in the state’s District Finder. Research their bios and what committees they serve on. Consider signing up for their newsletters.
Sample Legislator Invitation
CC: Eric Negomir ([email protected])
Subject: Invitation to Tour [Facility/Community Name]
Dear Representative/Senator [Name]:
Thank you for your work to support constituent seniors and staff at my long-term care community. However, more must be done to ensure we can provide the highest quality of care for all who need it. That’s why I am pleased to invite you to visit [facility/community name], where we employ [number] of your constituents and care for [number] of residents. [If Medicaid-contracted: [number] of these residents rely on Medicaid funding.] This visit will give you an opportunity to speak to residents, family members and caregivers, and learn more about the importance of consistent, reliable long-term care for all Washingtonians.
Your firsthand knowledge in this area is particularly important now, as Washington’s aging population places increasing demand on the long-term care system. I realize the enormity of the responsibility on our shoulders and the numerous issues you deal with as a lawmaker, which is why I want to be a resource for you. You should feel like you can turn to long-term care professionals in your district, such as myself, to help inform your decisions.
We will work closely with you and your staff to plan a convenient tour when you are available. Please feel free to either reply by email or call me directly at [phone number] to start arranging a date and time.
Thank you for all you do for our community. I look forward to speaking with you soon and sharing ideas on safeguarding the care of our seniors.
Sincerely,
Name
Title
Facility
Phone
Tour Outline (30-60 minutes)
Introductions (10-15 minutes):
- Welcome your visitors.
- Introduce a few key staff.
- Summarize key points of your facility.
- Briefly explain your care setting (scope of care, differences between AL/SNF/AHF/etc.).
- Give a high-level overview of key challenges (Medicaid underfunding, workforce barriers, etc.).
Tour (15-30 minutes):
- Highlight amenities and services, common and living spaces – just like a tour with a prospective resident or family.
- Introduce the legislator to residents and staff you meet along the way. Consider prioritizing individuals you feel represent your quality care services.
- Ask the legislator questions about themselves and encourage their questions about long-term care.
- Make sure to have a designated person taking photos during the tour!
Conclusion (5-10 minutes):
- Thank the legislator for their time.
- Offer to be a local resource when they have questions about long-term care.
Facility Profile
Be prepared to tell the legislator the following information about your facility. You may want to turn it into a handy printed one-page fact sheet they can take away with them!
Facility Name
Address
City, State Zip
Phone number
Administrator
Administrator contact (email/cell phone)
About the Facility
- Total licensed units
- Total FTE employees
- Annual payroll, property and personal taxes
- Total number of residents served annually
- Total number of Medicaid clients served annually
About Our Residents
- Provide details about the people you serve. Describe the types of care needs, diagnoses, number of medications administered, where they admit from, and anecdotes about how your care has been the answer for a family in need. Give a face to those you serve.
About Our Workforce
- Job types (nursing staff, direct care staff, housekeeping, facilities maintenance, food services, regional staff support, etc.)
- Immigrants/English as a second language
- Basic demographics such as age ranges and averages, percentage of female workers, etc.
- Common challenges of the workforce
LTC Services and Supports Provided
Detail the services and activities provided to your clients, such as long term convalescent care, transitional nursing care, hospice services, physical and occupational therapy, specialized dementia care, assessments, care coordination, etc.
Also highlight the things that make your facility unique, like the ways that you build community. Be sure to share any awards or accolades your facility or staff have received.
Legislative Storytelling
Beyond Talking Points and Into Connection
Legislators are bombarded daily with data, demands, and opinions. While talking points are important, they are often dry, detached, and forgettable.
So what cuts through the noise? Personal stories.
Stories make policy real, relatable, and memorable. They establish credibility, evoke empathy, and help lawmakers understand why an issue should matter to them—and to the communities they serve.
The Power You Carry
- Every advocate has a story that can change a mind or shift a vote.
- Don’t underestimate the impact of your lived experience.
- You don’t need to be a policy expert—your story is your expertise.
- When you speak from the heart, you move the conversation from politics to people.
What Makes a Good Legislative Story?
- Make It Personal – Share your own experience or someone else’s (with permission).
- Keep It Specific – Focus on one moment, one individual, or one vivid detail.
- Connect It to Policy – Link your story clearly to a bill, issue, or systemic challenge.
- Be Action-Oriented – End with a clear ask or takeaway: “That’s why I’m asking you to support…”
What Are Your Stories?
Facts alone don’t drive change—stories do. Your voice brings policy to life. Below are four major challenges. Where is your experience reflected?
Inadequate Medicaid Funding Undermines Quality and Access
- Have you had to make tough decisions because Medicaid didn’t cover the full cost of care?
- Have services been reduced or staff stretched too thin?
- Has underfunding affected your ability to provide the care people deserve?
- Tell the story of a moment when a lack of resources impacted someone in your care.
Lack of Case Management Support for Medicaid Clients
- Have you worked with clients who struggled to navigate the system alone?
- Have you seen preventable crises due to uncoordinated care?
- Do you know someone who fell through the cracks?
- Share how better case management could have changed an outcome.
Workforce Crisis: Labor Market Instability
- Are you struggling to hire or keep qualified staff?
- Have you seen burnout or morale issues affect care?
- Have you taken on multiple roles just to keep things going?
- Describe a time when workforce shortages directly impacted quality of care or team well-being.
Regulatory Risks Are Significant
- Have you faced burdensome, unclear, or inflexible rules?
- Have you felt penalized for trying to innovate or adapt care?
- Has regulation created fear, instead of supporting good decision-making?
- Talk about how regulations impact day-to-day decisions—and the people behind them.
Your Voice Matters
Every time you share your story, you help policymakers see the real impact of policy—and the real people behind the numbers.
You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be real.
Sample Social Media Posts
Here are some sample posts you can use to thank your legislators for coming. Be sure to tag them; public officials love sharing posts with photos of them visiting their constituents!
#1: Thank you [Legislator name] for visiting [Facility/Community name] and supporting policies that benefit WA’s seniors, patients and residents at our facilities. More must be done to ensure we can provide the highest quality care for all. [WHCA Tag] [Photo]
#2: Washington’s low-income seniors deserve quality long-term care, and we are proud to deliver it. Thank you [Legislator name] for meeting with us and supporting constituent seniors and caregivers. [WHCA Tag] [Photo]
#3: Washington’s population is aging, and long-term care providers rely on support from government leaders to meet our communities’ needs. Thank you [Legislator name] for recognizing the urgency of this issue and working with us to find solutions. [WHCA Tag] [Photo]
WHCA Tags:
Instagram: @whcacares
Facebook: @WashingtonHealthCareAssociation
LinkedIn: @WashingtonHealthCareAssociation
Sample Thank You Note
CC: Eric Negomir ([email protected])
SUBJECT: Thank you for visiting [Facility/Community Name]
Dear Representative/Senator [Name]:
On behalf of our staff, residents, patients, and their families, thank you for taking the time in your busy schedule to visit [Facility/Community name]. Everyone here greatly enjoyed meeting you. We are grateful for your support and commitment to issues affecting the quality and future of long-term care in our community.
[Personal comment from tour: ie: your comments on the need to fund Medicaid had a lasting impression on me. We’re lucky to have you representing us in the state Capitol.]
I recognize your responsibility and challenge to be informed about the many issues you must make decisions on. When you have relevant policy questions, I hope you feel like you can turn to long term care professionals in your district such as myself. If I can be of any assistance when technically complex issues involving long-term care are before you, please do not hesitate to reach out.
I look forward to speaking with you again soon and sharing ideas on safeguarding the care of our residents and patients. I have attached some photos we took during your tour in case you’d like to share them and any information you learned in a constituent newsletter.
Sincerely,
Name
Title
Facility
Email
Phone