Update on AL Memory Care Certification Requirements in Washington
During the 2025 legislative session, Washington lawmakers approved legislation establishing new certification and operating standards for Assisted Living facilities that advertise or represent themselves as providing memory care services—whether in a stand-alone memory care community or in a dedicated memory care wing or unit within a larger assisted living center. The new standards are slated to go into effect on July 1, 2026; the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) is working now to draft and adopt the regulations that will govern the program. Click here for an overview of the requirements. Under the new requirements, providers must inform residents and interested parties of their direct staffing numbers.
WHCA’s Vicki McNealley and Elena Madrid represented WHCA in stakeholder rulemaking meetings. They worked with an internal group of experts from Prestige, Caring Places Management, Aegis Senior Living, Cornerstone Assisted Living, and Brookdale to provide feedback on the proposed rules, which are scheduled to be released for consideration in early January 2026. The Department plans on finalizing the regulations in late March or early April 2026. The provider application for certification is under development. We understand the initial certification fee will be a flat fee of $331; the annual certification fee will be $676.
The areas of continued concern include methods to be used to notify residents and other interested parties of the facility’s or unit’s direction staffing information, notice of significant staffing changes, and the timeline for implementation. Additionally, there is currently no proposed language related to the timeline on enforcement actions that may disqualify a provider from certification. WHCA CEO Carma Matti-Jackson is working with DSHS leadership and bill sponsor Senator Tina Orwall to help iron out some of the more challenging issues.
We are also working with DSHS to plan for implementation and will offer member training and consultation regarding implementation.
If you have questions, please contact Vicki McNealley.
