Health Care Politics Dementia care facilities would have to meet new state standards under WA bill
Washington lawmakers are looking at requiring assisted living facilities to be certified to take care of people with dementia.
Senate Bill 5337, sponsored by Sen. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, would require the Department of Social and Health Services to create, manage and enforce a certification process for licensed assisted living facilities.
“This bill is around supporting people as they age and supporting families and giving the Department of Social and Health Services the tools they need for that work,” Orwall said.
In 2021, an informal study by the state’s Dementia Action Collaborative found there were about 237 assisted living facilities in Washington that advertised memory care or specialized dementia care, but their services varied.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/04/08/dementia-care-facilities-would-have-to-meet-new-state-standards-under-wa-bill/