Assisted living in Washington
With over 7 million people in the Washington state, the geography and the inhabitants of The Evergreen State are extremely diverse. Any senior that has a desire to retire in an assisted living facility in a marvelous place that’s packed with mountain peaks and beautiful beaches will quickly realize that they have made the right choice. Owing to the marine climate, the weather in Washington can be very pleasant, featuring warm summers and mildly cold winters.
As it is with any state, there is a lot of information that needs to be absorbed and processed before making any decision as to whether to retire there or not. Lucky for you, we have consolidated all of the important information that you require to make your choice. This includes the state’s senior living options, the amenities that they provide, as well as the support systems that these facilities have incorporated. If you wish to evaluate each city separately, use the list of cities that we have already compiled for you below.
- With its housing index of 120,50, Washington is one of the more expensive states to retire to.
- The one-bedroom apartments here have an average monthly cost of $937 per month, which, when compared to the national average of $825 per month for the same or similar apartment, is a bit more expensive.
- In case you’re in need of more rooms, two-bedroom apartments can be found for an average of $1,179 per month, which is once again, more than the national average of $1,027 per month.
If these numbers aren’t a problem for you, the next thing on our agenda is to take a look at the monthly costs for senior living in Washington. The home health care averages at $5,053 per month. With this fee, seniors can be sure that they will lead a comfortable life in their homes while still receiving help from the staff in terms of house cleaning, everyday errands and food.
A great place to stay at while your caregiver is dealing with their responsibilities is adult day care, which provides a safe and supervised environment. In Washington, adult day care can cost about $1,408 per month and, since adult day care doesn’t include extensive care, it’s an option that is more suitable for seniors that are generally independent but in need of socialization and therapy that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to get if they stay at home.
For those that require a greater degree of help with their everyday tasks, Washington also has assisted living facilities that cost $4,660 on average per month. These seniors will also have access to health services and personal care that they require in order to lead a comfortable life.
In case you’re a senior that’s in need of 24/7 care and supervision, Washington has you covered, just pick one of the many nursing homes available in this country. At these nursing homes, seniors have no issue receiving housing, skilled nursing and personal care staff, round the clock supervision, various therapy options, as well as all the medicinal needs they may have. The costs for a semi-private room costs around $8,578 per month, and the private rooms have an estimated cost of around $9,447 per month.
Benefits of Choosing Washington for Senior Living in Washington
Before you choose to retire in Washington, it’s good to know the pros and cons of this state. These are some of the pros of living in Washington:
Moderate Climate in Washington
When compared to the other states in the country, Washington is a home to a temperate climate. While wet winters are a rather knows feature of this state, snow rarely falls and the temperatures never get below 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Washington has warm and comfortable summers, during which, the temperature never gets above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gorgeous Landscapes and Scenery in Washington
Amateur, as well as professional photographers, come here from all over the world just to take pictures of Washington’s beautiful landscapes. Seniors that decide to live in The Evergreen State will have the opportunity to enjoy in this scenic beauty every day, should they choose to do so. The most famous and beautiful landscapes are:
But don’t worry, the state is filled with hidden gems of nature that lie in wait to be discovered.
Extremely Low Seniors State Taxes in Washington
Retirees will certainly be positively surprised that Washington is such a tax friendly state, especially for seniors. In this state, seniors don’t have taxes on almost anything. Some of the important things that aren’t taxed include:
- Social security income
- Public pensions
- Private pensions
- Withdrawals from retirement accounts
An icing to the cake is that the marginal state tax rate is an astonishing 0%. Seniors will rejoice as they will be able to spend more of their income on things that they love, be it their grandchildren or a better senior assisted living facility.
Seniors Living Options in Washington
Depending on the seniors’ needs and wants, Washington has multiple options to choose from. Seniors can choose any of the following options that are available: independent living, memory care, nursing home care or assisted living. Review what each of these options has to offer before making your final judgment.
Independent Living
With more than 400 independent living facilities available, healthy seniors will have a lot of choices when it comes to this option. Independent living is better suited for people that don’t need constant care. The costs for independent living facilities range from $550 to $4,950 per month.
In case you prefer apartments, there are several choices for that as well, especially for seniors aged 55+ or 65+. These seniors can enjoy many amenities which include gyms, walking trails, pools, and many others.
Assisted Living
Having more than 1,300 assisted living facilities throughout the state, Washington has a plethora of options for seniors in need of experienced caregivers, high quality healthcare and access to social activities which they are sure to benefit from. In addition to this, seniors will get help with their daily tasks, including laundry, meals, transport and housekeeping chores. These facilities also have ‘round the clock surveillance so as to ensure the safety of the residents.
Assisted living costs in Washington can range from $1,000 to $9,000 per month. If you have limited funds, it might be better to explore the Spokane Valley area, which has more affordable assisted living facilities. On the other hand, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan areas have the most expensive assisted living facilities in Washington.
Memory Care in Washington
Being one of the bigger issues that seniors face, dementia can take quite a tool on seniors and their loved ones. Washington has over 800 memory care facilities that specialize in this kind of care, fully equipped and staffed by professionals that can help seniors alleviate the issues that are caused by dementia. The average yearly cost of Washington’s memory care facilities is $73,950. These costs can go as low as $1,450 per month, up to $13,050 per month. The location of these facilities has an additional effect on the costs, with Seattle and Tacoma having the highest average cost of around $99,000 per year. Spokane and the surrounding areas have somewhat cheaper memory care facilities, with costs averaging out at $79,200 per year.
Nursing Homes in Washington
Washington has nearly 1,700 nursing home facilities for seniors to choose from. At the moment of writing, seniors aged 65+ make up 14.8% of Washington’s population.
These nursing homes provide daily meals, help with medication, personal care and social activities involving other seniors. The adult daycare centers in Washington have an average yearly cost of $17,443. These costs can increase or reduce depending on the location, with Olympia and Tumwater being the most expensive daycare providers with an average yearly cost of $37,440. On the other hand, the Walla Walla area has the least expensive daycare costs, with yearly costs averaging out at $13,000.
Hospice care is another nursing home variation available for terminally ill seniors. These kinds of facilities help seniors live their remaining days in an environment that is calm and loving, with specialized care that lessens the pain with the help of medications, as well as aromatherapy and grief counseling. Washington has over 30 hospices around the state, and the costs can be covered by private insurances, including Medicare, or Medicaid.
Respite care is an option that’s available when the primary caregiver is overcome by the ever-increasing demands of senior care. Respite care provides professional caregivers that can look after the seniors a number of days in the week, throughout the whole month, or for a single day. The state has over 600 respite care facilities, with an average yearly cost of $92,345. The costs depend on the level of care needed by the senior, as well as the location of the facility. The monthly costs can range anywhere from as low as $4,350 per month to $15,747 per month.
