You are placing someone you love in other people’s hands. Here is who those people are, what Washington requires of them and what we ask on top of that.
What Washington Requires
Every caregiver in a Washington adult family home must meet state rules before working alone with residents. They must:
- Pass a DSHS background check, including fingerprints
- Hold a Home Care Aide certification, or a nursing credential such as NAC, LPN or RN, or complete the state’s caregiver training and become certified within the time allowed
- Keep current CPR and first aid cards
- Complete dementia and mental-health specialty training before caring for residents with those needs
- Take continuing education every year
Medications are handled with care. Where a task needs nurse oversight, a registered nurse trains the caregiver and delegates that task to them. This is called nurse delegation, and the nurse checks on it regularly.
We Hire for Kindness First
Skills can be taught. Patience, warmth and a steady temper are harder to teach, so we hire for those. We watch how a person speaks to a resident who asks the same question for the fifth time. We notice whether they kneel to eye level with someone in a wheelchair. Every applicant is interviewed and reference-checked before we make an offer.
How We Support Them
Caregivers who are supported give better care. We keep the team small enough that everyone knows every resident. We review care plans together and offer extra training through the year. Nobody has to make a hard call alone. We also make sure the work includes the good parts: cooking, gardening, a walk and a laugh.
The Same Faces, Day After Day
In a small home, residents see the same caregivers most days. That matters more than it sounds. A familiar face calms someone with memory loss. A caregiver who knows how your father takes his coffee will notice the morning he does not want it. Continuity is how we spot small changes before they become big ones.
How They Keep You Informed
Our caregivers know you want to hear from them. You will get a call or a text when something changes, good or bad. A fall, a new cough, a good night’s sleep after a rough week. You can always reach the house at (360) 771-4442. For longer conversations, ask for a family meeting and we will set one up.
Come and Meet Them
The best way to judge a caregiver is to watch one at work. Book a visit and spend some time at the table with us.