Learn service options
Washington State’s Community Living Connections (CLC) is here to help you navigate long-term services and supports for you or a loved one. Long-term services and supports refers to places, services, and products that can help with health or personal care needs over a long period of time.
The information on this website will help you understand the long-term services and supports available in Washington State. You will also find steps you can take now to prepare for your future needs.
Contact your local Community Living Connections partner through this website. You will be connected with CLC staff in your area that can help you understand available options, find resources, and connect you to services.
CLC Staff can help you:
- Assess what is important to you;
- Determine goals you have for the future;
- Define your strengths, needs, concerns; and
- Develop and implement an action plan.
Home care services
There are several options for hiring help. You could hire a family member or friend as a caregiver. When family and friends are not enough, paid caregivers may be available.
Services may include assistance with:
- Bathing, dressing and hygiene
- Mobility and transfers
- Getting to and from the bathroom
- Housekeeping and laundry
- Meal preparation or delivery (Meals on Wheels)
- Eating assistance
- Memory or confusion support
- Shopping and transportation
- Medical equipment
- Medication assistance
developmental DISABILITies supports
Services and support are available to assist those with developmental and intellectual disabilities live more independently.
Services for people with developmental disabilities include Alternative Living (AL) Services and Supported Living Services. AL Services are instructional services provided through Developmental Disability Community Service (DDCS) Division by an individual contractor to DDA-eligible individuals. The focus is on training to help the individual with a developmental disability to live as independently as possible and to maintain as much self-determination, personal power and choice in order to meet his or her own independent living needs.
Caregiver supports
Caregiver programs concentrate on the caregiver so that they feel supported, understand their options, and have access to services that help them take care of themselves as well as the person(s) they care for. Family caregivers can be caring for an older relative, spouse or partner, child, grandchild, or some other relative. They may also be caring for someone who is not a relative, but the relationship is such it feels like family.
Caregivers themselves, face many challenges of their own. These can include:
- Physical and emotional stress
- Less time for their personal and family life
- Balancing work and caregiving
- Financial hardship
Alzheimer's and Dementia
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily life. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia and causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s usually develop slowly, worsen over time, and hinder daily tasks. Read more about Alzheimer's disease.
Other forms of dementia include vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, Pick's disease and Parkinson's disease. Learn more about other types of dementia and risk factors.
Resources:
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The Dementia Road Map: A Guide for Family and Care Partners offers guidance about what to do when a person experiences changes in memory and thinking, and offers information and tips about what to expect and steps to take if someone in your family has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other dementia.
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People with memory concerns, Alzheimer's or other types of dementia and their loved ones often have questions about planning for their future. The Dementia Legal Planning Toolkit and related resources can help you make important financial and health care decisions and give you the legal forms you need.
food resources
Nutrition programs offer a variety of services that promote health and well-being.
Nutrition programs include:
- Meal programs that deliver meals to an individual’s home through home-delivered meals
- Community dining in which an individual travels to a community location where meals are served in a group setting. Such as churches, community centers, and civic organizations
- Providing benefits to purchase fresh produce from local farmers markets
- Having a registered dietitian plan or review the menus
transportation
Transportation services include public buses and trains that travel fixed routes. Para-transit group vans, minibuses and taxis with travel routes that change Other private transportation options include taxis and dial-a-ride services.
Transportation services include:
- Public transportation, including para-transit, helps seniors and people with disabilities stay involved in the community
- Public buses and trains often have wheelchair lifts and other devices for easy access.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act requires para-transit for individuals who cannot access other public transportation.
- Another option is a private dial-a-ride service.
- Some of these services get para-transit funding and are part of a community’s public transportation system.
- Dial-a-ride and para-transit offer pick-up and drop-off at a person’s home and usually must be reserved ahead.
- Some Senior Centers and Adult Day Centers provide transportation to and from their facilities. Many also offer planned trips to places such as grocery stores and medical offices.
- For transportation options in your area contact your local CLC.
VETERANS SUPPORTS
The Veterans Administration (VA) pays for long-term care services for veterans with service-related disabilities. The VA also pays for certain other eligible veterans and other health programs such as nursing home care and at-home care for aging veterans with long-term services and supports needs.
Resources:
- Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatric and Extended Care: This website provides information on the full range of long-term services and supports available through the VA as well as decision-making tools and supports.
- Veterans Administration Healthcare Services Locations: A map with locations where Veterans can receive healthcare.
ALTERNATIVE CARE SETTINGS
When planning for care, you need to decide if you want to stay in your home, or move to an apartment, condominium, or look into residential care. Now is the time to think about your changing needs and their effect on where you will live.
Some living/locations for care include:
- Independent living, either alone or with family
- Retirement communities
- Staying in your home (with care and home modifications if needed)
- Residential care facilities with differing levels of support from adult family homes, assisted living facilities, memory care, group homes, and nursing facilities
- Adult day services