Guides
Long-form guides for the situations Washington families run into, for yourself, a spouse, or a parent. Each one walks through the program rules, the WA-specific levers, and the calls to make. None of these guides sell anything.
When a hospital discharge is happening or imminent
What to do in the next 24 to 72 hours, the legal lever caregivers don't know they have, and how to keep the discharge from happening before the home is ready.
8 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-05-03
After a dementia diagnosis, or when you suspect one
What to do first in Washington, whether you have a diagnosis in hand or just a worry and no workup yet. The legal and driving steps that get harder to do every month you wait.
9 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
When care turns to comfort
Hospice, POLST, palliative care, and end-of-life planning in Washington, in plain terms. What each one is, what it covers, and how to keep your person comfortable and in control.
8 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
Getting paid to care for a family member in Washington
In Washington, a family member can be paid to provide care through Medicaid, and there is real support if you are doing it unpaid. Here is who qualifies, how the pay actually works, and the one door that opens for spouses.
8 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
Choosing a place for your parent to live in Washington
How Washington's three main care settings actually differ, how to check the state record before you tour, and the Medicaid money traps that catch families after they have already moved in.
9 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
VA benefits for a veteran parent or a surviving spouse
The VA benefit most families miss is Aid and Attendance, extra monthly money for a veteran or a widow who needs help with daily care. Washington has free help to file it, and one trap to avoid with Medicaid.
7 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
Legal and money prep, before a crisis
The four documents to sign while there is still time, and a plain look at how Washington's Medicaid pays for care. Both are more forgiving than families expect, and both are easy to get wrong.
9 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
The Medicare gap checklist
Medicare leaves real holes. Each hole has a WA program that fills it, and most families never apply. This is the working list.
6 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-14
Preventing falls, and what to do after one
A fall or a near-fall is a warning sign, not bad luck. Here is what to do this week, which Washington classes have evidence behind them, and what pays for grab bars.
6 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30
PACE, COPES, and adult day services compared
Three WA programs keep nursing-facility-eligible seniors at home. They are not interchangeable. Here is the side-by-side that case managers wish families saw before crisis hit.
7 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-14
Caring for a Washington parent from far away
If you live an hour or more from your parent, you are still the caregiver. Most of the job is coordinating, and you can set up real help in Washington without being in the room.
6 minute read · Last reviewed 2026-06-30