Nursing Homes (Nursing Facilities)

Nursing homes provide 24-hour supervised nursing care, personal care, therapy, nutrition management, organized activities, social services, room, board, and laundry. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has federal oversight for state certification of nursing facilities. The state agency responsible for licensing and oversight is DSHS, Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA), Residential Care Services (RCS) Division. Federal law requires DSHS to conduct an unannounced full health survey or inspection at least every 15 months. Nursing home stays may be long-term or short-term, many people enter for rehabilitation or short-term intensive nursing care and then return home or to another residential setting.