TCARE Caregiver Assessment & Planning
WA DSHS HCLA (Home and Community Living Administration)
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TCARE (Tailored Caregiver Assessment & Referral) is the caregiver assessment and planning process used by Washington State's Family Caregiver Support Program. It starts with a Personal Caregiver Survey and is done by trained Family Caregiver Specialists, also called TCARE Assessors, who look at what is causing you stress and recommend supports that fit your situation. State law requires Washington to offer an evidence-based caregiver assessment.
Who qualifies
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
Where to get this in Washington
13 organizations deliver this program. Coverage varies, so check the area each one serves.
East Wenatchee, Adams County
Free public agency that helps older adults and people with disabilities in central Washington find in-home care, caregiver support, nutrition, transportation, and benefits help.
Spokane, Ferry County
AAA for the Spokane region; one number connects callers to information, caregiver support, dementia help, Medicaid in-home care, Medicare counseling, and nutrition.
Yakima, Asotin County
Council-of-governments AAA covering eight southeast Washington counties; one call connects callers to information & referral, case management, nutrition, caregiver support, and Medicaid in-home care.
Vancouver, Clark County
Free public AAA for the Vancouver/Longview area covering five counties; one stop for caregiver assistance, dementia resources, in-home help, kinship care, Medicare counseling, and WA Cares Fund support.
Nespelem, Okanogan County
Tribal AAA on the Colville Reservation; serves all seniors 55+ on the reservation with nutrition, family/kinship caregiver support, legal services, SHIBA, and case management.
Port Orchard, Kitsap County
Kitsap County Human Services division and AAA for Kitsap County. Coordinates information, case management, caregiver support, nutrition, kinship care, and Medicaid in-home services.
Olympia, Lewis County
Three-county AAA for Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties offering caregiver support, in-home services, nutrition, and the Senior Farmers Market produce benefit.
Bellingham, Island County
AAA for Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and San Juan counties. Helps older adults, adults with disabilities, and family caregivers navigate aging and disability services since 1971.
Aberdeen, Clallam County
AAA covering the Olympic Peninsula and southwest Washington coast; offers information & assistance, caregiver support, nutrition, transportation, and Medicaid case management for seniors and adults with disabilities.
Tacoma, Pierce County
Pierce County's AAA and Aging & Disability Resource Center; coordinates long-term services and supports for older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers.
Seattle, King County
Seattle Human Services division that serves as the AAA for King County. Runs Community Living Connections for aging/disability help and administers caregiver support, healthy aging, and age-friendly programs.
Everett, Snohomish County
Snohomish County's AAA. Partners with Homage to deliver caregiver support, nutrition, kinship care, transportation, and Medicaid in-home services.
Where to go from here
A Matter of Balance
A Matter of Balance is a structured eight-week class developed at Boston University and managed nationally by MaineHealth. Trained coaches lead small groups through discussion and gentle exercises that help participants reduce fear of falling, set realistic goals for activity, change environments to lower fall risk, and exercise to increase strength and balance. The CDC recognizes it as an evidence-based fall prevention program. In Washington it is hosted by Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers, hospitals, and faith communities.
ACRS Care Transitions
ACRS Care Transitions gives short-term help to adults coming home after a hospital stay. Staff help them follow their discharge plan, manage medications, get to follow-up appointments, and connect with ongoing community resources. It works alongside the ACRS Health Home program, which offers longer-term Medicaid care coordination through a health plan built around each person's needs.
ACRS Case Management for Older Adults
ACRS case managers, who speak many languages, meet with homebound older adults and adults with disabilities to understand their needs and build a full care plan around them. The goal is to help older adults live safely at home with support from their families and caregivers. Staff pay close attention to the language and cultural needs of Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities.
ACRS Food Bank
The ACRS Food Bank gives out healthy foods that fit people's cultures, including rice, tofu, noodles, and fresh produce, matched to the diets of Asian and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander families across King County. Anyone in the community can use it, but the food is chosen for Asian and Pacific Islander cooking that most food banks don't carry.
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.dshs.wa.gov/altsa/stakeholders/caregiver-assessment-and-planning-tcare
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