Saving ‘dollars and dignity.’ WA works to keep elderly from homelessness

This week, Washington state launched a program to advocate for and assist some of the most vulnerable residents – those in long-term care facilities.

The program is aimed at preventing the elderly and those living with disabilities from becoming homeless. It is among the first of its kind in the nation, but officials think the new initiative will only scratch the surface of the true need for assistance.

On Monday, the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) opened an intake hotline to provide legal counsel and advocacy for those using long-term care services.

“We know that medical clients who are receiving long-term care services through Medicaid and that are in assisted living facilities, enhanced services facilities and adult family homes are discharged from facilities without a place to go,” Sara Robbins, director of OCLA, told the News Tribune in an interview.

In recent months, homeless-outreach workers and advocates have warned of the increasing number of sick and aging people found living outdoors in Pierce County.

During a Pierce County Council Health and Human Services Committee meeting last year, a social-work case manager for MultiCare Health System reported that more than 400 people were discharged from Tacoma General Hospital and Allemore Hospital into homelessness through the first five months of 2025.

Of those known to be unhoused at the time of their discharge, 176 were between the ages of 50-69 and 25 were older than 70. One person discharged from a Tacoma hospital into homelessness was older than 90.

According to Pierce County’s annual one-night survey of those living unhoused in 2025, 20% of those surveyed were older than 55, 19% identified as having a chronic health condition, 20% said they had a physical disability, 27% said they had a mental health condition, and 7% had a developmental disability.

The Long-term Care Intake Line focuses on helping long-term care residents who face discharge or transfer to understand their rights, access timely legal assistance and avoid unsafe or unlawful removals, according to the OCLA.

“There is a requirement in both federal and state law that someone is discharged in a safe and orderly manner,” Robbins told the News Tribune. “This program will appoint an attorney if someone is being discharged to ensure that either they can stay where they are or there is a safe place for them to go.”

The state Legislature allocated $783,000 to administer the program, and the federal government is matching the funding to help ensure that federal Medicaid rules and protections are enforced.

In an interview with the News Tribune, Max Kauffman, Long-Term Care Program Counsel for OCLA, said those receiving Medicaid benefits and services are entitled to protections similar to housing-rights protections.

“Most don’t know they have appeal rights and most can’t afford an attorney,” he said. “Complete care requires legal care.”

While Kauffman said the Long-term Care Intake program is comparable to OCLA’s Eviction Defense program, which appoints attorneys to advocate for those at risk of eviction, he said Medicaid benefactors often have to navigate unique administrative appeals that intersect with medical care and housing.

Robbins said OCLA’s Eviction serves about 10,000 residents statewide and has a roughly 90% success rate in keeping individuals and families immediately housed.

By providing residents with legal advice and representation, Kauffman said the Long-term Intake Line will help reduce costly disruption in care – keeping residents connected to critical services and supporting stability across the long-term care system.

“It saves dollars and dignity,” he said.

While the program has a little over $1.5 million in funding from the state and the federal government, Robbins said they will be asking the state legislature to double the funding this legislative session. The OCLA estimates the current level of funding is only enough to address 10% of the true demand for assistance and legal advocacy among long-term care clients.

To fully meet that demand, OCLA estimates it would require approximately $5.7 million annually.

Kauffmann said the intake line will help the state collect data on an issue where nation-wide data gaps exist.

Kauffman estimated that Pierce County has roughly 950 long-term care facilities hosting about 4000 residents, with tens of thousands of long-term care clients across the state.

The phone number for the new Intake Line is (888) 437-0017. Calls are answered Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Or callers can leave a voicemail anytime for a call back within one business day.

You can also reach out to the program via online intake form at https://disabilityrightswa.org/ltcrr-intake-form/.