3 Reasons Why DSHS Assisted Living Surveys in Washington Should Matter to You

Choosing where to live later in life is a big decision, and you want to feel as happy and safe as possible.

If you’re considering an option like assisted living for yourself or a loved one, it’s important to feel confident in the care and services you’ll receive. Assisted living is a type of senior housing that allows people to live in their own space but with extra help for activities like dressing, bathing, grooming, and medication.

Fortunately, the state of Washington can help you in your search for the right community. Surveyors from the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) routinely inspect communities where state-regulated care is provided, including assisted living.

Here are three reasons why this should matter to you.

#1) DSHS inspection results provide a tool you can use to see objective measures of quality and safety in different communities.

A DSHS survey is an inspection designed to evaluate compliance with state regulations. These inspections are unannounced and occur at least every 18 months. Results are posted online, allowing prospective residents and others to see and assess the findings for themselves.

While survey outcomes are only one part of the overall picture, they can help families understand how well a community maintains standards related to safety, resident rights, medication management, staffing, and quality of life,” says Gillian Mukula, RN, Area Community Health Director for Era Living. “Families should view strong survey results as an indicator of a community’s dedication to continuous improvement and accountability.

#2) DSHS surveyors consider the kinds of questions that you care about.

Surveyors for DSHS focus on many of the same safety and care measures that you or your loved ones may consider. For example, do staff meet training and qualification requirements? Does the community meet standards for safety and emergency preparedness? What oversight processes are in place to maintain standards?

The surveyors are always looking for broken systems and hold us to our own policies and procedures,” says Gillian (one of many staff members who help to promote the high standards of care at Era Living). “Strong survey results demonstrate attention to resident rights, person-centered care, infection prevention, medication safety, and overall quality of life. They also show that residents’ well-being is at the center of decision-making and daily operations.

#3) DSHS survey results support a “big picture” approach to finding quality care you can trust.

DSHS survey results provide objective information that you can use in combination with other activities in your search process, such as in-person visits and online reviews.

These survey reports focus on two primary areas:

1. 1. 1. Did inspectors identify any violations, which they call “deficiencies”? A deficiency indicates that a community is not fully meeting a regulatory requirement.
      2. Did the community take corrective action if a deficiency was found?

Deficiency-free results show that communities are consistently meeting regulatory standards while enhancing the quality of residents’ lives in a safe and resident-centered environment, explains Gillian. “It is not just about passing a survey; it is about maintaining excellence every day.”

If deficiencies are found, prospective residents may consider additional factors. For example, was there a pattern of negative findings? Did the community take prompt corrective action?

Even strong communities may receive deficiencies. Reassurance can come from those communities that take swift measures to resolve issues and prevent them from recurring.

What Era Living’s Survey Results Say About Our Communities

At Era Living, we’re proud to share that three of our communities surveyed for assisted living in 2026 have received deficiency-free reports from DSHS, including:

• • • Aljoya Thornton Place
    • The Lakeshore
    • University House Wallingford

We believe that factors such as staff experience, training, and consistency advance our commitment to a culture of excellence and accountability.

In past reports where DSHS has identified deficiencies, we’ve worked hard to make swift corrections and view these findings as an opportunity for continued improvement.

How to Learn More?

We encourage residents, prospective residents, and their family members to view our DSHS assisted living survey results and talk with us about their goals and any concerns or needs they may have.

To access our DSHS survey reports, visit the DSHS website and search for a community by county, city, ZIP code, or licence #.

We also encourage prospective residents to plan an in-person visit and check out our blog post on questions to ask when visiting a retirement living community. At Era Living, visits can provide a great way to meet our team and see firsthand what daily life is like.

All eight of our retirement living communities in the greater Seattle area provide assisted living, supported by our unique partnership with the University of Washington School of Nursing. Our senior housing options also include senior independent living and memory care. Along with safety and quality, we focus on providing vibrant environments where residents can enjoy healthy aging, active social engagement, and lifelong learning.

Finding out everything you can about your options can give you added peace of mind when you decide on a community that’s right for you. We are here to help.

We’d love to hear from you! To schedule a tour or learn more, please contact us.