Washington was ranked among the best states in the nation in the latest report from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Just last week, they released their 2023 Long-term Services and Supports (LTSS) Scorecard, which placed Washington in Tier One for its stellar performance across 50 indicators. Only four other states were awarded Tier One status.
The LTSS scorecard is released every three years and uses data gathered from various sources to evaluate long-term care systems by state. Some key factors include home care cost, worker wage competitiveness, and medicaid spending.
The 2020 report also placed Washington in the top percentile for long-term care, and in the release of this year’s report, we saw significant improvement in our ratings for Affordability and Access and Choice of Setting and Provider.
As one of the very first states to adopt home and community-based care, Washington has consistently demonstrated national leadership in the long-term care sector. We’re delighted and honored to see recognition of this leadership, which can inform better care solutions for vulnerable adults in other states.
In review of the data that AARP collected, it’s clear that the role of AFHs were critical in Washington’s top tier ranking. We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of AFHs since 2020 (now at more than 4,400 homes) that leads to more choices for our vulnerable adult population and improved community integration.
With the continued expansion of AFHs across the state and the AFH Council’s advocacy efforts to improve rates and legislation, we expect to see more positive results in the 2026 LTSS Scorecard.
