Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup, was one of several State House members recently to sponsor House Bills tailored to meet the needs of Washington state's aging population.
According to a House of Representatives press release, there are 830,000 people over the age of 65 living in the state, which equals about 14 percent of the population.
House Bill 1727, one of several long-term care related bills and sponsored by Morrell, aims to make it easier for individuals to stay in assisted living homes rather than going to a nursing home. The House Bill implements a small change to allow assisted living facilities to provide continuous nursing services, if these facilities choose to do so.
"Everyone should have access to affordable care that keeps them both healthy and comfortable," said Rep. Laurie Jinkins, vice chair of the Health Care and Wellness Committee. "These bills make critical improvements necessary to maintaining the integrity of our long-term health care system in Washington. Our parents, relatives, friends and neighbors deserve nothing less."
Measure now passed by the House move to the Senate for consideration.
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