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State long‑term care ombudsman warns of understaffing, surveillance questions and private‑equity risks
Summary
The state long‑term care ombudsman told JLAC that understaffing in licensed care homes remains severe, that family use of surveillance devices raises privacy and equity questions, and that private equity ownership can weaken facility finances and staffing.
Patricia Hunter, Washington State Long‑Term Care Ombudsman, told the Joint Legislative Executive Committee on Planning for Aging and Disability Issues that staffing shortages and the growth of complex resident needs are creating harm in licensed care homes.
Hunter, who leads a certified ombudsman program operated by the MultiService Center, said the state has nearly 89,000 licensed resident beds and that adult family homes have grown rapidly during her tenure. She said ombudsmen are seeing rising resident complexity, increasing turnover and persistent understaffing that “is a real…
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