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Aging and Long Term Care presents services snapshot; WA Cares pilot included in planning
Summary
Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington briefed the Spokane Valley council on services in 2024, including meals, Medicaid home‑care, dementia supports and the agency's role in the WA Cares long‑term care program pilot beginning January 2026.
Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington briefed the Spokane Valley City Council Tuesday on the agency’s programs, caseload and upcoming work supporting the state’s WA Cares long‑term care benefit.
Lynn Kimball, executive director, said the area agency on aging serves five counties and is the local access point for Community Living Connections. Kimball provided 2024 service metrics for Spokane Valley:
- Information and assistance: more than 1,000 people; - Medicaid and home‑care (paid caregivers assisting with personal care): over 1,300 people; - Meals: 811 seniors and about 56,000 meals delivered; - Intensive care coordination for roughly 200 high‑risk clients; - Hospital‑to‑home program: 155 Spokane Valley residents assisted; - Dementia training: 933 community members trained in the Valley.
Kimball said many clients receive more than one service during the year and that services include in‑person and phone support, case management and home visits when needed. She identified Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) as the current contractor for minor home repair services funded primarily through Older Americans Act dollars and noted some programs use income‑based sliding scales.
Kimball also described the agency’s role preparing for WA Cares, the state long‑term care payroll‑tax benefit scheduled to go live in 2026. Spokane County — with Lewis, Mason and Thurston counties — will pilot WA Cares starting January 2026 with up to 400 people to test systems, provider contracting and beneficiary navigation before the full July 1, 2026 rollout. The agency anticipates beginning provider contracting in October and assisting with beneficiary navigation and outreach.
Councilmembers asked about eligibility and service qualification for minor home repair and about the likely size of WA Cares enrollments in the pilot. Kimball said eligibility depends on age and income for specific funds, and that pilot participants will mostly be people who have contributed (payroll tax) and later meet the benefit eligibility criteria.
The presentation was informational; no council action was requested or taken.
