One of the best things available to us in Washington state is the system of adult family home. These facilities house up to six seniors in a homelike setting. It’s a wonderful alternative to caring for a loved one in your own home or a nursing home. My mother lives in one of these homes. She is 94 years old and in great physical shape but, sadly, she has dementia and would be difficult for me to care for in my home.
The cost for a state license for one of these facilities has been rising steadily. My mother’s caregivers currently pay $600 a year for their license. There is a proposal to raise this license fee to $5,000. The state is having budget problems. Legislators must look at cutting something else out of the present budget. Some owners of these homes will close down if they are required to pay such a high fee.
This is an example of the bigger problem in this country. The growing size and control of the government. The owners of many of the adult homes are hard-working new American citizens. Many came here to find better lives for their families. Now the U.S. government is becoming like the governments they fled.
Pat Brandt
Ridgefield
