Home Care Certification in Crisis | Seattle News

Fifteen years after Washington voters passed a landmark law to certify home care aides and protect vulnerable residents, a new audit reveals the system is broken—plagued by delays, redundant FBI checks, and testing bottlenecks that leave most aides stuck in limbo. While the intent was clear: safer care for seniors and disabled individuals, the execution has faltered. The state’s own certification process has slowed to a crawl, with applications taking months to process and testing vendors contributing to the backlog. Though the Department of Health admits the flaws and says it’s already making changes—like letting aides test at their training sites—it’s clear that deeper reforms, including legislative approval, are needed to fix the system before it’s too late for the caregivers who keep Washington’s most vulnerable alive. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/88415086561ba400