Data Sources
Every fact on this site is attributed to a source. This page credits every data source by name and links to the official agency.
Washington State DSHS — Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA)
The Washington Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), through its Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA), licenses and regulates adult family homes, assisted living facilities (boarding homes), and enhanced services facilities in Washington State.
| Source / Dataset | What we collect | Update frequency | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
|
WA DSHS Adult Family Home Public Locator fortress.wa.gov |
Name, address, county, city, ZIP, phone, capacity, Medicaid contract status, license number, license status, care specialties. | Weekly scrape | DSHS AFH Locator ↗ |
|
WA DSHS Boarding Home / Assisted Living Public Locator fortress.wa.gov |
Name, address, county, city, ZIP, phone, capacity, Medicaid contract status, license number, license status, care specialties. | Weekly scrape | DSHS ALF/BH Locator ↗ |
|
WA DSHS HCS Medicaid Rate Tables All_HCS_Rates.xlsx — DSHS ALTSA |
Medicaid daily reimbursement rates by facility type, county, classification level, and specialty contract (e.g. dementia, behavioral health). | On publication (typically annual or semi-annual) | DSHS HCS Rate Tables ↗ |
|
DSHS ALTSA Complaint & Investigation Records fortress.wa.gov — ADSA Complaints |
We do not currently import complaint narratives. We only link to the official DSHS complaint search portal. | Not imported | DSHS Complaint Search ↗ |
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
CMS regulates nursing homes (skilled nursing facilities) that participate in Medicare or Medicaid. The CMS Care Compare system publishes standardized quality and inspection data for all certified nursing homes nationwide.
| Source / Dataset | What we collect | Update frequency | Official link |
|---|---|---|---|
|
CMS Provider Information CMS Care Compare — Provider Data Catalog |
CMS Certification Number (CCN), provider name, address, ownership type, legal business name, chain affiliation, bed count, overall rating, health inspection rating, staffing rating, quality measure rating, special focus status, abuse icon. | Monthly import | CMS Provider Data Catalog ↗ |
|
CMS Health Deficiencies CMS Care Compare |
Deficiency count from the most recent standard health survey. We surface counts only — we do not republish deficiency narratives or citation text. | Monthly import | CMS Health Deficiencies ↗ |
|
CMS Ownership Information CMS Care Compare |
Disclosed owners, operators, and managing employees (name and role aggregated from CMS; no individual contact information). | Monthly import | CMS Ownership Data ↗ |
|
CMS Civil Money Penalties CMS Care Compare |
Count of penalty actions and total fine amount (aggregated). We do not republish individual penalty narratives. | Monthly import | CMS Penalties Data ↗ |
Data collection process
Collect
Automated importers scrape or download each source on a schedule. Each capture is stored as an immutable snapshot with the capture date and source name.
Resolve
Records from different sources are matched to a single canonical facility using the WA state license number as the primary key. CMS records are linked via the CMS Certification Number (CCN).
Attribute
Every displayed fact carries the source name and the date the data was captured. We never alter source data. If the source contains an error, it appears here as reported.
Preserve
Snapshots are insert-only. No historical record is ever overwritten or deleted. The full history of every field change is preserved and available for audit.
Data limitations
- Currency. Data is current as of the capture date shown. Licensing status, Medicaid contract status, ownership, and inspection records may have changed since the last capture. Always verify with the relevant state agency.
- Completeness. Not all facilities have data from all sources. A nursing home may have CMS data but no DSHS scrape data; an adult family home will have DSHS data but no CMS data (CMS does not certify AFHs).
- Source errors. We republish source data as-is. Errors in the official sources will appear here. Use the correction request form to flag discrepancies.
- No risk scoring. We do not derive quality scores, ratings, or recommendations. All quality measures shown (e.g. CMS overall rating) come directly from CMS and are reproduced without modification.