Cristwood Retirement Community

Last verified: October 2026 against the Washington DSHS provider lookup.

The short answer: Cristwood Retirement Community holds an active Washington DSHS assisted living license (#770) for 90 beds at 19303 Fremont Ave N in Shoreline. Below is what the public record shows, what it means, and how to judge the community for your family.

Is Cristwood Retirement Community licensed by Washington DSHS?

Yes. Cristwood Retirement Community holds Washington DSHS assisted living license #770, in operating status, for 90 beds, renewed through November 2026. You can confirm it yourself on the DSHS provider lookup.

What do Cristwood Retirement Community's DSHS inspection and enforcement records show?

The DSHS file lists 2 routine inspection reports, the most recent dated April 2026. Washington inspects licensed assisted living at least every 18 months, so a recent date is normal; what matters is what each report cites.

It also lists 1 complaint or incident investigation report (most recent July 2024). An investigation means DSHS checked a reported concern; the report states whether a violation was found.

The State Fire Marshal's most recent fire inspection on file is dated April 2026.

Does Cristwood Retirement Community offer memory care?

Yes — Cristwood Retirement Community is Memory Care Certified on its DSHS record. Washington certifies assisted living memory care under chapter 388-78A WAC (permanent rules effective August 15, 2026, implementing E2SSB 5337), so the flag means the state has reviewed the memory care side, not just the base license.

In Shoreline, 3 of 6 licensed assisted living facilities carry a memory care certification or dementia contract. The full list is in our memory care directory.

Does Cristwood Retirement Community accept Apple Health (Medicaid)?

No. The DSHS record shows Cristwood Retirement Community cannot accept Apple Health (Medicaid), so it is private pay; long-term-care insurance, VA benefits and the WA Cares Fund can still help.

If Medicaid may be needed later, ask now what happens when private funds run out; a resident can be asked to move. 2 of 6 Shoreline assisted living facilities do hold a DSHS Medicaid contract. Eligibility itself runs through a DSHS Home and Community Services assessment — see Apple Health long-term care and the COPES waiver.

Where is Cristwood Retirement Community, and what is nearby in Shoreline?

Cristwood Retirement Community is at 19303 Fremont Ave N in Shoreline (King County). Shoreline is an established north-King County city of about 58,000 just north of Seattle, with leafy single-family neighborhoods, a long-tenured 65+ population, and the UW Medicine Northwest hospital campus on its southern edge.

Other licensed assisted living in the area: Aegis Living Shoreline (112 beds), Laurel Cove Community (98 beds), Aegis Living Callahan House (54 beds), Provail (12 beds), Welcome Home Assisted Living LLC (8 beds).

What does assisted living cost near Cristwood Retirement Community?

Assisted living in the Shoreline area typically runs $5,700–$8,050/month in 2026, and memory care about $7,200–$9,450/month. We do not publish a price for Cristwood Retirement Community: rates depend on apartment size and the care level in your parent's assessment, and they change. Ask for an itemized rate sheet.

Ways families close the gap include VA Aid & Attendance, long-term-care insurance, the WA Cares Fund, and Apple Health for those who qualify — Aging and Disability Services (Seattle-King County) can walk you through local options.

How does Cristwood Retirement Community compare with other assisted living near Shoreline?

By licensed beds, Cristwood Retirement Community ranks #42 of 153 assisted living facilities in King County. Across the county, 44% of licensed assisted living facilities have at least one enforcement letter on their DSHS file, so a clean enforcement file is a genuine point in its favor.

The table puts it next to nearby licensed communities using the same DSHS fields, so you can shortlist on the record before you spend a Saturday touring.

How should you evaluate Cristwood Retirement Community before choosing it?

Before you tour, open the DSHS report file linked above and read the most recent inspection. Then use the visit to test what you read: if a citation involved medications, ask how the medication process changed; if it involved staffing, ask for current overnight numbers. A community that explains its own record plainly is usually a safer bet than one that brushes it off.

Assisted living fits an older adult who needs daily help — bathing, dressing, medication reminders, meals — but does not require round-the-clock skilled nursing. It's the most common first move when living alone stops being safe. Whether Cristwood Retirement Community fits depends on your parent's needs, budget, and how the community answers the questions below.

What should you ask on a tour of Cristwood Retirement Community?

Bring these questions and write down the answers — they make two or three communities easy to compare side by side.

• How many caregivers are on at night per resident?
• Which conditions can you not care for here?
• What's included in the base rate, and what's billed separately?
• What happens if our parent's needs increase next year?
• How long have your director and head nurse been here?
• What did the most recent DSHS inspection find, and what changed afterward?
• Which Apple Health (Medicaid) contracts do you hold today, and is there a Medicaid waitlist?
• Who builds the negotiated service agreement, and how often is it reviewed?

How does Washington regulate assisted living like Cristwood Retirement Community?

In Washington, assisted living is licensed by DSHS (ALTSA / Residential Care Services) under RCW 18.20 and WAC 388-78A. A facility's license can include endorsements — such as Specialized Dementia Care — that let residents stay as needs increase. Always verify the exact license and endorsements; they determine how long your parent can remain as care needs grow.

Residents' rights, discharge notices and care planning (the negotiated service agreement) are set by WAC 388-78A. Complaints go to DSHS Residential Care Services; the Long-Term Care Ombudsman advocates for residents for free.

How can Seattle Senior Advisor help with Cristwood Retirement Community?

We're a free, local advisory service — families never pay us. We can compare Cristwood Retirement Community with other licensed Shoreline-area options on price, care level and availability, help you read its DSHS reports, and stay reachable through the move. Communities pay us only if you choose one and move in, and we'll tell you about good options that don't pay us.

Washington programs & protections to know

Washington senior care is licensed and inspected by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) — through its Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA) and Residential Care Services (RCS); you can verify any license, inspection, and complaint history free at fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup. Service funding and in-home support are coordinated through the local Area Agency on Aging — in the Seattle metro, Aging and Disability Services (ADS) for King County, Homage in Snohomish, and Aging & Disability Resources of Pierce County. Long-term-care help runs through Apple Health (Medicaid) and the COPES waiver, and residents are protected by the Long-Term Care Ombudsman and DSHS Adult Protective Services. These are the same programs our advisors help families navigate at no cost.