Northgate Plaza

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

Northgate Plaza is a 120-bed assisted living facility in Seattle, King County, licensed by Washington DSHS (#2374). This page lays out its license, its inspection and enforcement file, and the questions worth asking before you tour.

Is Northgate Plaza licensed by Washington DSHS?

Yes. Northgate Plaza holds Washington DSHS assisted living license #2374, in operating status, for 120 beds, renewed through March 2027. You can confirm it yourself on the DSHS provider lookup.

What do Northgate Plaza's DSHS inspection and enforcement records show?

The DSHS file lists 2 routine inspection reports, the most recent dated May 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 March 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 June 2026.

Does Northgate Plaza offer memory care?

Not according to the state record. Northgate Plaza is licensed for assisted living but is not Memory Care Certified and holds no Specialized Dementia Care contract, so plan on a move if dementia later requires a secured setting.

In Seattle, 25 of 54 licensed assisted living facilities carry a memory care certification or dementia contract. The full list is in our memory care directory.

Does Northgate Plaza accept Apple Health (Medicaid)?

No. The DSHS record shows Northgate Plaza 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. 19 of 54 Seattle 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 Northgate Plaza, and what is nearby in Seattle?

Northgate Plaza is at 11030 NE 5TH AVE in Seattle (King County). Seattle is King County's urban core and Washington's largest city, with roughly 750,000 residents inside a metro of about 4 million and a growing 65+ population clustered in West Seattle, Ballard, Wedgwood, and the north-end neighborhoods near Northwest Hospital.

Other licensed assisted living in the area: Park Place (156 beds), Cogir Queen Anne (130 beds), Murano Senior Living (130 beds), Providence Mount St. Vincent (122 beds), Greenlake Emerald City (119 beds), Aegis of Madison (110 beds).

What does assisted living cost near Northgate Plaza?

Assisted living in the Seattle area typically runs $6,050–$8,500/month in 2026, and memory care about $7,600–$9,950/month. We do not publish a price for Northgate Plaza: 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 Northgate Plaza compare with other assisted living near Seattle?

By licensed beds, Northgate Plaza ranks #13 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 Northgate Plaza 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 Northgate Plaza fits depends on your parent's needs, budget, and how the community answers the questions below.

What should you ask on a tour of Northgate Plaza?

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

• What's your overnight staffing level for this wing?
• Which care needs are beyond what you support here?
• Can you itemize base rate versus add-on charges?
• How do you handle a decline in mobility or memory?
• What has staff turnover been over the past year?
• What did the most recent DSHS inspection find, and what changed afterward?
• Who builds the negotiated service agreement, and how often is it reviewed?

How does Washington regulate assisted living like Northgate Plaza?

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 Northgate Plaza?

We're a free, local advisory service — families never pay us. We can compare Northgate Plaza with other licensed Seattle-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 worth knowing about

In Washington, senior-care facilities are licensed and inspected by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) through ALTSA / Residential Care Services — verify any license and inspection history free at fortress.wa.gov/dshs/adsaapps/lookup. Service funding flows through the local Area Agency on Aging; the Seattle metro's are Aging and Disability Services (ADS) for King County, Homage Senior Services for Snohomish, and Aging & Disability Resources of Pierce County. Long-term-care help runs through Apple Health (Medicaid) and the COPES waiver, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman plus DSHS Adult Protective Services protect residents. Our advisors help families use all of these at no cost.