SEATTLE, May 21, 2026 — Lifelong, a community health organization with more than four decades of experience making food and health accessible, today announced that it has been selected as one of the first providers selected for the WA Cares Fund, Washington state’s new, first-in-the-nation long-term care benefit program.
“At Lifelong, we believe access to health and food is a human right, not a privilege based on affordability,” said Lifelong Chief Executive Officer James Shackelford. “We’ve proudly supported Washington’s aging and disability communities for over a decade, providing the support to ensure access to the in-home care, home safety modifications, home-delivered meals, transportation, and adaptive equipment that supports their ongoing independent living and care.”
Lifelong’s aging and disability services team helps older adults, people with disabilities, and their family caregivers navigate long-term care systems, community resources, and medical benefits. The WA Cares Fund is a new and innovative resource that will enable Lifelong to better serve its current clients and expand its reach. As a contracted WA Cares provider, Lifelong will be able to connect eligible clients directly to their benefits and assist them in accessing covered services including in-home care, home safety modifications, home-delivered meals, transportation, and adaptive equipment.
The WA Cares Fund helps ease the financial burden of long-term care for working Washingtonians as they age. The fund provides up to $36,500 in lifetime long-term care coverage; a benefit earned through small payroll contributions of 0.58% during workers’ earning years. For about a third of recipients, the benefit will cover all the long-term care they need in their lifetime.
The fund addresses one of the most significant gaps in the American care system: seven out of 10 people will need long-term care to help with daily activities like bathing, eating, moving around, and managing medication, but won’t have a way to pay for it. Medicare and private health insurance do not cover long-term care, and Medicaid typically requires individuals to spend down their life savings to $2,000 to qualify for coverage.
“At Lifelong, we have long recognized that no one organization closes these gaps alone,” said Shackelford. “Partnering with WA Cares allows us to further our mission and connect people to the services they need to live their healthiest lives.”
To learn more about accessing WA Cares benefits through Lifelong, visit Lifelong.org.
About Lifelong
Lifelong is a community health organization on a mission to make health and food accessible to all. Born out of the AIDS crisis, Lifelong has spent decades delivering medically tailored meals, helping people navigate long-term care, ensuring access to life-saving medication, and connecting people facing housing instability to the support they need. For more information, visit Lifelong.org.
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Media Contacts:
Margo Turley / Annie Sullivan
ON Public Relations for Lifelong
206-250-4056 / 206-856-5660