Contact your State Legislators

The power to correct the problems causing the displacement of eleven residents at Victoria House rests in the hands of the State Legislators. Please contact them as soon as possible and ask them for two things:

1. Increase the reimbursement for the care of residents on the nursing home waiver program, COPES. The current reimbursement level has not received a substantial increase in a number of years. Retaining these residents in their facilities is a losing proposition for facilities. Moving these residents into nursing home care would be much more costly for the state.


2. Pass a new law that would require facilities who decide to no longer accept Medicaid to gradually phase out the program by attrition rather than uprooting vulnerable elderly citizens from their homes and risk the emotional and physical fallout of the stress. This is just not something that should happen to anyone during the sunset years of their lives.

Legislators for our 24th Legislative District are:

Senator James Hargrove, 411 Legislative Building, Box 40424, Olympia, WA 98504-0424, /Telephone360.786.7646,Fax360.786.1323, Home Office: Port Angeles, Box 2496, 535 East 1st Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362, 360.457.2520; Hoquiam Office: Box 427, 311 7th Street, Hoquiam, WA 98550, 360.533.9477.

Representative Lynn Kessler, 339A Legislative Building, Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600, Telephone 360.786-7904, District Office: 535 East 1st Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362, 360.457.2520,

Representative Kevin Van De Wege, 316John L. O'Brien Building, Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600, Telephone 360.786.7916, District Office: 311 7th Street, Box 427, Hoquiam,WA 98550.

Please let us know if you contact your legislators and what type response you received.