Best Assisted Living in Ellensburg, WA

Nestled in the serene town of Ellensburg, Washington State, Ellensburg Senior Living is a distinguished retirement community offering a comprehensive range of living options, including Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care. Each day presents new opportunities for residents to enjoy themselves and connect with friends and loved ones on campus.

Ellensburg Senior Living’s mission is to provide seniors with a well-balanced mix of support and independence, thoughtfully customized to meet their unique and individual needs. Ellensburg Senior Living‘s amenities include housekeeping services and chef-prepared dining, creating an environment where residents can lead their best lives in peace and comfort. Overall, the community is designed to enhance the well-being and quality of life of every resident they serve.

Overview of Avista Senior Living Ellensburg

A flourishing community, Avista Senior Living offers senior living facilities and various amenities. Partnered with home health and home therapy agencies, personal care plans are developed for each resident to ensure that all their needs are met. 24/7 staff are also available in case of emergency and urgent situations.

Aside from the care and medical services that are provided for each resident, there are also several engagement and social activities. Board games, happy hour, ice cream socials, zoo and museum visits, and more are available to make sure that all residents can find something enjoyable for themselves. In terms of their private spaces, the residents are provided a spacious apartment that’s carpeted, equipped with heating and air conditioning, individual mailboxes and a lot of closet space to make sure that they are able to rest comfortably.

Overview of Prestige Senior Living at Hearthstone

Prestige Senior Living at Hearthstone operates as a 36-bed skilled nursing facility at 802 East Mountain View Avenue in Ellensburg, Kittitas County, Washington, under the private ownership of David Shepherd. The facility accepts Medicare beneficiaries (accounting for 66% of new admissions), Medicaid residents (7%), and private-pay individuals (27%). Most residents stay 93 days on average, arriving for short-term rehabilitation following hospitalization. The facility currently serves 27 of 36 licensed beds, an occupancy rate of 75% that mirrors the Washington state average of 72.5%.

The rural setting places the community 1.5 miles from downtown Ellensburg and within a quarter-mile of KVH Surgical Services Complex.

Prestige Senior Living’s compliance record presents sustained and serious concerns. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services assigned a 1-star overall rating, with the same 1-star rating in health inspections. Ten inspections since 2024 (the state average is 7.8) documented 40 deficiencies, a 29% excess over the typical Washington nursing home.

The most recent April 2025 inspection identified fire safety documentation gaps, maintenance failures, and blocked emergency exits; part of a documented pattern across multiple inspection cycles. Complaint investigations substantiated resident neglect, incomplete incident investigations, and delayed corrective action submissions. Federal civil penalties have been assessed in four separate instances totaling $231,000 since September 2023; nearly three times the Washington average penalty amount.

Nursing staffing averages 3 hours 6 minutes per resident daily, placing the facility 86th among 89 Washington skilled nursing facilities and 29% below the state average of 4 hours 22 minutes. Industry standards flag nursing levels below 3 hours per day as a significant concern; this facility operates marginally above that threshold.

Clinical quality measures across long-stay residents show performance better than state averages in falls with major injury (0.6% vs. 2.6%), pressure ulcer development (3.5% vs. 4.9%), and antipsychotic medication use (4.9% vs. 14.5%).

The facility’s operational model orients it toward Medicare-eligible short-stay rehabilitation residents; persistent deficiencies in fire safety documentation, resident supervision, and corrective action timeliness characterize the compliance trajectory.