Pierce County senior resources directory

Pierce County has a dense but fragmented network of senior-care resources — state agencies, county programs, non-profits, hospitals, transit providers, and community organizations. Families trying to navigate the system without a guide often waste weeks calling the wrong number or filling out forms for programs they don’t qualify for. This directory consolidates the most useful Pierce County senior resources as of 2026, with addresses, phone numbers, and what each one actually does.

State and county agencies

Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources (ADR)

Washington State designates ADR as the Area Agency on Aging for Pierce County. It’s the best first call for families who don’t yet know what programs they qualify for — ADR’s intake line does a phone-based eligibility screen across Medicaid LTSS, COPES, TSOA, senior transportation, caregiver support, and more.

• Address: 3602 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98418
• Phone: (253) 798-4600 or toll-free (800) 562-0332
• Hours: Monday–Friday 9am–4pm

DSHS Home & Community Services (HCS) — Tacoma Office

Handles Medicaid long-term care eligibility, CARE assessments, COPES waiver enrollment, and HCS case manager assignments for Pierce County residents.

• Address: 1949 S State St, Tacoma, WA 98405
• Phone: (253) 476-7200 or toll-free (800) 442-5129
• Hours: Monday–Friday 8am–5pm

DSHS Complaint Resolution Unit (statewide)

Statewide intake line for complaints about licensed adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and other residential care settings.

• Phone: 1-800-562-6078

Pierce South Community Services Office (DSHS)

Handles cash assistance, food benefits, and non-LTC Medicaid intake.

• Address: 1301 E 72nd St, Tacoma, WA
• Phone: (877) 501-2233

Hospitals

MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital

Level II trauma center. One of Pierce County’s primary acute-care centers for senior admissions.

• Address: 315 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
• Phone: (253) 403-1000

St. Joseph Medical Center

Level II trauma center, part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.

• Address: 1717 S J St, Tacoma, WA

MultiCare Allenmore Hospital

• Address: 1901 S Union Ave, Tacoma, WA 98405

MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital

Level III trauma center in Puyallup, frequent origin of AFH and ALF placements for east Pierce families.

• Address: 401 15th Ave SE, Puyallup, WA

St. Clare Hospital

Part of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health. Serves Lakewood, DuPont, and western Pierce County.

• Address: 11315 Bridgeport Way SW, Lakewood, WA

St. Anthony Hospital

Level IV trauma center in Gig Harbor.

• Address: 11567 Canterwood Blvd NW, Gig Harbor, WA

VA Puget Sound American Lake Division

The primary VA campus for Pierce County veterans.

• Address: 9900 Veterans Dr SW, Tacoma, WA

Transportation

Pierce Transit

Operates fixed-route bus service throughout Pierce County. Key senior-service routes include Route 1 (Pacific Ave / downtown Tacoma), Route 11 (Browns Point / Lincoln District), Route 41 (Tacoma Mall / 72nd St), and Route 102 (DuPont / Tacoma Dome). Fares reduced for seniors 65+ and ADA-eligible passengers.

Pierce Transit SHUTTLE (paratransit)

ADA-mandated door-to-door service for seniors and people with disabilities who cannot use fixed-route buses. Application required; rides scheduled in advance.

Senior centers

• Tacoma Senior Center — 4610 S L St, Tacoma, WA
• Puyallup Activity Center — 210 W Pioneer, Puyallup, WA
• Lakewood Community Senior Center — 9112 Lakewood Dr SW, Lakewood, WA
• Gig Harbor Senior Center — 6509 38th Ave NW, Gig Harbor, WA
• Sumner Senior Center — 15506 62nd St Ct E, Sumner, WA
• Parkland Spanaway Senior Center — 10410 Dekoven Dr S, Parkland, WA

Senior centers typically offer activities, meals, exercise classes, health screenings, and community programming. Many coordinate with the area Agency on Aging for case management and resource connections.

Veterans’ organizations

• Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs — provides VA-accredited help with pension, A&A, and disability claims.
• American Legion (Pierce County posts) — VA-accredited claims support; social community for veterans.
• VFW (Pierce County posts) — VA-accredited claims support; fraternal community.
• DAV (Disabled American Veterans) — VA-accredited claims support specializing in service-connected disability.

See our AFH placement for veterans page for the specifics on VA benefits and AFH care.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s resources

• Alzheimer’s Association — Washington State Chapter — information, support groups, education. 24/7 helpline at 1-800-272-3900.
• Caregiver support groups — facilitated through Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources; also through local hospitals (MultiCare and VMFH both host groups).
• Respite care programs — TSOA-funded respite hours available for qualifying caregivers; see DSHS HCS for eligibility.

Legal and financial

• Pierce County Volunteer Legal Services — free legal help for low-income seniors in Pierce County.
• Washington Law Help — online resource for self-help legal information on elder law, Medicaid, advance directives.
• National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys — directory of elder-law attorneys in Washington.
• CLTC directory (Certified in Long-Term Care) — for LTC insurance review and claim support.

Care placement

• DSHS Residential Care Services directory — publicly searchable AFH and ALF license records, inspection reports, complaint investigations. Search at dshs.wa.gov.
• EverCare Advisors — free placement service for families in Pierce County and South King County. See how we work.

Home care agencies

Home care is Medicaid-covered via COPES for qualifying residents. Agencies serving Pierce County are licensed by the Washington Department of Health; the state maintains a searchable directory. Families using home care before transitioning to residential placement often coordinate through Pierce County ADR or DSHS HCS.

Hospice and palliative care

Pierce County has multiple Medicare-certified hospice providers. Referrals typically come from the primary care physician or hospital discharge planner. Many AFHs and ALFs coordinate care with hospice teams; most licensed care settings in Pierce County will accept a hospice-enrolled resident.

Emergency services

• Emergencies (medical, fire, police): 911
• Adult Protective Services (APS): 1-866-EndHarm (1-866-363-4276) for reports of suspected elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation
• Medical advice (non-emergency): Washington 211 or individual hospital nurse lines
• Crisis Line (mental health): 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline)

Using this directory

Most families don’t need every resource here. What helps is knowing which call solves which problem. A rough rule: if you’re not sure where to start, Pierce County Aging & Disability Resources at (253) 798-4600 is the best first call. They’ll triage to the right agency or program.

If the question is specifically about finding the right adult family home, assisted living, or memory care home, start a consultation with us. Free to families.