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Assisted Living

Empress Senior Living at Laurelhurst

Limited public data on Empress Senior Living at Laurelhurst. Call, tour, and ask to meet current residents' families — your own impression matters most.

4020 Ne 55th St, Hawthorne Hills · Seattle, WA 9810573 bedsLicensed & Active
Source: WA DSHS — view official record
Google rating
3.9/5

based on 29 Google reviews

5
4
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1
Empress Senior Living at Laurelhurst Assisted Living in Seattle, WA — Street View
Street View

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What this means for your family

While the facility offers a beautiful environment and engaging social calendar, the recurring reports of neglect and missing personal property are significant red flags. We strongly advise families to conduct unannounced visits and specifically ask management about their security protocols for resident belongings and their internal process for investigating care complaints.

Google Reviews

Google Reviews

29 reviews on Google
Empress Senior Living is a boutique-style community praised for its modern, clean facilities and convenient location in the Laurelhurst neighborhood. While many families report high satisfaction with the staff's warmth and the variety of activities, there are significant, recurring reports of poor care quality, staffing shortages, and issues with resident safety and personal property security.

Quality Themes

Tap a score for details
Food9.0Staff5.0Clean9.0Activities9.0MedsN/AMemory3.0Comms4.0Value8.0

Strengths

  • Modern, clean, and well-designed facility
  • Excellent location near amenities and parks
  • Engaging activity and social programs
  • Warm and welcoming atmosphere

Concerns

  • Inadequate care and slow response times to call lights (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
  • Theft or loss of personal belongings (mentioned by 2 reviewers)
  • Staff training and engagement issues (mentioned by 3 reviewers)

Rating Trends

Tap a year to see what changed

2345.02022(7)3.02023(8)3.72024(3)4.02025(8)3.42026(5)

Distribution · 31 analyzed

5
22
4
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1
9

How They Respond to Reviews

79%response rate

This facility actively engages with reviewer feedback.

Questions for Your Tour

  • 1I noticed you are very active in responding to feedback online; how do you use that resident and family input to improve daily operations?
  • 2Given the facility's proximity to local parks and amenities, what kind of outings or community-integrated activities are currently on the calendar?
  • 3What is your current protocol for monitoring call lights, and how do you ensure that residents receive timely assistance when they need it?
  • 4With your focus on maintaining a modern and welcoming environment, what specific steps do you take to ensure residents' personal belongings are kept secure?
  • 5Since memory care is a specialized area, could you walk me through the specific training and engagement strategies your staff uses to support those residents?
  • 6How do you approach ongoing staff training to ensure that the team remains highly engaged and responsive to the unique needs of each resident?

Personalized based on this facility's data


Key Review Excerpts

My mother lived at Empress through the end of her life. The new management made a world of difference to the quality of her care. Hiring excellent caregivers and leadership staff that truly supported her needs.

Long-term resident's family · 2024★★★★★

The care staff are not properly trained, park residents in front of elevator and leave them there to fend for themselves. When residents push their pendants for help, the care staff clear the call but don’t help the resident.

Family member · 2025☆☆☆☆

Within the first two weeks, her jewelry began disappearing, including a ruby ring she had worn daily for over ten years and never removed. Management offered no help or accountability, even suggesting she might have misplaced or traded items.

Memory care family member · 2026☆☆☆☆
Source: 29 Google reviews

State Inspection History

State Inspections

Source: WA Dept. of Social & Health Services

5total
19deficiencies
Jun 25, 2025Investigation

The facility also had a follow-up inspection on 08/20/2025 (Compliance Determination 64404) where it was found that the specific deficiencies related to WAC 388-78A-2600-2-i and 388-78A-2600-1-b had been corrected.

Policies and proceduresWAC 388-78A-2600Corrected Jun 25, 2025

The facility failed to develop and implement policies to ensure Memory Care Unit residents were not allowed to elope, resulting in one resident wandering off-site.

Jan 17, 2025Inspection

A follow-up letter dated 03/03/2025 states that all listed deficiencies (under Compliance Determination 52756 and 55681) were corrected.

Background checksWAC 388-78A-2466Corrected Mar 1, 2025

Facility failed to ensure a staff member (Staff B) renewed their background check every two years; staff worked 501 days with an expired check.

Ongoing assessmentsWAC 388-78A-2100Corrected Mar 1, 2025

Facility failed to document or create a safety plan for a resident's new surgical hemodialysis access (catheter and fistula), despite staff knowledge of appointments.

Background checksWAC 388-78A-2462Corrected Mar 1, 2025

Facility failed to ensure a staff member (Staff E) completed a background check prior to working in the facility.

Aug 29, 2023Inspection

A separate follow-up letter indicates these deficiencies were verified as corrected on 2023-10-17.

Tuberculosis Testing RequiredWAC 388-78A-2480Corrected Oct 5, 2023

Facility failed to ensure 1 of 5 sampled staff initiated TB screening within 3 days of employment.

Food and nutrition servicesWAC 388-78A-2300Corrected Oct 5, 2023

Facility failed to ensure menus were written at least one week in advance and posted or delivered to resident rooms; residents reported not knowing dinner menu in advance.

Emergency and disaster preparednessWAC 388-78A-2700Corrected Oct 5, 2023

Facility failed to ensure an Adult Portable Bed Rail was securely fastened, covered, and did not pose a safety risk for a resident.

Aug 14, 2023Fire

The inspection on 08/14/2023 confirms that all violations from the 03/02/2023 inspection were corrected.

Inspection and Maintenance (Fire Doors)IFC 705.2

Facility unable to provide documentation of annual fire door inspection.

Duct and Air Transfer OpeningsIFC 706.1

Facility unable to provide documentation for the 4-year fire and smoke damper inspection.

Inspection, Testing and Maintenance (Fire Alarm)IFC 907.8

Facility unable to provide documentation for the annual fire alarm system testing.

Smoke Detector SensitivityIFC 907.8.3

Facility unable to provide documentation for required smoke detector sensitivity testing.

Maintenance (Carbon Monoxide)IFC 915.6

Facility unable to provide documentation for monthly carbon monoxide detector testing.

Maintenance (Emergency Power)IFC 1203.4

Facility unable to provide documentation for annual servicing of the emergency generator.

Owner's Responsibility (Fire Resistance)IFC 701.6

Facility unable to provide documentation of annual fire wall inspection.

Door OperationIFC 705.2.4

Memory care dining room doors and serenity room door do not close properly.

Testing and Maintenance (Sprinklers)IFC 903.5

Facility unable to provide documentation for the annual sprinkler system inspection.

Carbon Monoxide DetectionIFC 0915.1.2

Missing CO detectors in first floor fireplace room, basement fireplace room, and water heater room.

Power Test (Emergency Lighting)IFC 1031.10.2

Facility unable to provide documentation for annual 90-minute power test for emergency lights.

Feb 22, 2023Investigation

An amended letter dated 04/10/2023 indicates the deficiency was corrected and the facility now meets licensing requirements.

Licensee's responsibilitiesWAC 388-78A-2730Corrected Feb 22, 2023

The facility failed to implement a Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) and failed to conduct required respirator mask fit testing for staff.

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References & Resources

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