How We're Paid
Straight answer: families never pay us. Adult family homes pay a placement fee — and only when a placement is successful.
The Short Version
Seattle Assisted Living Network is a placement and referral service. We help families find adult family homes (AFHs) for complex care needs, and we help discharge planners place patients no one else will take.
- Families never pay us. Not for the first call, not for matching, not for tours, not for move-in help. Our help is free to families.
- Adult family homes pay us a placement fee. We're paid by a participating home only when we successfully place a resident there.
- No markup on care. We don't add anything to the rates a home charges. You pay the home directly for care, at the rate the home sets.
What Families Pay
Nothing. There are no upfront fees, no consultation fees, no matching fees, and no hidden costs — for families, ever. If we can't find a home that fits, you owe us nothing.
You will, of course, pay the adult family home you choose for the care it provides. That's between you and the home, at the home's published rate, exactly as if you'd found the home yourself.
Where the Money Comes From
Participating adult family homes pay Seattle Assisted Living Network a placement fee when we successfully match a resident to that home. The fee is a percentage of the first month's rent — the industry-standard placement-fee model — and it is earned only on a successful placement.
- Only on success. If a placement doesn't go through, no fee is earned.
- No upfront or monthly fees. We don't charge homes to be in our network, and we don't charge families anything at any point.
- The fee doesn't change what you pay. The home's rate to you is the same whether you found it through us or on your own. We don't mark up care.
Does This Affect Our Recommendations?
We're upfront about it: we recommend homes from our vetted network, and participating homes pay us when we place a resident. We want you to have that information so you can weigh it.
Here's how we keep the fee from steering the recommendation:
- Fit comes first. We shortlist homes based on your loved one's care needs, location, budget, and availability — not on which home pays us most.
- We vet before we recommend. Every home in our network is checked for a current Washington license, visited in person, and reference-checked before we present it.
- We present options, not one answer. We typically share 3–5 pre-screened homes, and the final choice is always yours.
- Our network isn't exhaustive. We work with a vetted subset of the licensed homes in Washington. There may be excellent homes we don't work with, and you're free to consider them.
How We Choose Which Homes to Present
1. Care needs
We match to the specific level of care required — ventilator, trach, bariatric, dialysis, wound care, memory care, or other complex needs.
2. Location and budget
We narrow to homes in the area you want, at a rate that fits your budget and payment source (private pay, Medicaid/COPES, LTC insurance, VA benefits).
3. Real availability
We only present homes with a current opening that can actually accept the level of care — no phantom leads.
4. Your decision
You tour, you ask questions, and you choose. We support the move-in, but the decision stays with you and your family.
If a Placement Doesn't Work Out
We support placements after move-in. If a placement isn't working within the first 30 days, we'll help find an alternative — at no additional cost to you or the family. Families are never charged for our help, at any stage, including a re-placement.
What SALN Is — and Isn't
We are a placement and referral service. Our job is matching people with licensed adult family homes and supporting the transition.
We are not a licensed health care provider. We don't deliver medical treatment, nursing care, or clinical services, and we don't direct anyone's care plan.
Each adult family home is its own licensed business. Every AFH we work with is independently licensed and regulated by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). The home — its owners, its staff, and its license — is responsible for the care it provides, including all clinical and licensing obligations. A recommendation from us doesn't change who is accountable for care: the home is.
Your Choice and How to Ask Questions
- You're never required to use a home we recommend. If you prefer a different home — in our network or not — that's your call, and we'll still help where we can.
- You can verify a home's license yourself. Washington's DSHS "Find an Adult Family Home" search lists licensed AFHs. For license-status questions, DSHS Residential Care Services can be reached at (800) 562-6078.
- Ask us anything. We're glad to explain how we work, who pays us, or any part of the process — before, during, or after a placement. Contact us or call .
Frequently Asked Questions
Is your service really free for families?
Yes. Families never pay us anything — not for the first call, matching, tours, or move-in support. Adult family homes pay us a placement fee, and only when a placement is successful.
Do I pay more for care because you're paid by the home?
No. The home's rate to you is the same whether you found it through us or on your own. We don't mark up care, and we don't add any fees.
Does a home's decision to pay you change how you recommend it?
We present homes that fit your loved one's needs from our vetted network, and we're transparent that participating homes pay us on success. Fit — care needs, location, budget, and availability — drives the shortlist, and you make the final choice.
What if the placement doesn't work out?
If a placement isn't working within the first 30 days, we help find an alternative at no additional cost. Families are never charged for our help, at any stage.
Still Have Questions?
Ask us directly — we're happy to explain any part of how we work.