Gencare Lifestyle Federal Way at Steel Lake
Independent Living / Assisted Living / Memory Care / Respite Care
Reviews
Caring Staff, Billing Confusion
GenCare Federal Way (formerly Madrona Park/Emeritus) receives mostly positive reviews for its caring staff, comfortable environment, and supportive atmosphere, with families frequently praising individual staff members who go above and beyond. However, significant concerns recur around billing transparency and unexpected costs, inconsistent communication during transitions (especially to assisted living), staffing shortages affecting meal service and resident attention, and variable quality in memory care—with some families reporting minimal activities and inadequate oversight. Several reviews note management turnover and service decline after staffing changes, particularly post-January in recent years.
Valinda Horstman is knowledgeable and skilled and very dependable in her position at GenCare. My 98 yr Dad, blind, came from a home/ wife of neglect when we met Valinda. During our
Our family was looking for a memory care facility for our mother. We did a tour of the Gencare Lifestyle in Federal Way and everything seemed like a good fit for our mother. After
The community, facilities, and staff at GenCare Federal Way are warm and welcoming. That said, families considering a move from independent living to assisted living may wish to pl
Meals and more staff to help the people in wheelchairs and that need extra help. Yes, I would recommend the community to other families even though it is very negative. When we fir
Inspections(4)
A plumbing vendor broke a pipe while making repairs to the boiler system around 11:30 am, requiring shutdown of the domestic water system feed from the water heater. The facility responded promptly by having the broken part replaced and restoring the system to normal operation by 2:30 pm the same day. No fire, evacuation, injuries, or fire department response occurred, and no IFC violations were cited. The facility demonstrated good coordination with vendors and timely corrective action for this operational incident.
View original report →The facility had multiple fire safety code violations across three inspections, including improper storage clearances near sprinklers, combustible materials in electrical rooms, broken electrical outlets, daisy-chained power strips, missing documentation for critical fire safety system testing (fire dampers, sprinkler connections, generator inspections), emergency lighting failures, and a fire door propped open. The facility responded appropriately by correcting all violations within 4 months, demonstrating adequate follow-through on corrective actions, though the pattern of violations across multiple areas suggests gaps in preventive maintenance and staff training that required external inspection to identify.
View original report →Four residents tested positive for COVID-19, and investigation revealed the facility failed to implement infection control policies and respiratory protection program requirements, affecting all 72 residents. The facility received citations for systemic infection control failures during the full licensing inspection. While the facility participated in the investigation process, the response was incomplete as evidenced by the failed practice citation, indicating corrective actions were inadequate at the time of inspection.
View original report →The February 2023 inspection identified 23 fire and life safety code violations including multiple fire door deficiencies, missing safety system documentation (sprinkler inspections, smoke detector testing, emergency lighting tests), improper storage in egress paths, electrical code violations, and inadequate fire drill records. While violations were widespread affecting fire protection systems and means of egress, none posed immediate life-threatening danger to residents. The facility cooperated with the inspection process and successfully corrected all violations by the April 2023 follow-up inspection, demonstrating adequate commitment to regulatory compliance and resident safety.
View original report →