Virginia is a popular choice for assisted living, this state is filled with recreational activities to enjoy, incredible nature and monuments to explore and visit, and great care facilities.

We’re going to cover all of the basic information you need to know about the laws and regulations in this state for assisted living, along with a lot of practical advice that will help you find a suitable home for yourself or for a loved one. We put a lot of stock in the “living” part of assisted living, meaning we like facilities that put importance on a philosophy of care that involves socializing, maintaining dignity, and having a lot of fun, frankly. Life is short enough, so you’ve got to make the most of it, especially while you’ve still got mobility and your wits, so don’t just sit in a room all day – get out there and do things, and find a facility that encourages that!

Anyways, with that out of the way, we’re going to dig right in. After reading through this page, we hope you’ll understand what to look for, what to avoid, and everything in between. There are certain aspects that we may critique about this state’s regulations, but at the end of the day it comes down to what matters most to you, or your loved one, when it comes to crafting a personalized care plan, so just remember there aren’t necessarily right or wrong answers for every single thing, it’s just about informing yourself so you can make an informed decision based on your own priorities.

Quick Facts about Virginia

• Virginia is the 35^th state when it comes to total size, with 42,774 square miles of land area covered.
• The population of Virginia is 8,411,808 which places this state in 12^th place.
• The median household income in Virginia is $61,485.
• State taxes are low, but the cost of living is above average.

Types of Assisted Living in Virginia

An assisted living home in Virginia can help with things like providing a comfortable home for somebody who just needs a little more help than they’d get on their own, they can help with helping to setup and organize additional care that may be required, offering around the clock supervision in the event of an emergency, and more.

We’ll be discussing the initial assessment process because it’s crucial to ensuring that somebody gets the correct level of care. In addition to a standard assisted facility for seniors and other people, there are also nursing homes, hospice care, and other options available as well – and it’s important to ensure that you or your loved one are in the correct type of facility to get the proper level of care that is needed. It’s not always easy to admit that things are worse than they seem, but being honest throughout this process is the best way to get the best care. We applaud you for taking the time to do some research, it will ultimately end up going a long way, both in finding a great facility, and also just the peace of mind that comes from making an informed decision about something as important as this.

Requirements for Moving in or Moving Out

Initial assessment information: This is one of the most important steps, we’ve already discussed how important it is to be upfront in the assessment process because it determines the specific care the resident will receive moving forward, and it ensures in the correct place in the first place. In Virginia, they use something called The Uniform Assessment Instrument which is filled out every year, in addition to taking a physical and measuring mental and emotional markers. This yearly examination can track not only whether or not they’re in the right facility, but also whether different conditions and measurements are getting worse, or even improving in some cases.

When conditions do get worse, or any of the following events take place, a resident will likely be relocated. This includes someone who becomes dependent on using a ventilator, someone who needs skilled nursing services on a regular basis, stage 3 or 4 ulcers, and if someone becomes abusing or poses any kind of risk to others, or to themselves.

General Information About Care

Bathroom requirements: Bathrooms and bathing facilities are shared among multiple residents, with up to four people sharing the same sink, up to four people sharing the same toilet, and up to seven people sharing the same bathing tub or shower.

Medication handling: Residents can decide to self-administer their medication if they’re comfortable and able to do so, otherwise it can be administered by somebody who is licensed to do so, and has taken the necessary training programs.

Fire and Safety information: You can speak directly with each of the facilities you’re considering to ask what they do when it comes to fire safety, what their requirements are for safety equipment like sprinklers, alarms, and smoke detectors. You can also ask how often they perform fire drills, and what their disaster preparedness plans entail. If somebody isn’t away of at least the basic things like what to do in an emergency, take that as a red flag that the facility may not be training their staff adequately. In the event of an emergency, you don’t have time to pull out the employee training manual, you need to know these things by heart in our humble opinions.

Staff Training and Requirements

Training is based on what roles the staff member is hired to be responsible for. Staff members may need specific designations to work in certain areas of the home, as well.

Medicaid for Assisted Living in State and Additional Information

There is a Medicaid voucher available, and you can reach out to the Division of Licensing Programs which operates under the Department of Social Services.