Assisted Living in Virginia

Virginia Medicaid does not pay the room-and-board cost of assisted living; by law it can only help with care services. The CCC Plus Waiver covers home- and community-based services but is generally used to keep people in their own home rather than to pay an assisted living facility. To help with room and board, low-income residents usually rely on the separate Auxiliary Grant program. Each program has its own application, and qualifying for one does not automatically qualify you for the other.

Costs vary widely depending on the community's location, size, amenities, and the level of care a resident needs. Communities in and around larger metro areas often cost more than those in smaller towns and rural parts of the state. The best way to compare real prices is to review the pricing tables below for the specific communities you are considering.

Assisted living provides housing, meals, supervision, and help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medications for people who are largely independent but need some support. A nursing home (skilled nursing facility) provides a higher level of round-the-clock medical and skilled nursing care for people with more complex health needs. Medicaid pays for skilled nursing care differently than it does for assisted living, where it never covers room and board.

Help generally goes to older adults and people with disabilities who meet income and asset limits and need assistance with daily care. The Auxiliary Grant is for people receiving SSI or who are aged, blind, or disabled and living in a licensed assisted living facility or approved adult foster home. Medicaid long-term care eligibility also depends on a functional or medical assessment. Apply for Medicaid through CommonHelp or your local Department of Social Services, and apply for the Auxiliary Grant separately.

Use the Virginia Department of Social Services' Assisted Living Facility Search to confirm a community holds a current license and to review its inspection and compliance history. Inspection results and complaint findings are public record. If you have a concern about a facility, you can also file a complaint with the VDSS Division of Licensing Programs or contact your local Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

No. Medicare does not pay for assisted living room and board or for custodial (personal) care. It may still cover related medical needs, such as a short, medically necessary skilled nursing stay after a qualifying hospital admission, doctor visits, and some home health services. For free, unbiased help understanding your Medicare coverage, contact Virginia's SHIP program, VICAP, through your local Area Agency on Aging.