Help for Seniors in Virginia
About three million Virginia residents are at least 50. 21.7% of the population are older adults aged 60+, and 10.7% of those 65+ are living on their own. The state’s median age is 38.3 years, slightly lower than the U.S. average, which is 38.5. The older population in Virginia is lower than the national average. The standard of living among seniors in Virginia is a bit higher, with the median household income being $52,594, making it 7th state with the highest median household income for seniors in the United States. When it comes to the cost of living for older adults, retiring in Virginia is a little costlier. A one-bedroom apartment goes for $990 per month, higher than the national average, of $825. Seniors planning to move to Virginia should ensure they are familiar and comfortable with the state’s cost of senior living. Luckily, there are programs and services throughout Virginia offering assistance to older adults to allow them to thrive.
Senior Living Options in Virginia
There are plenty of living options for senior Virginians, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, and nursing home care, Older Virginians and their families can choose between these options depending on their individual needs and circumstances.
Independent Living: Independent living option is perfect for elderly Virginians who are active and can thrive on their own without the constant need for care. Older adults who’d like to stay in an apartment-style living can either join 55+ or 65+ living communities. There are over 260 independent living facilities in Virginia, and they cost anything between $637 and $3,674 per month. In these facilities, residents enjoy amenities such as workout rooms, walking trails, swimming pools, Jacuzzis, and more.
Assisted Living: This living option is suitable for seniors who need assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as bathing, grooming, feeding, and taking their medications. Experience healthcare professionals and attentive caregivers are employed in these facilities to provide residents with the help they need. There are over 500 assisted living facilities in Virginia, costing between $1,159 and $6,681. Other services offered in these institutions include transportation, housekeeping, and laundry services.
Memory Care: Memory care facilities are designed to attend to the needs of seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related ailments. These facilities are packed with professional staff who are there to help residents navigate through their daily lives and the difficulties they go through whenever they suffer memory loss. Memory care facilities are quite pricey, costing $69,426 a year on average in Virginia, but they are the best option for older adults with any kind of dementia. The Charlottesville area is the place with the highest prices when it comes to memory care, with $92,565 on average per year. More affordable memory care facilities are found in Norfolk and Virginia Beach areas boasting an average price of $64,726 a year.
Nursing Home Care: Nursing homes are suitable for elderly persons with chronic illnesses that need 24/hr attention to improve their health and safety. These facilities are constantly supervised and are staffed with technical nursing professionals who offer healthcare services to older adults. Virginia boasts 286 nursing homes. The average cost of these facilities is $221 per day, higher than the U.S. average, which is $228. The services provided in these facilities include skilled nursing care, rehabilitation services, and care services. Assistance can also include help with ADLs and help with daily prescription medication as instructed by physicians.
The Division for Community Living – The Office of Aging Services Virginia: The Office of Aging Services supports older Virginians to achieve independence by offering services that enhance their dignity and security. They also avail resources the elderly, their loved ones, and caregivers can use to make informed decisions about matters affecting their lives. This office works with 25 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) and different organizations to help older adults find the information, programs, and services they need to live sufficient lives. To promote the independence and well-being of seniors, the Division of Community Living supports older Virginians through leadership, advocacy, and overseeing the work of the local programs. They also offer guidance and assistance to the Commonwealth regarding the aging population.
Dementia Capable Virginia: This is an initiative created through a partnership between the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission. The purpose of the program is to offer information, training materials, and other necessary tools to help realize the Dementia State Plan of Virginia. The initiative also offers the Virginia Dementia Road Map, Caregiver Tip Sheets, the Primary Care Dementia Practice Toolkit, and some screening materials. Read more at https://www.vda.virginia.gov/dementiacapableva.htm.
Virginia Adult Services (AS) Program: Also known as Companion Services, the Virginia Adult Services (AS) Program is dedicated to helping to reduce the risk of seniors being institutionalized in nursing homes. The goal of the program is to help seniors remain in their homes or their caregivers’ homes and receive care and support services from those places. The program works to prevent unnecessary institutionalization while enhancing the quality of life of older adults with disabilities at the same time. These goals are achieved by offering support to family caregivers and providing home care services to senior Virginians. To qualify for the program assistance, seniors must be at least 60 or disabled. The applicants must also demonstrate the need for significant care. To identify the neediest older adults, the local social service conducts an individual assessment. One must meet the low-income guidelines, which change every year. the program’s benefits include adult day care, adult foster care, case management, assessments of assisted living facilities, nursing home screenings, and chore services. Seniors may also have access to nutritional counseling, laundry, and meal services. The level of assistance differs and is identified on a case-by-case basis.
Healthcare Assistance for Seniors
Virginia Medicaid: Medicaid helps seniors pay for healthcare expenses and long-term care services, like nursing home care. To qualify for the program support, older adults must meet income and assets eligibility guidelines. The local Departments of Social Services administer the program. Visit https://commonhelp.virginia.gov/ to apply for healthcare support.
Virginia Medicare: Virginia Medicare is a health insurance program for older Virginians aged at least 65 and older adults living with disabilities. Seniors not receiving benefits from Social Security and Railroad Retirement Board should sign up for Medicare. The health insurance program consists of four sections:
– Part A: Part A is the hospital insurance coverage, and seniors enrolled in it do not pay premiums if they or their spouses paid Medicare taxes. Older adults who are ineligible for premium-free Part A Medicare can buy it, but they must also have Part B and will pay monthly premiums for both plans. Part A covers nursing care (not long-term), hospital care, hospice care, home health care, and inpatient care in a religious nonmedical healthcare facility.
– Part B: Part B Medicare plan provides medical insurance and involves monthly premiums, which can be higher for higher-income earners. The plan covers doctor’s appointments, outpatient care, home health services, medical equipment, and medical-related services, including those that involve preventative measures.
– Part C: Part C is the Medicare Advantage Plan, which is an alternative to the Original Medicare, and to receive it, older adults must have both Part and Part B plans. Seniors can only receive services under this coverage under Medicare Advantage Plan, not the Original Medicare. The coverages are offered through private health insurance companies that are approved by Medicare to offer such services. The companies must adhere to the rules set by Medicare. These plans may provide more coverage, including dental vision, hearing, and other health-related services. Most insurance companies provide Part D, the Medicare prescription drug coverage. Some of the Medicare Advantage Plans are Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans, Special Needs Plans (SNP), Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), Medical Savings Account (MSA plans, and more.
– Part D: This is Prescription Drug Coverage, and any senior enrolled in Medicare receives it. The Medicare-approved private insurance companies provide the coverage, and there are monthly premiums paid, which can be higher for higher income earners. Even seniors who are not on any kind of prescription medication should consider joining the program. To join the program, older adults must have Part A and Part B.
Please visit https://www.vda.virginia.gov/medicaremedicaid.htm for more information.
Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program (VICAP): VICAP is dedicated to offering seniors, their families, and caregivers with unbiased counseling services about Medicaid, helping them choose the right insurance option, depending on their needs and circumstances. Older adults can go for induvial counseling to help them make the right decisions when it comes to Medicare plans. These services can be accessed through the local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs). For more details, please visit https://www.vda.virginia.gov/vicap.htm.
Food Assistance for Seniors
The Farm Market Fresh for Older Adults and WIC Program: This program is designed to provide food assistance to certain Commonwealth areas to help seniors satisfy their nutritional needs. The program offers benefit checks to help senior Virginians purchase food items from locally grown produce. The participating farmers must be certified by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Initially referred to as food stamps, SNAP offers nutritional support and services to eligible low-income older adults. Benefits are given through Electronic Benefits Cards (EBTs), and the purpose is to help older adults buy nutritious foods to help them age healthy and strong. Seniors should note that the benefits cannot be used to acquire alcohol-related drinks and tobacco. EBT cards are only used in groceries and farmers’ markets participating in the program. Read more at https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/food.cgi.
Assistance Given to Caregivers Looking after Seniors
Caregiving can be stressful, and sometimes people need a break to recharge. DARS recognizes the efforts made by family caregivers in looking after their loved ones. For that reason, Virginia families who take care of their older loved ones can apply for assistance through the respite care voucher program. Through the program, caregivers can be given up to $400 as reimbursement to allow them to take a break from such duties.
Housing Assistance for Seniors in Virginia
Virginia Housing Development Authority was formed by the Virginia Commonwealth to help provide quality, affordable housing to seniors. The goal is to allow older adults to thrive in their communities by dealing with the affordable housing crisis. Senior homebuyers, renters, homeowners, and business partners can all benefit from this housing assistance program. Read more at https://www.virginiahousing.com/.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) works with housing counseling agencies that offer counseling services to older adults on renting, homebuying, foreclosures, reverse mortgages, and credit issues. Learn more about the program at https://www.hud.gov/states/virginia/homeownership/seniors.
The housing Choice Voucher Program provides housing assistance to low-income seniors by subsidizing their monthly rental payments. Through the program, seniors can choose housing units in the private housing market. The housing unit chosen must meet the safety and quality standards set by Hud. Once approved for assistance, older adults can only contribute about 30% of their income towards rent, as the government pays for the rest. Read more here.
Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program is exclusively designed to help seniors pay for their independent living-style apartments where they receive cooking, cleaning, transportation, and other support services to enable them to thrive. Visit https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/mfh/progdesc/eld202 to apply for assistance.
Home Repair Assistance for Seniors in Virginia
Emergency Home and Accessibility Repair Program (EHARP): The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to older Virginians to help remove health and safety hazards. To qualify for assistance, the housing situation must demonstrate the urgent need for a solution. It also makes the necessary modifications to make some homes more accessible for seniors and disabled older adults. EHARP directly finances the local administrators to make urgent repairs to improve the older adults’ housing conditions. Qualified repairs include plumbing, roofing electrical, structural, installation of wheelchair ramps, and other accessibility modifications. To qualify for the program support, seniors’ income must not exceed 80% of the area median income (AMI). The maximum amount of assistance older adults can receive is $4,000. Read more at https://www.dhcd.virginia.gov/eharp.
Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in Virginia: Also known as Section 502 Home Repair Program, the Single-Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants provides low-income senior homeowners with grants to help them remove health and safety hazards from their homes. The maximum amount of funds one can receive is $10,000, which are repaid if the senior homeowner sells or changes the ownership of the property within three years of receiving the financial support. To qualify for home repair assistance, seniors must provide proof of homeownership and that they occupy the house. They must also demonstrate an inability to obtain affordable credit anywhere else, meet the low-income limit, be at least 62, and cannot pay back the loan. Find out more at https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-repair-loans-grants/va.
Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity can provide home modification support to low-income seniors to help them with emergency home repairs. Habitat for Humanity is known to help rebuild homes, and to qualify for the assistance, older adults must be participants, and willing to help other residents build their homes. The goal of the organization is to reduce the risk of homelessness among low-income elderly persons. Read more at https://www.habitat.org/.
Help Paying Bills
Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): LIHWAP is a program designed to help low-income older adults with their water and wastewater bills. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) administers the program at the state level. The program provides financial support to households having trouble paying their bills. To qualify, households must have incomes not exceeding 150% of the federal poverty level, which is based on the family size. The program helps to settle past due bills, and priority is given to those whose water and wastewater services have been disconnected or are at risk of disconnection. More information is available at https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/LIHWAP/.
The Virginia Energy Assistance Program (EAP): EAP provides financial assistance to low-income families to help them pay their home energy bills. To qualify for the program assistance, senior homeowners must have heating or cooling expenses, have incomes not exceeding 150% of the federal poverty level, and meet state residency and US citizenship requirements. The local departments of social services administer the program in various cities and counties. The types of assistance offered through the program include:
Crisis Assistance: Crisis Assistance is a support program to help low-income elderly persons with their heating emergencies. Eligible services include:
- Repair or replacement of defective heating/cooling equipment.
- Offering supplemental heating equipment, like fuel tanks.
- Help pay a security deposit.
- Helping to pay heating costs.
To qualify for Crisis Assistance, older adults must lack heat, have their utility cut off, and have defective heating equipment.
Fuel Assistance: The purpose of fuel assistance is to offset the costs of fuel. Seniors applying for fuel assistance must be responsible for paying heating costs.
Cooling Assistance: The purpose of the Cooling Assistance Program is to help low-income elderly Virginians pay their cooling utility bills and repair/replace defective cooling equipment. Eligible services include:
- Installing air conditioning.
- Repairing or replacing the air conditioning unit.
- Paying electricity bills.
- Paying a deposit for electricity.
Seniors must be aged at least 60 to be considered for assistance. For more information, please visit https://www.dss.virginia.gov/benefit/ea/.
Transportation Assistance for Seniors
The Elderly and Disabled Transportation Fund: This fund is designed to provide transportation assistance to elderly low-income Virginians to help them get to and from their jobs, medical appointments, and grocery stores, among others. The Virginia law enables taxpayers who want to offer their support to donate voluntarily towards this fund. The Virginia Division of Community Living administers the fund and works with the local transit providers to make the program work. The local Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are sometimes some of these transit providers, and each agency offers services to a specific county or city. Visit https://www.vda.virginia.gov/aaamap.htm to see which AAA serves your area. For more information about the program, please visit https://www.vda.virginia.gov/drivingtransport.htm.
Assistance for Senior Veterans: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) financial support to senior veterans and their surviving spouses through loans and grants designed to help them purchase, refinance, or renovate their homes to make them safer for living. The VA acts as a guarantor for a part of the loan, which means they cover a small portion of the loan should the seniors fail to repay. This allows older adults to qualify for more favorable loan terms from banks ad mortgage companies. More information is available at https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/.
Assistance from Charities and Nonprofits for Seniors
Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia is a nonprofit organization committed to assisting elderly persons and their caregivers by offering meals, in-home support, community activities, and resources. The goal is to help them stay healthy and physically, socially, and emotionally engaged as they age. Read more at https://www.ssseva.org/.
Virginia Assisted Living Association (VALA): VALA is a nonprofit organization committed to offering advocacy, education, communication, and resources to help seniors thrive in assisted living facilities. They provide the necessary information and services to help elderly Virginians know about senior living options in Virginia. VALA works closely with government agencies by influencing policies and regulations that are geared towards improving the senior living status in the state. The goal is to ensure that seniors receive quality services in community living facilities. For more information, please visit https://www.valainfo.org/.
Senior Connections: Senior Connections is dedicated to offering seniors home and community-based services. Caregivers and older adults with disabilities can also receive these services. The organization operates in the counties of Charles City, Hanover, Henrico, Powhatan, New Kent, Chesterfield, Goochland, and the city of Richmond. The organization source its funds from individual donations and support from corporations and organizations to improve older adults’ quality of life. Services include social engagement, transportation, emergency support, in-home care, food, and other support services. Read more about the organization at https://seniorconnections-va.org/.
ServiceSource: Virginia Senior Services by SeniorSource offers assistance emphasizing social inclusion to enable older adults with minor cognitive and physical disabilities actively take part in the daily activities at Fairfax County Senior Centers. More details are available at https://www.servicesource.org/virginia-senior-services/.
