Our guides take one real situation at a time -- touring in a specific part of the region, reading an inspection report, getting through a Medicaid screening -- and work through it with the rules and numbers that apply in Virginia. New guides are added regularly; the newest always appears at the bottom of every page.
What do the Richmond Senior Advisor guides cover?
The guides cover Virginia-specific topics families run into in the Richmond region: choosing between residential and assisted living care, reading VDSS inspection reports, paying with the Auxiliary Grant or VA benefits, Medicaid screenings, and practical touring and moving advice for particular localities.
Every figure in a guide traces to a primary source -- VDSS, DMAS, DARS, VA, CMS or the CareScout survey -- and guides are updated when those sources change.
All guides
What Virginia Inspectors Cite Most Often in Richmond-Area Assisted Living
We tallied every standard VDSS cited at licensed assisted living facilities in our twelve localities since January 2025. Service plans, staff records and medication handling top the list.
Read →October 23, 2026Small Licensed Homes in Mechanicsville: What Hanover Families Should Know
Sixteen of Hanover County's 22 licensed assisted living facilities are licensed for eight or fewer residents, most with Mechanicsville addresses. How to evaluate a small home.
Read →October 19, 2026Applying for Virginia's Auxiliary Grant in Richmond: A Realistic Timeline
The Auxiliary Grant is $2,130 a month in 2026 outside Northern Virginia. Here is the order of steps for a Richmond, Henrico or Chesterfield family, and where applications stall.
Read →October 15, 2026Senior Care in the Tri-Cities: How Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell Compare
Fifteen licensed assisted living facilities, seven certified nursing homes and one aging agency serve the three Tri-Cities. What each city's roster looks like and who to call.
Read →October 11, 2026Night Staffing in Virginia Memory Care: The Questions That Reveal the Real Numbers
Virginia sets minimum awake staff for special care units by shift and census. How to turn those rules into tour questions at Richmond-area memory care communities.
Read →October 7, 2026Virginia's LTSS Screening: What Happens and How Richmond Families Prepare
The Long-Term Services and Supports screening is the gate to Medicaid nursing home care and the CCC Plus Waiver. Who does it in the Richmond area, what they look at and how to prepare.
Read →October 3, 2026Observation Status at Richmond Hospitals: Why Two Words Decide Who Pays for Rehab
A parent can spend nights in a VCU, Bon Secours or HCA hospital bed without being admitted. Here is why that matters for Medicare rehab coverage and what to ask.
Read →September 29, 2026Searching for Assisted Living in Midlothian and Western Chesterfield
Ten licensed facilities with Midlothian addresses hold 808 licensed places, and nine have special care units. How to approach the search on the Route 288 side of Chesterfield.
Read →September 25, 2026Paying for Assisted Living with VA Aid and Attendance: How the Math Works
Aid and Attendance pays the gap between a veteran's countable income and a maximum rate of $29,093 a year in 2026. A step-by-step look at how care costs change that math.
Read →September 21, 2026No Licensed Assisted Living in Your County? Planning Care from Goochland, Powhatan or New Kent
VDSS lists no licensed assisted living facility in Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent or Prince George. How rural families plan care, from home supports to choosing a neighboring county.
Read →September 17, 2026How to Use CMS Star Ratings to Choose a Nursing Home Around Richmond
Thirty-seven certified nursing homes in our twelve localities carry CMS ratings from one to five stars. How to read the overall, health inspection and staffing ratings together.
Read →September 13, 2026A Two-Day Plan for Touring Assisted Living in Henrico's West End
Henrico holds 47 licensed assisted living facilities and 20 special care units. A practical plan for touring the West End in two days without losing track of what you saw.
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