Assisted living in Virginia
Even though Virginia’s cost of living is higher than the national average, this state remains a popular retirement destination. The state has many prosperous cities, rural towns, as well as a rich culture and history that seniors can appreciate. The state is also famous for its perfect balance of mountain and ocean life, as well as a mild climate when compared to the north. The warm summers in this state offers its citizens to enjoy the outdoors, the many hiking trails, golf courses, kayaking, to name a few.
There is a lot to learn about the Old Dominion State’s senior living costs, facilities, benefits and amenities that they have to offer. In this article, you can find out more about the state’s senior living options, as well as the amenities and benefits that each of them has to offer. If you already have an idea as to where in Virginia you’d like to retire to, feel free to use the list below to find out more about the separate cities.
With a housing index of 107, Virginia’s cost of living is higher than the national average. One-bedroom apartments in Virginia have an average monthly cost of $990, compared to the national average of $825 per month. Two-bedroom apartments have an average monthly cost of $1,170, compared to the national average of $1,027 per month.
Before you decide if you want to retire in Virginia, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the monthly costs of living for seniors. Home healthcare has an average monthly cost of $3,787, and this type of care provides help with housekeeping chores, daily tasks, and meal preparation. Home healthcare is a more affordable option than assisted living and nursing homecare because of the fact that seniors will get the help they need and still lead a comfortable life in their own home.
In Virginia, adult healthcare has an average monthly cost of $1,471. This price gives seniors access to supervised housing during daytime, social activities to keep them occupied, as well as therapy and health services when needed. Keep in mind that adult healthcare doesn’t offer extensive nursing homecare like assisted living facilities or nursing homes do.
Assisted living facilities can also be found in Virginia, providing seniors assistance with daily tasks. At these facilities, for the average cost of $4,508 per month, seniors will receive all health services they require, in addition to personal care.
Seniors in need of 24/7 care and supervision should take a look at some of the many nursing homes that are scattered all over Virginia. Semi-private rooms at these facilities have an average monthly cost of $7,148, while private rooms can be found for the average price of $7,908 per month. While nursing homes costs are higher than the other senior living options, they provide seniors with supervised facilities and offer
- Personal care
- Nursing care
- Help with medications
- Therapies so as to make their resident’s lives more comfortable.
Benefits of Choosing Virginia for Senior Living in Virginia
Deciding where you’d like to retire to is a hard task so you should better familiarize what awaits you at your chosen location. Below, we have listed the more important reasons to retire in Virginia.
Distinct Seasonal Changes in Virginia
People that really want to experience the transition between season will love Virginia. Summers can get really hot and humid, while winters can get rather cold which is a good reminder on how fast things change. The colors of falling leaves during fall will mesmerize almost everyone, and spring is the time that wildlife wakes up from winter hibernation, along with the gorgeous flowers all across the country.
Plentiful History and Natural beauty in Virginia
Being one of the oldest states in the U.S., Virginia has lots of history behind it, and nature doesn’t hold back as well. Historical sites include:
On nature’s side:
Few Taxes in Virginia
Virginia is a tax-friendly towards seniors. This is because Social Security isn’t taxed, public and private pensions are only partially taxed, as well as withdrawals from retirement accounts. The marginal state tax rate in Virginia is 5%. These tax breaks allow seniors to spend less of their money on taxes and more on outdoor activities or higher quality healthcare.
Senior Living Options in Virginia
Retirees in Virginia can make use of independent living, assisted living, memory care, and nursing home care. Depending on location, individual needs and level of healthcare required, seniors in Virginia will have plenty of senior living options to choose from. Each of these living options are further explained below.
Independent Living
There are more than 260 independent living facilities available all across Virginia. This type of senior care is more appropriate for seniors that are still somewhat healthy and active but in need of some help with everyday tasks. Staying at an independent living facility has an average monthly cost range from $637 to $3,674. Seniors that would rather stay in an apartment can choose one of the many apartment communities for people aged 55+ or 65+. These communities usually have pleasing amenities for their residents to enjoy. Some of these include gyms, pools and jacuzzies, as well as walking and hiking trails.
Assisted Living
Seniors that choose to retire in Virginia have over 500 assisted living facilities where retirees are provided with professional caregivers, quality healthcare and various social activities that they can take a part in. Seniors residing at one of these facilities will get assistance with laundry services, meal preparation, transport, as well as housekeeping chores, in addition to ‘round the clock surveillance for their safety. Assisted living facilities have an average monthly cost ranging from $1,159 to $6,681.
Memory Care in Virginia
Memory care centers exist to provide seniors help with Alzheimer’s, dementia, and dementia-related ailments. These centers have professional and experienced staff that reduces the stress brought upon by memory loss, like forgetting where they are, or how to do the simplest of tasks. The average annual cost for memory care centers in Virginia is around $69,426. The most expensive memory care centers can be found in the Charlottesville area, for an average annual price of $92,565 while the more affordable ones are located in the Virginia Beach and Norfolk areas for the average annual price of $64,726.
Nursing Homes
Virginia has remained in a state of change ever since the settlement of the original thirteen colonies. One of the newer ones is the senior population. Seniors aged 65+ make up 14.6% of the total state population. This percentage is expected to rise to over 20% by 2030, an increase of senior population that can be noticed in lots of other states.
In order to provide care for this aging population, Virginia has established over 950 senior living providers. Out of those 950 providers, 20 are attributed to adult daycare – a choice made by seniors that are being taken care of by their families which don’t have time during the day due to other obligations. Adult daycare centers have an average annual cost of $15,860. The most expensive adult daycare centers can be found in the Staunton and Waynesboro areas for the average annual price of $20,800, while the more affordable centers can be found in the Harrisonburg area for an average annual cost of $12,480
Virginia is a home to over 130 hospice care facilities which provide terminally ill seniors with specialized care through reducing their pain with the help of medication so as they can live out their final years in peace and comfort. Terminally ill seniors and their families can receive grief counseling and therapeutic activities. The costs that are associated with hospice care are usually covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurances.
Respite care facilities provide seniors with temporary care in times when their primary caregivers are unable to do that themselves, often due to personal and work obligations. Virginia has over 380 respite care facilities, with an average annual cost of $77,015. While these costs are lower than the national average, the average costs range anywhere from as low as $5,090 to as high as $17,357 per month.
