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Assisted Living Placement

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1. Whom do I call to receive services?

Contact the Loudoun County Department of Family Services (DFS) at 703-777-0353 and ask to speak to the Benefits Unit. When speaking with the benefits specialist let them know you are interested in assisted living placement. They will discuss with you the auxiliary grant, or “AG,” that you may be eligible for. auxiliary grants pay part of the cost of your care at an assisted living facility. The benefits specialist will explain the financial requirements of this program to help determine if you meet the guidelines.

They will send you a Medicaid application. The application is long and requires you to submit proof of identity, such as a Social Security card, and proof of income, such as resources, property owned, bank accounts, savings accounts, CDs, retirement earnings, Social Security benefits, and burial information. The application needs to be completed prior to placement. We advise you to start working on it as soon as possible.

You may call the benefits specialist for assistance. The benefits specialist will refer you to an Adult Services social worker that will contact you to arrange a visit to your home to complete the assessment.

2. What will happen when you visit my home?

During the visit, many questions will be asked regarding health, medical care, medications, abilities, nutrition, etc. The visit will take approximately one hour. It will be necessary for several documents to be signed. If the person needing services is unable to sign, it is necessary to have someone there, such as a Power of Attorney or Guardian, to sign on their behalf.

3. How do you decide if I’m eligible?

Two factors determine your eligibility: your needs and your financial situation.

To determine your needs, we will ask you questions about your ability to perform day-to-day tasks, such as bathing and dressing. We need to know if you are able to do these tasks by yourself or if you need some assistance. Placement under an Auxiliary Grant is only possible if your needs meet the level of care that can be provided in an assisted living facility. If you have other needs, the Social Worker will provide information on other services that are available to help you meet your care needs.

The Benefits Specialist will determine, according to their guidelines, if you meet the income and resource criteria. The Benefits Specialist must have a completed Medicaid application to do this and all of the requested verifications. The Benefits Specialist has up to 45 days from the date the Medicaid application is received into the Department of Family Services to review it and make a final determination.

4. How do I pay for Assisted Living placement?

If you are found to be in need of the level of care provided by an assisted living facility and financially eligible for assisted living placement, an Auxiliary Grant will pay a portion of the cost of your care. The income you currently receive will go toward the cost of your care. You will be allowed to keep $70 for spending money and other items not covered by Medicaid or the Auxiliary Grant. You will receive Medicaid and that will assist in paying for medical care and most medications will cost $1.

5. How do I choose an Assisted Living Facility?

When the Social Worker visits you at home, he/she will provide you with a listing of assisted living facilities. You are free to choose any assisted living facility that accepts Auxiliary Grants. It is suggested that contact be made with various facilities for visits as soon as possible after the Social Worker’s visit.

After contact is made with an assisted living facility that may have an opening, you may call your Social Worker and ask that the assessment is sent to the facility.

It is your responsibility to contact assisted living facilities that you are interested in. Each assisted living facility usually requires a separate application in addition to the pre-screening packet completed by the Social Worker during the home visit. Personal visits to the facilities are always recommended.

6. What does the Department of Family Services Social Worker do?

The Social Worker will visit you at your home to perform the assessment for the pre-screening. The social workers will guide you through the process, often working with the Benefits Specialist in helping you to meet deadlines for the Medicaid application. It is extremely difficult, although not impossible, to locate an Auxiliary Grant placement in this area and it may be necessary to look outside of the immediate Loudoun County area for a placement. Locating a suitable placement may take six months or more.

7. What if I am not satisfied with the Assisted Living Facility?

If you experience problems, you may first wish to discuss them with the administrator at the assisted living facility. Upon admission, the facility should make it clear whom to speak to about any concerns. If you are uncomfortable doing this or the problem remains unsolved, you may wish to call the Northern Virginia Long Term Care Ombudsman at 1-703-324-5411. This agency will attempt to help you resolve the problem or can refer you to other agencies. The State Long Term Care Ombudsman can answer general questions about assisted living facilities at 1-800-552-3402.