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Nursing Home and Assisted Living

We’re fighting for better oversight, safer facilities, and stronger protections for nursing home and assisted living residents.

VPLC advocates for policies that improve care standards, ensure accountability, and protect the rights and dignity of every Virginian in long-term care. We fight for stronger oversight, better staff training, and protections against neglect, abuse, and involuntary discharge. Our work helps ensure that residents — and their families — can trust the places they rely on for safety and support later in life.

Our work in this area includes:

Raising the Bar for Long-Term Care Workers

Residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities deserve care that is safe, consistent, and respectful. We work to improve caregiver training and staffing standards so that every resident receives the quality care they need. Our efforts include:

  • Advocating for increased training hours, certification, and oversight for direct care workers.
  • Pushing for stronger staff-to-resident ratios to reduce burnout and improve continuity of care.
  • Supporting accountability measures for facilities that fail to meet staffing and competency requirements.

Holding Facilities Accountable to Residents

Assisted living residents have the right to live in dignity and safety. We advocate for stronger oversight, transparency, and protections to prevent abuse, neglect, and retaliation. We work to:

  • Promote transparency through public inspections and operational reporting.
  • Strengthen protections against resident eviction and staff retaliation.
  • Improve complaint processes and ensure residents’ concerns lead to action.

Ensuring Affordability and Access for Seniors

Too many low-income seniors face barriers to receiving long-term care through Medicaid. We defend their rights and fight to protect the safety-net systems they depend on. Our advocacy includes:

  • Supporting fair Medicaid eligibility rules and streamlined enrollment processes.
  • Opposing cost-cutting measures that reduce care quality or limit access.
  • Helping families understand and protect their long-term care benefits.
Headshot of Linda Shaw

Linda’s Story

Linda is a retired registered nurse. She wanted to do more medical volunteer work while she’s still able and needed help affording health insurance premiums until she is eligible for Medicare.

Our Elder Law Team

Emily Hardy, Esq.

Headshot of Emily Hardy

Deputy Director of the Center for Healthy Communities

Staff Attorney, Elder Law

Featured Work

Featured:

Senior Legal Helpline

Virginia’s Senior Legal Helpline protects elders' rights and independence. This toll-free offers free legal advice for Virginians over 60 covering issues like Medicaid coverage, SSI benefits, long term care concerns, and much more.

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We help make Virginia better for low-income residents with work in:

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