10 Best Nursing Homes in Virginia Beach, VA

Since nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities, provide 24-hour medical care, they’re typically much more expensive than facilities for more independent seniors. According to Genworth’s most recent cost of care survey, the average monthly cost for a skilled nursing facility is $7,908 for a semi-private room and $9,034 for a private room.

According to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data in Virginia Beach, assisted living costs average around $4,470 a month for a private room. And memory care averages about $5,924 per month. These prices include associated fees and care services in addition to room and board.

With these costs for assisted living, you can expect that your loved one will have help with the following:

• Personal care
• Medication management
• Mobility assistance
• Nutritious meals and snacks based on dietary needs
• Housekeeping and laundry
• Transportation
• Scheduled activities and events
• Socializing

For memory care, your loved one will have assisted living services as well as the following specialized services:

• 24-hour observation from specialized staff
• Memory-enhancing therapies and activities
• A secure environment with space to safely move around

Most seniors and their families use a combination of private finances and state funding to help pay for nursing homes, assisted living, and memory care.

Medicare or Medicaid are nearly always included in public assistance, but VA benefits are also sometimes included. You can find an overview of Virginia Beach’s private and public senior living payment options here.

Concerning taxes, Virginia requires all residents to file an income tax if they meet certain residential and financial criteria. However, Virginia doesn’t tax Social Security benefits, nor do they have an inheritance tax. You can learn more about this by reading the Virginia Estate and Inheritance Taxes section of the Public Document 15-93.

Virginia nursing homes must be licensed by the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) and meet Board of Health standards. The regulations define minimal requirements to safeguard residents’ health, safety, and welfare. Skilled nursing facilities in Virginia must meet specific standards to get a license, including the following:

• Completing an application process and paying the requisite fees
• Achieving minimal staffing requirements, including having a qualified nurse on duty 24/7
• Offering a physically safe and secure environment for residents
• Creating and carrying out resident care plans
• Giving necessary medical care, like medication management and wound treatment
• Providing an activity program designed to meet residents’ physical, social, and emotional needs
• Conducting criminal background checks on employees and volunteers
• Maintaining proper records and documentation

Virginia Beach nursing homes are federally regulated

The federal government regulates nursing homes in the United States through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS enforces federal care standards at nursing homes using various methods.

Virginia Beach nursing homes must pass quality and safety inspections

CMS-certified nursing facilities accepting Medicare/Medicaid must comply with federal quality, staffing, and resident rights standards to receive reimbursement. CMS regularly inspects skilled nursing facilities to ensure compliance with federal standards, including quality of care, safety, cleanliness, staff numbers, and the adequacy of personnel numbers.

Nursing homes must report certain quality measures, like fall and pressure ulcer rates among residents, to CMS. CMS uses this data to spot service gaps and can penalize non-compliant nursing homes — these penalties include fines, payment refusal, or even Medicare/Medicaid participation termination.

Virginia Beach assisted living and memory care facilities are held to similar standards

The federal government doesn’t establish requirements for memory care or assisted living facilities. Individual states regulate these facilities, including building and safety rules. The Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Licensure and Certification licenses and regulates assisted living and memory care facilities in Virginia Beach. Memory care — referred to as a special care unit in Virginia — falls under assisted living with some additional requirements.

A few examples of these regulations include the following:

• All care programs provided by an assisted living facility must meet each resident’s physical, mental, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs; protect guide and supervise the resident; and promote a sense of self-worth and independence.
• All staff are required to be respectful and considerate of the rights and dignity of residents who are aged or disabled.
• All staff have to pass background checks and undergo staff orientation and initial training, which includes emergency and disaster procedure training, first aid training, standard health precautions, how to handle resident information with confidentiality, and how to detect or report any instances of elder abuse or neglect.
• Direct care staff are required to meet certain qualifications, including certification as a nurse aide, first aid and CPR certification, completion of a Virginia Board of Nursing-approved nurse aide education program, and completion of appropriate all personal care aide training.

The Virginia Department of Health regularly inspects facilities to ensure they comply with licensing standards and regulations. Failing to meet these requirements results in VDH investigation and enforcement. You can find inspection records for specific facilities using the Virginia Department of Social Services’Assisted Living Facility Search Form. You will have to search for standalone memory care facilities as a special care unit.

Virginia Department of Health contact information

Virginia Department of Health

109 Governor Street

Richmond, Virginia 23219

Phone Number: 800-533-4148

COVID-19 regulations for Virginia Beach nursing homes

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Virginia Department of Health both advise seniors to maintain their vaccination status.

Remember that the term “nursing home” is generally used to cover many types of senior care facilities but our usage refers specifically to skilled nursing homes. Unlike skilled nursing homes, general senior care facilities don’t typically offer skilled nursing or medical care on-site. General senior care communities are considered assisted living and memory care communities.

While memory care communities offer Virginia Beach seniors with a dementia diagnosis a safe and secure environment, the city’s assisted living communities offer seniors a little more independence and activity. Larger assisted living and memory care facilities also often have additional skilled nursing wings, so the resident doesn’t have to move if they ever require skilled nursing care.

While A Place for Mom does not partner with or refer to nursing homes, we do refer to assisted living and memory care facilities in Virginia Beach, some which may have a skilled nursing unit on-site.

Assisted living and memory care

Within a 10-mile radius of downtown Virginia Beach, there are seven in-network facilities that offer assisted living or memory care. One is a stand-alone assisted living facility, and one is a stand-alone memory care facility. Three are combo assisted living and memory care facilities. And two are combo assisted living, memory care, and independent living facilities.

If you widen your search to a 25-mile radius of Virginia Beach, there are 21 more facilities to choose from: 12 assisted living and memory care combinations and four facilities that offer assisted living, memory care, and independent living services all in one.

Facilities that offer care from independent living all the way to memory care are very valuable options if your loved one would like to stay in one place and transition to more intensive care as they require it.

Help with memory loss

Memory care facilities provide specialized staff to accommodate memory loss patients along with their medical management. They also have someone awake 24/7 to ensure your loved one’s safety. With multiple indoor and outdoor areas, seniors can enjoy getting out and about in a secure environment. Special activities are also planned that are specifically tailored to people with memory impairments.

Amenities for everyone

Activity directors can be found in almost all of our partner facilities. That means there will be no shortage of things to do from on-site activities to planned group outings. Bingo, trivia games, painting, parties, and religious services are just a few things your loved one can look forward to. Plenty of common spaces are provided for socialization from places to shoot pool to quiet libraries to movie rooms.

Health care for seniors in Virginia Beach

Residents of Virginia Beach have easy access to high-quality medical care that supports the environment of elderly citizens with disabilities. You can find everything you need to lead a healthy life, from specialty hospitals and clinics to options for home health care.

Transportation for seniors in Virginia Beach

Most residents rely on the transportation services provided at all our partner assisted living and memory care facilities. But if a friend or family member comes to visit, there are some other options for getting around.

If you want to get into nearby Norfolk and back again, check out the light rail. For getting around Virginia Beach, there is a public bus system, too. Hampton Roads Transit’s (HRT) Paratransit services provide door-to-door transportation for seniors with disabilities or mobility issues.

The Senior Services Transportation Program offers low-cost shuttle services for seniors 60 and over and disabled individuals of all ages in addition to public transit. The program operates on a first-come, first-served basis and needs advance registration. The customized timetable is designed to provide dependable transportation services to seniors.

Senior activities in Virginia Beach

It’s nice to take your loved one out to enjoy the outdoors or find some entertainment, despite all the great activities provided by our partner assisted living and memory care facilities.

Virginia Beach features a lot of natural beauty, so getting out and taking in some fresh coastal air can be enjoyable. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk is completely accessible and offers spectacular beach views.

If you want an even more picturesque viewpoint, First Landing State Park and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge feature wheelchair-accessible nature trails.

Those looking for a more interactive experience can visit the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center which has marine animal exhibits, touch tanks, and educational events. Senior citizens have access to ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms in the center.

The Military Aviation Museum is a must visit spot for seniors and families who are interested in aviation history. With some exhibitions only being displayed for a limited time, there’s always something new to see.

The Norfolk Botanical Garden appears to be the ideal destination for relaxation, with its accessible strolling trails and lovely floral displays. The sights, sounds, and smells of a garden can be comforting to the elderly.

The Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department offers a wide range of cultural activities for seniors, like concerts, theatrical performances, and art exhibits. The majority of programs at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts and the Virginia Museum of Modern Art are either free or inexpensive.