Dementia Care in Virginia: A Caregiver's Guide (2026)

About 164,000 Virginians are living with Alzheimer's, and family members provide most of their day-to-day care.1

Dementia caregiving is its own kind of hard: the long arc, the behavioral changes, the safety worries, the grief that starts before any loss. This guide maps the Virginia-specific help available in 2026, from the free 24/7 helpline to Medicaid respite to the programs that can pay you for the care you already provide.

You do not have to navigate this alone, and you do not have to fund all of it from your savings.

Virginia Dementia Caregiving, by the Numbers

About 164,000 Virginians are living with Alzheimer's disease, and the number is expected to keep growing as the population ages. About 333,000 family caregivers across the Commonwealth provide an estimated 561 million hours of unpaid care each year.1

If the work feels overwhelming, that is not a personal failing. It is the reality of a condition that demands more, for longer, than almost any other.

Where to Start

When a diagnosis lands, or when caregiving starts to outpace what you can manage alone, two contacts open most doors in Virginia.2,4

Virginia's Dementia Support Infrastructure

Virginia's Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) and the state's Area Agencies on Aging provide caregiver counseling, support groups, training, and respite. DARS runs Dementia Services and the Dementia-Capable Virginia program with resources for navigating each stage, and can be reached at 804-662-7000; for immediate help, you can also call your local Area Agency on Aging or the Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900. The Alzheimer's Association serves Virginia through regional chapters with support groups, education, and care consultations.2

Who Pays for Dementia Care in Virginia

Virginia's Medicaid (CCC Plus)

For Virginians who qualify, the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus (CCC Plus) waiver, delivered through Cardinal Care managed care, funds community-based dementia care, including personal care, private-duty nursing, assistive technology, environmental modifications, and respite care to give a family caregiver a break. Virginia's Area Agencies on Aging, overseen by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), also operate a respite program for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or a related disorder, and DARS runs the Dementia-Capable Virginia initiative to help families find support.3

To get in, a family requests a Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) screening, a functional assessment using Virginia's Uniform Assessment Instrument (UAI) that determines whether the person needs a nursing-facility level of care. There is also a financial test: in 2026, the CCC Plus waiver uses an income standard of about $2,982 per month for a single applicant and a countable-asset limit of $2,000. Unlike Virginia's developmental-disability waivers, CCC Plus is the integrated managed long-term-care program and does not operate a statewide waiting list, so eligible members are enrolled rather than left in a queue.5

Getting Paid to Care for a Loved One With Dementia

Many Virginia dementia caregivers can be paid for the care they provide, through Medicaid self-direction or, for veterans' families, VA programs. The pathways, who can be hired, and the pay are covered in the Virginia paid family caregiver guide.

VA Benefits (for Veterans)

If the person you care for is a veteran enrolled in VA health care with a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a tax-free monthly stipend to the primary family caregiver, including a spouse. And the Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit, an increased monthly pension for a veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, and feeding, can help a lower-income wartime family offset the cost of dementia care. Call the VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.6,7

Medicare

Medicare covers dementia-related doctor visits, a separate cognitive assessment and care-plan visit (billed under CPT code 99483), and limited short-term skilled home health and hospice, but it does not pay for long-term custodial care or a family caregiver's time. The Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model, a voluntary CMS program that began July 1, 2024, adds dementia care navigation, a 24/7 support line, caregiver training, and respite (reimbursed up to $2,500 per year per patient) where a participating provider is available; ask your neurologist or the Alzheimer's Association helpline whether a GUIDE provider operates near you.8

Respite for Dementia Caregivers

Respite is what makes the long haul survivable. In Virginia, respite comes from Medicaid for eligible members, the National Family Caregiver Support Program through your Area Agency on Aging (free, no income test), and adult day programs. For the full picture, see Respite Care in Virginia.9

A few days a week at a dementia-capable adult day program often does double duty: it gives you reliable hours back, and the structure, activity, and social contact frequently improve sleep, mood, and behavior for the person with dementia.

Safety, Behavior, and Planning

Dementia raises issues other caregiving does not: wandering, driving, sundowning, and the legal and financial planning that needs to happen while your loved one can still participate. The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) can walk you through behavioral strategies and connect you to local resources. Early legal planning, a durable power of attorney, advance directives, and a long-term-care plan, is far easier done sooner than later.2

Learn More

Find personalized help caring for a loved one with dementia in Virginia at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.