By Richmond Senior Advisor Care Team · September 21, 2026
Four localities we cover -- Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent and Prince George -- have no VDSS-licensed assisted living facility. Families there typically combine in-home care, adult day health care and the CCC Plus Waiver for as long as it is safe, then choose a licensed facility in a neighboring county based on who will visit most.
Which Richmond-area counties have no licensed assisted living?
When we searched the Virginia Department of Social Services roster by locality and cross-checked by ZIP code in October 2026, Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent and Prince George counties had no licensed assisted living facility. CMS Care Compare showed no certified nursing home in Powhatan, New Kent or Prince George, and assigned two to Goochland.
| County | Licensed ALFs (VDSS) | Usual direction families look |
|---|---|---|
| Goochland | 0 | East to western Henrico (Short Pump, Glen Allen) |
| Powhatan | 0 | East to Midlothian and western Chesterfield |
| New Kent | 0 | West to eastern Henrico and Mechanicsville |
| Prince George | 0 | To Hopewell, Petersburg and Colonial Heights |
How long can someone stay home in a county without assisted living?
Often longer than families expect, with the right supports. A typical arrangement combines a home care aide for bathing and meals a few days a week, adult day health care on other days, a personal emergency response system, and family covering evenings. For people who are Medicaid-eligible and meet nursing facility level of care, Virginia's CCC Plus Waiver can pay for personal care, respite, adult day health care, PERS and up to $5,000 a year of home modifications.
The limits are night supervision and isolation. When someone cannot be left alone overnight, or when long rural distances mean days without seeing anyone, a licensed setting becomes the safer choice.
How do I choose which neighboring county to search?
Choose by who will visit, not only by the parent's old address. If the most involved family member works in Short Pump, a Henrico facility may be the right answer for a Goochland parent even if Midlothian is equally close. Then compare the licensed options in that area on capacity, license level, memory care designation and inspection history; each county page on this site lists the nearest licensed facilities for exactly this reason.
What changes administratively when a parent moves across the county line?
Medicaid and Auxiliary Grant cases, and any Adult Protective Services involvement, generally follow the person to the social services department of the new locality. The Area Agency on Aging may or may not change: Goochland, Powhatan and New Kent share Senior Connections - The Span Center with Henrico, Chesterfield and Hanover, while Prince George shares the Crater District with the Tri-Cities. Ask the receiving facility to help coordinate so benefits do not lapse.
What does a realistic home plan cost compared with a facility?
CareScout's 2025 survey puts Virginia's statewide median for non-medical home care at $80,080 a year for 44 hours a week, roughly $35 an hour, and adult day health care at $20,995 a year for five days a week. A plan of twenty home care hours plus three adult day visits a week costs far less than either full-time home care or Virginia's assisted living median of about $6,944 a month. No county-level figures are published for Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent or Prince George, so get written quotes from agencies that actually serve your road; some charge more or set longer minimum visits for rural addresses.
Recalculate whenever hours increase. Once a parent needs someone present most of the day and part of the night, the home plan usually overtakes the cost of a licensed facility in a neighboring county.
Are there adult day programs that serve these counties?
Adult day centers are licensed by VDSS and listed on its adult day center search. Rural families often find the nearest center is in a neighboring county, so transportation decides whether attendance is realistic. Ask the center whether it runs vans to your area, and ask the Area Agency on Aging about transportation programs for older adults.
When is it time to stop adding hours at home?
Watch for signs that the home plan has reached its limit: a fall at night with no one there, missed medications despite reminders, wandering, a caregiver whose own health is slipping, or costs that now exceed a facility's monthly rate. Any one of these is a reason to tour licensed facilities in the neighboring county now, so a move can be planned rather than forced by a hospital discharge.
Who helps rural Richmond-area families for free?
Senior Connections - The Span Center (804-343-3000) serves Goochland, Powhatan and New Kent, and the Crater District Area Agency on Aging (804-732-7020) serves Prince George. Each county's Department of Social Services arranges the LTSS screening for Medicaid long-term care and handles Adult Protective Services reports, and Virginia's APS hotline, (888) 832-3858, answers around the clock.
Frequently asked questions
Is there assisted living in Goochland County, VA?
VDSS lists no licensed assisted living facility in Goochland as of October 2026.
Where do New Kent families find assisted living?
Most look west to eastern Henrico and Mechanicsville; some on the east side look toward Williamsburg.
Can Medicaid pay for care at home in a rural county?
Yes, through the CCC Plus Waiver for eligible people who meet nursing facility level of care.
Does moving to another county change benefits?
Cases generally transfer to the new locality's social services department; coordinate before the move.
