Caregiver Resources in Virginia: Hotlines, Programs, and Where to Start

Family caregiving comes with more moving parts than any one person should have to track alone. Here's a real, organized starting point — not a generic list, the actual programs and phone numbers Virginia caregivers use.

If it's urgent right now

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988, available 24/7, for the caregiver or the person you're caring for.
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) Mobile Crisis Unit — 703-573-5679, available 24/7. Accepts Medicaid and Medicare; no one is refused for inability to pay.
Inova Psychiatric Assessment Center (IPAC) — walk-in behavioral health urgent care, no appointment needed. 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Dr., Fairfax, VA 22031. 571-623-3500. Monday–Friday, 8am–4:30pm.
Virginia statewide Adult Protective Services hotline — 1-888-832-3858, for suspected elder abuse or neglect.
911 for a medical emergency, or if a person with dementia has wandered and cannot be found within minutes.

Dementia-specific support

Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline — 1-800-272-3900. Care consultation, support groups, education, and crisis support, around the clock.
Alzheimer's Association MedicAlert + Safe Return — 1-800-625-3780. A medical ID bracelet with a 24/7 emergency response number, for wandering safety.
Area Agency on Aging, Northern Virginia — 703-324-5405. Respite, adult day programs, caregiver support groups, transportation.
National Family Caregiver Support Program — free respite grants through Virginia's 25 Area Agencies on Aging. No income test for respite services.
Virginia Caregiver Services Program (through DARS) — in-home respite specifically for caregivers of people with Alzheimer's and related dementias, funded through Medicaid.
Insight Memory Care Center — 703-204-4664. The only dementia-specific adult day center in the DC metro area, with programs for all stages including late-stage. Locations in Fairfax, Sterling, and Alexandria.
Fairfax County Dementia Resources (Family Services) — 703-324-7948.
VirginiaNavigator — free online directory of local dementia services, searchable by zip code, at virginianavigator.org.
Fairfax County Police Voluntary Vulnerable Adult Registry — 703-691-2131. Registers a person with dementia so officers have a photo, description, and contact information if they go missing.

Medicaid, Medicare, and financial help

Cover Virginia — 855-242-8282, or apply online at commonhelp.virginia.gov, to apply for Virginia Medicaid.
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) administers Virginia Medicaid.
CCC+ Waiver — home-and-community-based Medicaid waiver covering personal care, respite, adult day health, home modifications, and skilled nursing at home. No waitlist if you meet nursing-facility level of care and financial eligibility; application takes up to 45 days.
Auxiliary Grants — Virginia's state supplement helping close the assisted-living room-and-board gap for low-income adults, since Medicaid generally doesn't cover that cost directly.
Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program — free Medicare counseling, through AARP Virginia at 1-888-687-2277.
Long-Term Care Ombudsman (Virginia) — 1-800-552-3402. Advocates for residents of nursing homes.
Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) — 1-800-552-5019. Administers programs for older Virginians statewide.

Hospice and palliative care — Northern Virginia

Capital Caring Health — 800-869-2136, available 24/7 including holidays. The primary nonprofit hospice provider serving Northern Virginia; no referral needed, no ability to pay required (a Patient Care Fund covers those without resources). Also provides palliative care for patients not yet on hospice, and bereavement counseling for at least 13 months after a death.
The Adler Center for Caring — Capital Caring Health's 21-bed inpatient hospice facility, for patients whose pain or symptoms can't be managed at home.

In-home care, equipment, and transportation

DispatchHealth — in-home urgent care visits in Northern Virginia (coverage is zip-code dependent), partnered with Inova Health System.
Johns Hopkins Care at Home — 410-288-8150. Durable medical equipment and home medical equipment in the Northern Virginia area, including incontinence supplies covered under Medicaid standing order.
PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) — combines Medicare and Medicaid for people who need nursing-home-level care but want to stay in the community. Eligibility requires being 55+, living in the service area, and needing nursing-home level of care. In Northern Virginia: Insight PACE, 703-539-9000.

Mental health support for caregivers

Fairfax-Falls Church CSB Entry and Referral (non-emergency) — 703-383-8500, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm.
NAMI Northern Virginia — 571-458-7310. Peer support and family support groups.
Inova EmPATH unit at Inova Fairfax Hospital — mental health emergency room for adults in acute crisis, walk in through the Inova Fairfax ER, available 24/7.
Virginia Medicaid covers outpatient mental health services, including individual therapy and psychiatric evaluation, with no copay.

Veterans and general advocacy

Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit — 1-800-827-1000. Financial assistance for veterans needing help with daily activities.
AARP Virginia — 1-888-687-2277. Advocacy and resources for older adults.

If you're not sure which of these applies to your specific situation, that's exactly the kind of question worth asking directly rather than guessing from a list.