Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Serving the City of Alexandria and the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William through their Area Agencies on Aging. Many nursing and assisted living facilities offer subacute, respite, and other short-term needs. A person in a nursing or assisted living facility must be under the care of a physician. If the person's personal physician will not continue to provide care in the facility, a new physician must be chosen.
Facilities generally maintain a list of physicians who have patients in their facilities.
State inspectors visit nursing and assisted living facilities at least once a year to determine their compliance with state standards and their qualifications to receive Medicare and Medicaid programs. This is something you will want to ask when choosing a facility because Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and personal assets are used under various circumstances to pay for long-term care. Be prepared to try to make the transition into a nursing or assisted living facility as easy as possible. You can make your family member or friend more comfortable by accompanying him or her on moving day and by bringing familiar items to make the room more personal and home-like. While in a long-term care facility, most problems can be worked out with the administration.