RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new report from Virginia’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) found that assisted living and in-home care for the state's most vulnerable residents need drastic improvements. During a meeting with Virginia lawmakers on Monday, JLARC presented data sho wing that most older Virginians’ income is not sufficient to afford assisted living or more than a few weekly hours of in-home care. Adults ages 65 or older make up 17% of the state's population. The study found that those 85 or older are roughly three to five times more likely to need service support. JLARC staff director Hal Greer called out the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) oversight and its role in regulating home care organizations. “The state's regulation of in-home care by the Department of Health is abysmally weak and needs to be much stronger,” Greer said. Data revealed assisted living takes up more than 90% of income for most older adults and showed similar numbers for in-home care. In 2025, the average monthly cost of assisted living was nearly $7,000, up 32% since 2021. Chief Legislative Analyst Joe McMahon called oversight procedures weak and a lack of staffing one of the issues. “The licensure process allows ill-prepared businesses to operate while required inspections are years overdue for most home care organizations and inspections that do occur when client interviews,” said McMahon. JLARC says 90% of home care organizations haven’t been inspected in two years. Several others haven't been inspected in more than 10 years. McMahon said tackling affordability issues can begin with additional funding for local areas and more in-home care services. He also suggested contacting clients, shadowing providers and seeing the actual quality of that care firsthand. McMahon said VDH is already working on some operational efficiencies that can be fixed within months, while long-term fixes would require backing from Virginia lawmakers during the next General Assembly cycle. ...read more read less