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Assisted Living in District Of Columbia

Overview of assisted living in Washington, D.C.

Assisted living in Washington, D.C. combines housing, health, and supportive services to support aging in place for residents. The average price of assisted living in the district is about $8,200 per month or $98,400 annually, according to A Place for Mom’s internal data. Assisted living in the district is more expensive than independent living, but more affordable than memory care.

Cost of assisted living in Washington, D.C.

The approximate monthly cost of assisted living in Washington, D.C. ranges between $5,200 and $11,500 per month, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data. This monthly range is based on what families actually paid at assisted living communities in our Washington, D.C. partner network. These prices include room and board costs, along with the cost of care and amenities. As one of the wealthiest areas in the nation, the district tends to have more expensive assisted living options when compared to the national average, which sits at around $5,100.

Our provided cost range typically covers carefully crafted care plans, spectacular meal services, robust wellness programs, and lavish amenities, such as swimming pools, movie theaters, and much more. Several factors like location, floor plan, and add-on services (like pet fees, salon services, etc.) also affect cost. The price may seem a bit daunting at first, but there are several payment options — like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security benefits — that can help reduce costs.

Compare costs of District Of Columbia vs. the national average

Average monthly costs

District Of Columbia

$7,022/mo

US National average

$4,553/mo

Compare costs of assisted living vs. nearby states

Average monthly costs

District Of Columbia

$7,022/mo

Maryland

$5,243/mo

Delaware

$5,740/mo

Virginia

$5,248/mo

Pennsylvania

$4,281/mo

Compare costs of assisted living in District Of Columbia vs. nearby cities

Average monthly costs

District Of Columbia

$7,022/mo

Crestwood, DC

$5,865/mo

Compare costs of assisted living vs. other senior care types in District Of Columbia

Average monthly costs

Paying for assisted living in Washington, D.C.

Seniors and their families have several payment options to help cover assisted living expenses in Washington, D.C. When families start to consider payment options, they typically start with private pay sources like savings accounts and retirement pensions. However, seniors may also qualify for public assistance programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

Most families use a mixture of private and public payment methods to help cover assisted living costs. For a summary of potential payment options, you can take a look at our guide to paying for long-term care.

Private pay options include any personal income sources like savings accounts, retirement pensions, investment returns, and insurance policies, as well as any of the following:

Selling a house

Your senior loved one can use funds from the sale of their home to pay for assisted living in Washington, D.C.

Reverse mortgage

If selling a home isn’t an option, a reverse mortgage can help free up some cash to pay for assisted living in Washington, D.C.

Health savings accounts

If your loved one has funded a health savings account (HSA) over the years, they can use it to cover some health care costs in Washington, D.C.

Life insurance

If your loved one has an insurance policy, they may borrow or surrender it for cash value to help offset assisted living costs in Washington, D.C.

Long-term care insurance

A long-term care insurance policy may help cover some personal care costs associated with assisted living in Washington, D.C.

Social security benefits for assisted living

If your loved one qualifies for Social Security, they can use those funds to cover assisted living expenses in Washington, D.C.

Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in District of Columbia

17
17 Photos available
3
3 Floor plans available

Sunrise of Connecticut Ave

5111 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20008

Reviewer Ranking

4.6/ 5.0

(17)
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Karen - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My loved one was previously a resident at Sunrise of Connecticut Ave and the overall experience was great. My limited experience with the staff was great. Communication with the family was good. I would...

Get Pricing
25
25 Photos available
5
5 Floor plans available

The Residences at Thomas Circle

1330 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005

Reviewer Ranking

4.2/ 5.0

(20)
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Darren - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

The entire staff was extremely professional, kind and hospitable. This applies to everyone from the receptionist, admissions team, housekeepers and care providers. They were very patient with me and my...

Get Pricing
17
17 Photos available

Chevy Chase House

5420 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015

Reviewer Ranking

3.8/ 5.0

(19)
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My mom loves the food and the activities. It is so nice that she can get physical therapy and occupational therapy in her apartment. Based on the experience we have had so far, we would recommend this...

Get Pricing

Top-rated Assisted Living facilities in Washington

See top facilities
17
17 Photos available
3
3 Floor plans available

Sunrise of Connecticut Ave

5111 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20008

Reviewer Ranking

4.6/ 5.0

(17)
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Karen - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My loved one was previously a resident at Sunrise of Connecticut Ave and the overall experience was great. My limited experience with the staff was great. Communication with the family was good. I would...

Get Pricing
25
25 Photos available
5
5 Floor plans available

The Residences at Thomas Circle

1330 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20005

Reviewer Ranking

4.2/ 5.0

(20)
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Darren - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

The entire staff was extremely professional, kind and hospitable. This applies to everyone from the receptionist, admissions team, housekeepers and care providers. They were very patient with me and my...

Get Pricing
1
1 Photos available

Maple Heights Senior Living

5100 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20011

Reviewer Ranking

5.0/ 5.0

(1)
BML - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

We chose this community because they were a newer facility, the location, as well as during the on site visit, the staff members were accommodating. The room sizes are nice and adequate, they have different...

Get Pricing

Assisted living requirements and regulations in Washington, D.C.

In Washington D.C., assisted living facilities are commonly referred to as assisted living residences (or ALRs). These ALRs must be licensed by DC Health and they must follow certain assisted living residence regulations and laws. Each facility faces an inspection at the time of licensure and six months after licensure. Thereafter, inspections are typically conducted on an annual basis when licenses are renewed.

Assisted living residence inspections survey for compliance in the following:

  • Capacity
  • Staffing standards
  • Individualized care plan development
  • Medication storage and administration practices
  • Health and safety standards
  • Environmental standards

If an assisted living facility has any violations, they’ll be provided with a written notice. If deficiencies are not corrected within 30 days or the allotted timeframe, facilities are subject to losing their license.

You can find the most recent assisted living survey reports on the DC Health website.

Licensing for assisted living in Washington, D.C.

We developed a system to rate each state on how easy — or difficult — it is to find important assisted living records and reports, and compiled tips to help you in your search.

States with the most transparent records allow you to look up important information about each assisted living facility online, including inspections, complaints, survey results, violations, capacity, and whether the facility accepts Medicaid.

Access to Washington, D.C. assisted living records: Moderate

Public access to assisted living records and reports for Washington, D.C. is moderate. Key findings that informed this rating include:

  • A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request must be submitted in order to find out the backgrounds of some providers. Other survey reports may be found online.
  • Washington, D.C. doesn’t have a searchable database of licensed assisted living communities, but they have a PDF that gives information on licensed assisted living communities.

How to look up Washington, D.C. assisted living licenses and records

  • Visit the DC Health Assisted Living Residences page to access a PDF listing of licensed assisted living facilities in Washington, D.C.
  • Visit the DC Health Assisted Living Survey Reports page to find survey reports for assisted living facilities. If you cannot find reports for a specific community, contact the D.C. Department of Health directly to find out about the backgrounds of providers.
  • If you need to make a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to get records, consider browsing these state-by-state resources from the National Freedom of Information Coalition, which included sample state-specific FOIA letters.

How we arrived at our Washington, D.C. rating

We developed a standard methodology for state data collection and evaluation, and based our rating primarily on the objective, state-specific accessibility criteria outlined in these questions:

  1. Are licensed assisted living communities listed online in any form? Yes
  2. If Yes to #1, is the information updated frequently? No
  3. If Yes to #1, is the list of licensed communities searchable? No
  4. Does the state post inspections, complaints, survey results, or violations online? Yes
  5. If Yes to #4, is the information updated frequently? [within 90 days] Yes
  6. If Yes to #2 and #4, is the enforcement information included in the same place as licensed communities? No
  7. If Yes to #4 and No to #6, are violations/inspections searchable at all? Yes or N/A
  8. Is information about special licensing for care shown? No or N/A
  9. Capacity shown? Yes
  10. Payment types shown, [e.g. Medicaid, private pay]? No
  11. Administrator / Contact name shown? Yes
  12. State may fine facility? Yes
  13. Frequency of inspections? Every 12 months
  14. Website includes pricing of facility? No

References

  1. A Place for Mom. (2022-2023). A Place for Mom proprietary data.

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.