This was a busy week at the General Assembly for VPLC advocates. We often must try and follow bills being heard in two or even three committees that meet at the same time! Please encourage your legislators to do the right thing and publicly praise them when they do. Below, an update on some of our issues […]

The 2022 General Assembly is off and running, with 1,938 House and Senate bills filed — and more expected to come. Our advocates are dealing with a lot of change this year: a new Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, members in the House of Delegates, and committee chairs. But among the change, one thing remains […]

When the General Assembly convened for a special 2021 session, we urged lawmakers to prioritize Virginians hit hardest by the pandemic with a budget focused on equity. Not all of our priorities were funded, but we will continue to push for these in the state’s next budget. Below, here’s how our recommended budget priorities fared […]

The Virginia General Assembly will convene in Richmond on Monday, August 2 for a special legislative session to allocate more than $4.3 billion in federal relief funding and fill judicial vacancies. The remaining $4.3 billion comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, which has provided essential relief to millions of American workers – many of […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 1, 2021 The suite of new laws will protect tenants, help families with food assistance, expand health coverage, protect consumers, and more. Richmond, VA – Effective today, several new laws in the Commonwealth will benefit hundreds of thousands of low-income Virginians. The new laws include better protections for tenants, expansion of […]

Given a choice, most of us would choose to ‘age in place’ as we get older, remaining in our own homes and communities for as long as possible and potentially avoiding living out later years in a nursing home. The COVID-19 pandemic has only underscored this. Over the past 15 months, the virus ravaged nursing […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 19, 2021 Statement from the Virginia Poverty Law Center The Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) stands in solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in light of the tragic shooting that occurred in Atlanta, GA, Tuesday night. We mourn the loss of these victims and send condolences to their loved ones. We are outraged over the rise […]

Today, hundreds of new laws that passed during this year’s General Assembly go into effect, from new landlord-tenant laws to foster care reform. Here are a few to note. Other New Laws Related to VPLC Focus Areas Medicaid and Mental Health: An adopted budget increases reimbursements for Medicaid primary care physicians and licensed mental health […]

As we age, we become more vulnerable to scammers. According to a report by NPR, as few as one in 44 cases of financial scams are ever reported, and older people lose anywhere from $2.9 billion to $36 billion each year from financial exploitation. It’s a scary prospect, knowing that many adults with no cognitive […]

Patricia* moved to Virginia to live with her daughter and son-in-law. Not long after moving in, their relationship began to sour, and Patricia began suffering both physical and mental abuse. She was eventually told she had less than a week to move out with no alternative support network in place. Unfamiliar with resources in Virginia, […]

With another General Assembly session behind us and the dust settled after this month’s veto session, here is a review of what occurred during the 2019 legislative session. This year brought several wins—foster care reform, fairer laws for tenants in the wake of a report detailing Virginia’s high eviction rates, and the end of driver’s […]

Oppose Budget Amendment Item 334 #1s Item 334 #1s removes $100,000 from the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) Adult Protective Services budget. Without this funding, Adult Protective Services (APS) will not be able to increase staffing in its statewide office. The statewide office provides direct support to local department of social services’ APS […]

With our population aging and living longer, long-term care is growing increasingly more expensive—and the prices are staggering. A private room in a nursing home now costs consumers more than $8,000 per month, or $97,455 per year, according to The Genworth Cost of Care Survey.  A semi-private room is less expensive but still carries a […]

Tuesday, February 5, 2019, was “Crossover Day” in the General Assembly—the last day for bills to be heard in the Senate or House of Delegates before crossing over to the other chamber for review. Check out our 2019 Crossover Report to learn more about the bills we support, oppose, and monitor. Take Action! We need your help […]

Apparently, the federal government is going to do even less than they already do when it comes to making sure nursing homes follow the laws and regulations that protect patients.  So, who do you call? Virginia’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program might be able to help.  Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTC) advocate for older persons receiving long-term […]

The Virginia Poverty Law Center is pleased to announce our new Statewide Senior Legal Helpline.  The helpline is made possible through a partnership with the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services.  Funding was made possible through the Legal Assistance Systems grant from the Administration on Community Living. The toll-free number (844-802-5910) is now available for […]

  VPLC’s own Kathy Pryorreceived the disAbility Law Center’s highest award at their Liberty and Justice for ALL Annual Gala. Kathy received the Darrel Tiller Mason Excellence in Advocacy Award tonight for her advocacy on behalf of the elderly and disablede’re proud to work with such an amazing attorney advocate and leader. Read Kathy’s gracious […]

 PROTECT VIRGINIA’S ADULTS FROM FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION  SUPPORT HB 1945 (Peace)   The Problem: In the fiscal year 2015 alone, Virginia’s Adult Protective Services (APS) substantiated 1,016 claims of financial exploitation and estimates a potential collective loss of over $28 million. This calculation refers to substantiated claims, but research indicates adult financial exploitation is a significantly […]

Stop Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Virginians Financial exploitation is the illegal or improper use of someone else’s money or belongings for the user’s own personal benefit.[1]  In fiscal year 2014, Virginia’s Adult Protective Services received 1,079 substantiated complaints of financial exploitation.  Too often, exploitation occurs at the hands of a trusted family member, caregiver, agent […]

Richmond Nursing Home might close, but what happens to the patients? What can you do about substandard care in a nursing home? The Richmond Times Dispatch reported recently that the Envoy of Stratford Hills, a 196-bed nursing home in South Richmond, may be closing because it was terminated from the Medicare program , raising questions […]