Nobody chooses disability. But most people with disabilities choose exactly the same thing — to live their own life, in their own home, on their own terms.
The challenge is not the desire. It is finding the right support to make it possible.
At A Place at Home — Reston, we provide in-home care for adults with disabilities throughout Fairfax County and Northern Virginia. We see families navigate this process every day. We know which programs exist, which ones have waiting lists, and where the gaps are between what public programs provide and what a person actually needs to live safely and independently at home.
This guide pulls everything together — the local programs available in Fairfax County, the Virginia state programs that apply here, the nonprofit organizations working on the ground in Northern Virginia, and where our caregivers fit into a complete independent living plan.
What Does Independent Living Support Actually Include?
Independent living support is not a single service. It is a combination of supports built around what a specific person needs to live where they choose.
Depending on the individual, it includes:
Personal care — bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and hygiene support at the level the person needs
Medication management — reminders, organization, and monitoring for consistency and safety
Meal preparation — planning and preparing nutritious meals that meet dietary and health needs
Mobility and transfer support — safe assistance with movement inside the home and in the community
Transportation — to medical appointments, employment, therapy, and community activities
Household tasks — cleaning, laundry, errands, and home management
Skill development — building daily living skills that increase independence over time
Companion care — reducing isolation and supporting meaningful participation in community life
Where Independent Living Support Comes From in Fairfax County
Support comes from four sources — each with different eligibility criteria, different services, and a different role in a complete plan. Most families end up using more than one.
1. ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia — ECNV
ECNV is the most important free independent living resource in the region — and the one most families have never heard of.
The ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia is a community resource and advocacy center run by and for persons with disabilities. Founded in 1982, ECNV is one of 17 Centers for Independent Living in Virginia — serving Arlington, Fairfax, and Loudoun Counties and the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church.
ECNV is peer-led by people with disabilities — including staff, volunteers, and the Board of Directors — who have unique perspectives and understandings of living in the world with a disability.
2. Fairfax County Government Programs
Fairfax County Department of Family Services
The Fairfax County Aging, Disability, and Caregiver Resources intake line connects adults with disabilities to services including assessments for case management and in-home care
Fairfax County’s Disability Rights and Resources provides training, education, and outreach to county residents on their rights under the ADA, the Federal Fair Housing Act, and other disability-related laws. It also supports the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board and AccessAbility Fairfax — a free annual event for individuals with disabilities and their families. Website: fairfaxcounty.gov/familyservices/disabilities
Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board
The CSB is the entry point for developmental disability services in Fairfax County.
Virginia Community Services Boards determine eligibility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to receive Support Coordination. Support Coordinators assess, plan, develop, link, monitor, and coordinate services and supports that empower individuals. The CSB serves as the point of entry for residents of Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church who have developmental disabilities and wish to receive services
3. Virginia State Programs
Virginia CCC Plus Waiver
The Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus Waiver is Virginia’s primary Medicaid program for home and community-based care. For qualifying individuals it covers personal care, respite care, adult day health, and other supports that allow a person to stay home rather than enter a nursing facility.
Eligibility requires meeting Medicaid financial criteria and a clinical level of care determination. To begin in Fairfax County — call (703) 324-7948 or visit NoWrongDoor.Virginia.gov.
We work with many families who are waiting for CCC Plus approval. While the eligibility process moves forward — A Place at Home caregivers can begin providing daily support immediately, so your loved one is never without care during the wait.
4. Nonprofit Organizations
The Arc of Northern Virginia
The Arc of Northern Virginia serves people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities — providing advocacy, DD waiver support coordination, information and referral, public guardianship, Special Needs Trust support, and Tech for Independent Living — an award-winning program that develops customizable lesson plans and an app to promote independence in the community
One family shared: “Every time I run out of options for solving a need for my adult intellectually-disabled son, The Arc of Northern Virginia has provided a pathway for help. Without this organization, our lives would be much more difficult. Website: thearcofnova.org
Where A Place at Home – Reston Fits Into This Picture
Public programs and nonprofit resources are the foundation. But they have real limitations — eligibility requirements, waiting lists, limited hours, and services that stop at a certain point.
That is where A Place at Home comes in.
We provide the daily in-home support that fills the gaps — immediately, consistently, and without the constraints of government programs.
We start the day you call
There are no eligibility applications or waiting lists with A Place at Home. When your family is ready for care — we are ready to begin. For families waiting months for Medicaid waiver approval, our caregivers provide daily support from day one.
The same caregiver. Every visit.
We match caregivers to each individual based on their specific disability, their communication style, their daily routine, and their personality. The same caregiver shows up every day. For adults with disabilities this consistency is not a comfort — it is a functional necessity. A caregiver who understands how the person needs to be supported provides fundamentally better care than a rotating pool of strangers following a care plan.
We support the whole person — not just the tasks
Our caregivers do not just assist with bathing and meals. They accompany clients to work, appointments, and community activities. They provide genuine companionship that reduces isolation. They support the independence the person is working toward — not the dependence that low-quality care creates.
Payment
A Place at Home — Reston accepts private pay and most long-term care insurance policies. We do not accept Medicare or Medicaid. This means our care schedules and caregiver assignments are determined entirely by the individual’s needs — not government reimbursement rates.
Is Your Loved One Ready for Independent Living Support?
Our care coordinator will meet with your family at no charge — assessing your loved one’s specific needs and building an in-home care plan that supports the independent life they want to live.
