Reading VDSS Inspection Reports for Hampton Roads Facilities

Last verified: October 2026. Figures and rules are re-checked against primary sources.

Where do I look up a Virginia assisted living facility's inspection record?

Use the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) public facility search at legacy.dss.virginia.gov/facility/search/alf.cgi. Search by facility name or locality, open the facility's page, and you will see its license information and posted inspection findings, including violation notices. It is free and needs no account.

The facility is also required to post a copy of its most recent inspection findings inside the building. If a community in Newport News or Virginia Beach says the report is not available, point to that rule. Adult day care centers are licensed by VDSS under 22VAC40-61 and appear in the same search.

What do the inspection dates on a VDSS report tell you?

Dates show how often the state visited and how recent the information is. A report from three years ago says little about today's staff. Look for the date of the latest inspection, then scan earlier visits to see whether the same problems appear again and again.

A pattern matters more than a single entry. One medication-record finding that was fixed is ordinary. The same finding in four consecutive inspections is a management problem. Also notice gaps and whether a visit was routine or followed a complaint. Write down the dates on a sheet beside each facility you are comparing, along with the license term. Two communities a few miles apart in Chesapeake can have very different records, and a polished lobby will not show you that.

How can you tell which inspection findings came from complaints?

Look at each entry for a note on why the visit happened, because reports tied to a complaint investigation are worth reading first. If the search page does not make the reason clear, ask the licensing office. A complaint-related visit with findings means someone raised a concern and the state confirmed at least part of it.

Complaint visits that find nothing are not a mark against a facility, and the record should tell you the outcome either way. If you are unsure how to interpret an entry, call the licensing office using the numbers on our complaints page.

What do 22VAC40-73 violation citations mean?

Each violation cites a section of 22VAC40-73, the Standards for Licensed Assisted Living Facilities. The number tells you which rule was broken, such as admission under 22VAC40-73-310 or the special care unit rules in the 22VAC40-73-1100 series. Look up any number you see on the Virginia Administrative Code website.

Group violations by topic rather than counting them. Several citations about medications, staffing or resident assessments say more than many minor paperwork items. A citation tied to the admission rule may mean a resident was kept who should have moved, which connects to our admission limits guide. Citations from the memory care rules are covered in safe, secure unit rules.

What is a plan of correction and how do you check it?

A plan of correction is the facility's written response to a violation notice, stating how and by when it will fix the problem. Where the plan is posted, it sits next to the finding; where it is not, ask the facility for a copy. Read both together, because a vague plan with no date is a weak sign.

Then look at the next inspection. Did the same standard come up again? Repeat findings suggest the fix did not hold. When you tour, ask the administrator to walk you through the latest plan of correction and what changed. Good administrators answer this readily and with specifics.

What should I do with what I find in a VDSS report?

Use the report to shape your questions, not to make the decision. Pick the two or three most serious findings and ask the administrator about each: what happened, what changed, and who is responsible now. Specific answers are good. Defensive or vague ones tell you something about how the community handles problems.

If a finding involves a danger to residents, such as a medication error or a missed fall precaution, weigh it more heavily than paperwork gaps. Take the report with you on the tour, and compare what you see on the floor against it. You may also want to talk to a resident's family member in the lobby. Concerns about a current resident belong with the ombudsman or the licensing complaint line.

How do I check a nursing home instead of an assisted living facility?

Use Medicare's Care Compare at medicare.gov/care-compare, which shows federal Five-Star ratings and inspection results for nursing homes. Assisted living is not rated by Care Compare, which is why the VDSS record is your main tool there. Nursing homes are licensed by the Virginia Department of Health instead.

Our nursing home oversight page explains how to use the ratings. For a view that covers both, browse the directory and look up each community yourself before relying on any listing, including ours. We are paid when a referred family moves in, so do the check yourself.