What is a group home for adults with disabilities called?
A plain-language answer for families and support coordinators in Virginia, with the official sources it is based on.
The short answer
A group home for adults with disabilities goes by several names: adult group home, residential home, supportive living home or community residential setting. In Virginia’s Medicaid waiver rules, the support provided there is called group home residential service, delivered in a residence licensed by DBHDS or in an adult foster care home approved by the local department of social services.
Virginia’s residential service types, side by side
Families comparing options will hear these terms from support coordinators. They describe different living arrangements, not just different names.
- Group home residential: support in a group home or an adult foster care home, provided continuously up to 24 hours a day by paid staff who are physically present. For Medicaid reimbursement, a setting can have no more than six licensed beds, although larger homes that became DD waiver providers before March 31, 2021 may continue.
- Sponsored residential: support in the home of a family or person (the sponsor) who supports no more than two individuals, under the supervision of a DBHDS-licensed provider.
- Supported living residential: support in an apartment or other residential setting operated by a DBHDS-licensed provider.
- Shared living: a roommate lives in the same household and provides a limited, agreed amount of support, and part of the roommate’s share of rent, food and utilities is reimbursed.
- In-home supports: support that takes place mainly in the person’s own home or family home, alongside the care family or other unpaid caregivers already provide.
What this means at At Home Family Services
At Home Family Services describes its home as supportive living: a group home in North Chesterfield, Virginia, for adults 18 and older with developmental disabilities, with staff support around the clock. The focus is daily life, meaning routines, meals, life skills and community outings, not skilled nursing or clinical care.
Sources
- 12VAC30-122-20, Definitions (DD Waivers)
- 12VAC30-122-390, Group home residential service (Virginia Administrative Code)
Sources reviewed November 2, 2026. Rules and programs change, so confirm current details with your Community Services Board or support coordinator. This page is general information, not legal or benefits advice.