Assisted Living in Vermont: A Family Guide

Facts checked September 28, 2026 against official Vermont sources

What assisted living is called in Vermont, what it costs, how Medicaid can help, how to check a community’s license and inspections, and who to call if something goes wrong. Every fact links to the official source.

Licensed by

Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living (DAIL), Division of Licensing and Protection, Survey and Certification¹

Licensed communities on Lilisity

103 assisted living, 25 with memory care

Medicaid help

Yes: Choices for Care: Enhanced Residential Care (ERC)²

Typical cost

$8,597 a month (state median, CareScout 2025)

Long-term care ombudsman

800-889-2047³

File a complaint

1-888-700-5330⁴

What assisted living is called in Vermont

• Assisted Living ResidenceHousing with health and support services meant to help people stay independent and age in place. Each resident gets a private bedroom and bath, living space, a kitchen area, and a door that locks.⁵
• Residential Care Home, Level IIIA licensed home that gives room, meals, personal care, supervision, medication management, and nursing overview.⁵
• Residential Care Home, Level IVA licensed home that gives room, meals, personal care, supervision, and medication management, without the nursing overview of Level III.⁵

Memory care rules

A residential care home or assisted living residence must get state approval before running a special care unit, such as a memory care unit, and cannot advertise one without that license. Staff in dementia units need at least 8 hours of dementia training before working alone with residents, plus 2 hours every year.⁵

Questions to ask memory care about nights.

What assisted living costs in Vermont

The median cost of assisted living in Vermont is $8,597 a month, above the national median of $6,200 (CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025, collected July to November 2025). Prices vary with the apartment, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet, including care-level fees.

If more care is needed later: nursing home costs in Vermont, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates Vermont nursing homes publish.

Plan with our free tools: how long will the money last? and home care or assisted living?

Paying for assisted living in Vermont

Medicare does not pay for assisted living. Families pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or benefits such as VA Aid and Attendance (estimate it). Who actually pays for long-term care.

Medicaid. Yes, for people who meet Vermont's clinical and financial criteria. Choices for Care, Vermont's long-term Medicaid program, covers Enhanced Residential Care in approved licensed Level III residential care homes and assisted living residences. Program: Choices for Care: Enhanced Residential Care (ERC).² Medicaid does not pay rent or meals in assisted living in any state, and not every community accepts it, so ask each one.

How to check a community in Vermont

Look up a license. Find licensed facilities by county or by type of services, using lists posted by the Division of Licensing and Protection. The county lists also let you see survey results for a specific facility. Search Vermont’s records.¹

Inspection reports. Survey statements (inspection results) for assisted living residences and residential care homes are posted online. Look them up by facility type or by county.⁶

Lilisity shows Vermont’s inspection record on each community’s page where the state publishes one: the state’s own records, dated and linked to the official source.

Always visit in person, at a mealtime or in the evening if you can. Bring the tour scorecard and the 8 tour questions.

If something goes wrong

Complaints about care or conditions. DAIL Survey and Certification takes complaints about facility care and rule violations. Email is the preferred method (AHS.DAILSCIntake@vermont.gov); you can also fax, call, or mail. Anonymous complaints are accepted. Call 1-888-700-5330 or file online.⁴

Abuse, neglect or exploitation. Call (800) 564-1612. How to report.⁷ If someone is in danger, call 911.

The long-term care ombudsman is a free advocate for residents of assisted living and nursing homes: they help resolve problems with a community, including move-out notices. Call 800-889-2047 or find your local ombudsman.³

Find assisted living in Vermont

Assisted living by city

Every community and county in Vermont

Sources

1. Licensing agency, license lookup (dlp.vermont.gov)
2. Medicaid (asd.vermont.gov)
3. Ombudsman (asd.vermont.gov)
4. Complaints (dlp.vermont.gov)
5. License types, memory care rules (dail.vermont.gov)
6. Inspection reports (dlp.vermont.gov)
7. Reporting abuse (dlp.vermont.gov)
8. CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (state medians)

Facts checked against these official sources on September 28, 2026. Rules and programs change; confirm with the agency before making a decision. General information, not legal or financial advice.