Anonymous wrote:In a wheelchair. No independent movement. Can feed self if food put in front of him. Needs a lift for all traditions. Needs a modified bathroom. Large enough for wheel chair.

Will they need things like a modified kitchen, or modified laundry, or do they not participate in those things regardless of modifications?

What is the plan for day programming? Are they going to use vocational services, or a day program? Do they need something like Metro Access? Or are they mostly at home?

For the sake of elevators and low-maintenance I'd choose a 2 bedroom condo over a house.

Merrifield is a good suggestion. On the MD side Rockville Town Center has condos, is Metro accessible, and is only a 10 minute drive from all the medical offices surrounding Shady Grove hospital. Plus it has the public library, summertime concerts, restaurants, etc.

I'd need more information. Who is taking care of this person and what is the long term plan? What is their income? Do they have a caretaker? I'd look at parts of VA and MD like PP said that have larger ramblers that you can make wheel chair accessible. Anything closer in like Bethesda, Takoma Park, and Kensington are going to have small houses for that price. Silver Spring, Olney, Maybe parts of Gaithersburg/Germantown are your best bet.

There are different kinds of Waivers in MD so look into them all. If this is an adult, its different from a child. If you can find a nursing home, you can get the medicaid waiver but its hard as you have to have the person in a bed first, then get the waiver (but it doesn't sound like this is the plan and care at home is the plan). If you put them in a nursing home for 30 days, there is another program that helps partially with in home and other care.

Anonymous wrote:Merrifield condo near metro and near inova fairfax.

You also might be able to find a small older one floor rambler nearby. I think this location is excellent. I would also look near Virginia Hospital center (old Arlington Hospital) and Balston area- but I think your money would go further in and around Merrifield.

Since schools often push up cost, look for a SFH in a elementary school district that is Title I and a feeder to Falls Church High School (in Fairfax County Public Schools- not Falls Church. Falls Church City's HS is George Mason - it can be confusing)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd look in Takoma Park. The housing stock isn't perfect for your needs, but there are other families who chose Takoma Park because the ethos of inclusion means that developmentally and physically disabled folks are fully considered when planning community events, municipal services, etc.

What in the world does this mean?

Hippie liberal communities like Takoma Park tend to go above and beyond basic ADA compliance, which means municipal buildings or community concerts or whatever include the concerns of marginalized communities like the disabled more than the legal minimum requires.

Anonymous wrote:I'd look in Takoma Park. The housing stock isn't perfect for your needs, but there are other families who chose Takoma Park because the ethos of inclusion means that developmentally and physically disabled folks are fully considered when planning community events, municipal services, etc.

What in the world does this mean?

Who else will be living with the disabled person? What is the reason for preferring a SFH - is that for the other residents? If my parents became disabled, I'd be moving them into an apartment in Friendship Heights (we are nearby in Bethesda), in a building with elevators, maintenance, package delivery, etc. Many of those buildings have a ton of older residents ("naturally occurring retirement communities") with home care aides, nurses, meal services visiting them, so it would be easy to line up the services needed. Most of the buildings are on the MD side of Western, if not being in DC matters.

In a wheelchair. No independent movement. Can feed self if food put in front of him. Needs a lift for all traditions. Needs a modified bathroom. Large enough for wheel chair.

Maybe a rambler in a not-so-great school district? Annandale inside the beltway? Is the person in a wheelchair? My first thought was a place like Fairlington where you'd have a patio for outdoor space but all yard work is taken care of by the association. There are some units that aren't so "vertical".

Merrifield condo near metro and near inova fairfax.

I'd look in Takoma Park. The housing stock isn't perfect for your needs, but there are other families who chose Takoma Park because the ethos of inclusion means that developmentally and physically disabled folks are fully considered when planning community events, municipal services, etc.

I immediately thought of this development in Falls Church. These homes will have no steps throughout the whole area and into the homes. A great place to have close neighbors and easy living- assuming you are aged 55 or older. http://www.fallschurchva.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8429

The Medicaid waiver is the first consideration. My understanding is that there is a waiting list in MD, but not in DC. We have received the waiver in DC within the past year ourselves - for a child though - and had no issues. I don't know about VA.

Do you also need metro access? I would think you want to be either very close to Fairfax or very close to Bethesda depending on the family members who need to swing by frequently and not somewhere in between on the beltway if you can avoid it.

My first thought would be to look at what services are available under the Medicaid waiver, and what rules keep one from getting the Medicaid waiver in each state. I'd also look carefully at the political climate and try and get a sense of whether that's likely to change.

I'd also wonder whether a condo with modifications would make more sense than a SFH.

Have to stay in DC metro area for another decade or so at least. Schools not a consideration. SFH probably best so we can add ramps etc. We have budget to modify the home. But as little yard work as possible would be ideal. So maybe a handicapped accessible apartment? But prefer not to be in DC proper.

Need access to top notch medical care, and lots of available labor to be hired to come in for personal care.

Involved relatives, who need to come in to oversee care, are located in the Bethesda MD and Fairfax VA.

Budget between to $600k.

Thank you for any ideas!