"Free" gets thrown around loosely in senior care, so here's the exact line: talking to a DC Senior Advisor advisor, getting a needs assessment, receiving a shortlist of licensed communities, scheduling tours, and getting move-in support - all of that costs your family $0, every time, no matter how long it takes or whether you ever move forward. What isn't free is the care itself: rent, staffing, meals, and medical support at whatever community your loved one chooses. We don't touch that bill, mark it up, or add a placement fee on top of it.
The reason we can do this: a participating community pays us, not you, and only after a placement actually happens. That's how this industry works across the country, and it's compliant with the referral standards in DC, Maryland, and Virginia alike.
What's actually included at no cost
- A real needs assessment - a conversation (phone, video, or in person) about care level, budget, timeline, and jurisdiction preference, not a form that spits out a list.
- A hand-picked shortlist - typically one to three licensed communities that fit, not a directory dump of everything within 20 miles.
- Tour scheduling and, where useful, an advisor who tours with you - so you're not the only one asking the hard questions.
- Move-in coordination - paperwork guidance, timing help, and a point of contact if something falls through.
- Follow-up after move-in - a check-in call to confirm the placement is actually working out.
What isn't free (and never will be)
The community's monthly rate - rent, staffing, meals, activities, and any add-on care - is set and billed by the community itself. We have no ability to discount it, mark it up, or charge you a placement fee on top of it. See how families typically pay for the real 2026 numbers.
Why "free" doesn't mean "less thorough"
Because we're paid by the community and not by you, it might seem like we'd have less incentive to do this well. In practice the opposite is true: we only get paid if the placement actually sticks, so pushing a family toward a bad fit costs us more than it helps us. See how we get paid for the specifics.
Free doesn't mean unlimited scope, either
To be clear about the edges: we don't provide medical advice, legal document drafting, or ongoing hourly case management once someone has moved in - those stay with physicians, elder law attorneys, and geriatric care managers respectively. What's free is everything involved in finding, comparing, and moving into a licensed community across the District, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
