Assisted Living in Ohio

For many seniors, Ohio is a wise choice for retirement. The financial benefits include a low sales tax with certain items such as groceries and medicines exempt from any tax, and social security income is excluded from personal income taxes. As of 2010, 19% of Ohioans are over the age of 60. The state is also home to many historical native landmarks, natural attractions, wildlife reserves, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Directory of Assisted Living Facilities in Ohio

It is very important to diligently research any facilities you may be considering for yourself or your aging loved ones. You’ll want to know what size the facility is, details about the rooms it offers, amenities they provide like exercise groups and social events, rates, and more. Use our research tool below to compare multiple facilities near you.

Paying For Assisted Living in Ohio

The Cost of Assisted Living in Ohio

According to Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care Survey, the average cost of assisted living in Ohio is close to the national average at $4,278. States to the east tend to be more expensive, except for West Virginia which averages at only $3,619 a month, and Pennsylvania at $3,750 monthly. Southern bordering Kentucky costs much less, averaging at $3,520 a month. The most expensive state for assisted living in this area is Maryland, averaging at $4,673 a month.

 

The costs of assisted living vary widely across Ohio. In Springfield, you’ll find the least expensive options at an average of $3,093 a month. The Cleveland area is the next least expensive option, followed by the Youngstown and Canton areas. The Janesville area and Lima are closest to the national average, and you’ll find the most expensive facilities in Dayton and Cincinnati, at $5,300 and $4,998 respectively.

 

The cost of assisted living in Ohio is drastically less than the cost of nursing home care, which averages at $7,118 monthly. Independent living is the most cost-effective option, but for those that need assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), in-home care is the next most affordable option, averaging at $4,099 a month. Assisted living facilities cost slightly more, at $4,278 a month on average.

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Ohio

Ohio Assisted Living Medicaid Waiver

Ohio’s Assisted Living Waiver program helps pay for the cost of care services and skilled nursing received while living in assisted living. The program is designed to help free up the resources of eligible residents so that they are able to pay for their own room and board costs. The room and board rate is the SSI benefit rate, $750 in 2018, minus $50 for a personal needs allowance. There is a waitlist for this waiver, but the state has plans to eliminate the waitlist in the future.

Who is Eligible?

Eligibility is determined based on age, health status, income, and residency:

• Applicants must be legal US citizens or resident aliens, and residents of Ohio.
• Gross income cannot exceed 300% of the Social Security federal poverty level standard, which is a total of $3,036 in 2018.
• Assets cannot be greater than $1,500 for each individual.
• The applicants need to be age 65 or older and need a nursing-home level of care (LOC), which is determined during the level of care assessment.

Note that for married couples with a spouse remaining in the community, that spouse may keep up to half of their combined assets. In Ohio, applicants may set up an income trust if they make too much money to qualify.

How to Apply

Call 1-866-243-5678 to speak with an eligibility specialist, or speak with your local Area Agency on Aging.

More Ways to Finance Assisted Living

Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits: Veterans can take advantage of several different pension programs to help cover the cost of assisted living. For more information, see the article on benefits.va.gov.

• Life Insurance Policies: Even if a spouse or loved one hasn’t died, certain types of life insurance policies can be used to pay for assisted living. More information is available at longtermcare.acl.gov

• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance is a type of insurance policy that pays for long-term care when it becomes necessary, including the cost of assisted living. For more information on the benefits and drawbacks of this financing method, visit longtermcare.acl.gov.

• Reverse Mortgages: Reverse mortgages allow seniors to access the equity from a home that they own, and these funds can be used to pay for assisted living. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers a federally insured reverse mortgage program.

Free Assisted Living Resources in Ohio

Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO) in Ohio is available for free to any residents or loved ones of those living in a long-term care facility. The LTCO helps these people by:

• Advocating for the rights of assisted living residents
• Educating on retirement benefits and insurance programs
• Offer guidance in locating a long-term care facility that fits their needs
• Connect residents with aging services and resources

Click here to view a directory of Ombudsmen in each county, or call 1-800-282-1206 to be connected to a program specialist.

Ohio Area Agencies on Aging

Ohio is home to 12 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) that represent all 88 counties, which provide elders and advocates with:

• Information on aging services in the area
• Education on the rights of residents in long-term care facilities
• Referrals to services

See this table for a list of the AAAs in Ohio and their contact information.

Veterans Benefits

The Department of Veterans Affairs in Ohio provides many services for qualified veterans and their beneficiaries, including:

• Medical centers, community clinics, and medical transportation services
• Many long-term care homes, like an independent living complex with 206 beds
• Financial assistance to low-income vets or those experiencing hardships
• Pension and education benefits counseling and case management

Social Security Offices

The US Social Security Administration provides retirement benefits to qualifying elders. See the table below to find your nearest office, go online or call (800) 772-1213 to speak to a representative about programs you and your loved ones may qualify for.

Ohio Senior Centers

Ohio is home to a thriving older population who use senior centers to help fill in the gaps of care in their service plans, like social activities or exercise. According to our research, centers in this state provide a variety of free or reduced-price services. These programs are often for residents as young as 50, and they include:

• Communal dining and home-delivered meals, usually through Meals On Wheels
• Exercise programs like chair yoga, Zumba, and boxing for cognitive support
• Art classes and open use rooms such as for painting or making ceramics
• Support groups and resources for those dealing with aging-related issues
• Entertainment like cultural programs, special guests, and musicians
• Hands-on activities like knitting, gold-panning, and gardening

There are many senior centers across Ohio, a lot of them without websites. See this list below for senior centers with websites for you to browse.

Assisted Living Laws and Regulations in Ohio

Assisted Living Admission Requirements

To be eligible for residency in an assisted living facility, a person must first undergo an assessment to verify that they are in need of nursing home level care. The assessment must be completed by an RN. A person-centered service plan must also be created that is reviewed at least yearly, or whenever the resident’s service needs change. Medicaid recipients must participate in a long-term care consultation. Generally, a resident can need skilled nursing services for no more than 120 days a year.

Assisted Living Scope of Care

A resident of a residential care facility (RCF) must qualify by needing either:

• Daily assistance with two or more activities of daily living (ADLs)
• Daily assistance with one ADL and medication assistance
• At least one skilled nursing service like continence care, or
• 24-hour support due to cognitive impairment

Ohio licenses RCFs to provide:

• Personal assistance with activities of daily living as needed
• Housekeeping and laundry service
• Three regularly scheduled meals per day and open access to snacks
• Regularly available non-medical transportation
• Care staff available 24 hours a day for all unscheduled needs of residents
• Recreational and social programs that promote autonomy and dignity
• An RN as needed to help with medication and other skilled nursing duties

Assisted Living Medicaid Policy

While Ohio Medicaid doesn’t directly cover the costs of assisted living, it does provide assisted living waivers for the elderly residents who qualify according to age and income requirements. This waiver helps pay for care received while in assisted living, allowing the participant to use their resources the room and board rate, which is $700 in 2018. There is a waitlist for the waiver, but there are plans to eliminate the waitlist in the next few years. Most facilities participate in the Medicaid waiver program; those that don’t must provide written notice to residents or their sponsor prior to admission.

Assisted Living Community Requirements

All residents of assisted living in Ohio are entitled to their own private apartments unless they elect to bring a roommate that they already have a relationship with before moving into the facility, and it is approved by the residents’ case managers. These units must also have locks on the inside unless this would pose a danger, such as a resident with dementia unable to operate the lock to open it.

Assisted Living Service Agreements

Residents of assisted living facilities need to create a person-centered service plan with their care team and anyone they choose to be involved. This plan needs to be updated at least yearly, and involve:

• Resident wishes, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses
• The location of the facility chosen by the resident as well as the other options for facilities that were considered
• Medical needs as determined by the initial health assessment and how the facility will meet those needs
• Any possible risks for the resident and a backup plan to meet their needs

Medicaid recipients also need to participate in long-term care consultations, which must include the resident, their care staff, medical team, sponsor, and anyone else the resident chooses. Facilities may enter into negotiated risk agreements if the need arises to plan for contingencies like special diets, or dying wishes.

Medication Management Regulations

In residential care facilities, an RN must be available to assess residents and create a medication management plan. Residents need to have doctor’s orders that state they are able to self-administer their medication, otherwise, the facility needs to provide skilled nursing services. Under federal law, medication can only be administered by a physician, RN, or nurses aide.

An RN may designate a member of the care staff that they believe to be competent. Designated medication assistants are able to:

• Open medication, or put medication in a cup and offer the cup to a resident
• Remind residents when and what medication they need to take
• Log when medication is taken
• Assist in the application of a topical cream

Ohio Assisted Living Staffing Requirements

There are no minimum staffing requirements for residential care facilities in Ohio. It is up to the facility administrators to determine how many staff are needed to provide all scheduled and unscheduled care services for all the residents, 24 hours a day. Staff members below the age of 18 may not assist with medications, transportation or hygiene tasks like bathing.

Assisted Living Staff Training Requirements

To provide assisted living services, a residential care facility must be licensed to do so and train all employees in the following subjects before they can provide care:

• Assisted living principles and philosophy
• The aging process
• Cognitive processes and care for cognitively or behaviorally challenged residents
• Resident confidentiality and rights
• Consumer service plans, processes, care-related decisions, and rights

Background Checks

In Ohio, all facilities must request a background check for all potential care staff no later than five days after they’re employed. The staff member must be denied employment or let go if already hired if they are found to have any violent, drug-related or insurance fraud convictions on their records. Any staff member that has been a resident of Ohio for less than five years must submit to an FBI background check.

Requirements for Reporting Abuse

Any employee that witnesses or suspects abuse must immediately report it to the facility, who is legally bound to investigate. There are whistleblower protection laws in place for caregivers who report abuse. To make a report against a facility, call the Ohio Department of Health at 1-800-342-0553.

Recently, new laws have increased protections for senior citizens in the state. More occupations are now classified as mandatory reporters, meaning that if they see or suspect abuse, they are required by law to report it to Adult Protective Services (APS). Also, financial elder abuse is now a crime punishable by jail time and is now more vigilantly investigated by APS as well as the state Ombudsman. If you see or suspect elder abuse, please visit this website or call the OhioHOPES helpline at 1-800-411-2267.

Ohio COVID-19 Rules for Assisted Living Facilities

Note: The following information was compiled and most recently updated on 2/13/22. Since COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving crisis, be sure to contact your assisted living facility or local Area Agency on Aging for the most up-to-date information.

COVID-19 Rules in Ohio
Are loved ones allowed to visit residents in their assisted living community?	Yes (Conditions Apply)
Are residents required to quarantine after their loved ones visit?	No
Are loved ones required to wear masks when visiting residents?	Yes
Are Hairdressers and other non-medical contractors allowed in assisted living communities?	Yes
Are visitors screened for elevated temperatures before entering the assisted living community?	Yes
Are residents allowed to leave the assisted living community for non-medical reasons?	Yes
Are residents who leave required to quarantine when they get back to the assisted living community?	No (Conditions Apply)
Are assisted living communities required to cancel all group outings?	No
Are assisted living communities allowed to host group activities within the community?	Yes (Conditions Apply)
Are staff members regularly checked for elevated temperatures?	Yes
Are staff members regularly tested for COVID-19?	Yes (Conditions Apply)
Are residents regularly screened for COVID-19 symptoms?	Yes
Are residents regularly checked for elevated temperatures?	Yes
Are residents regularly tested for COVID-19?	Yes (Conditions Apply)

 

Sources: coronavirus.ohio.gov www.cdc.gov