Assisted Living Waiver Help

Assisted Living facilities offer a home-like setting that can provide a more intensive level of care than may be available through home care services. Ohio’s Assisted Living Waiver Program assists with paying the cost of care in an assisted living facility for eligible individuals.

Two older adult woman sit together outside at an assisted living facility

Information and Help Applying for Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver

Call our Advice Line to learn more about the assisted living waiver or to set up a consultation. Additional information and face-to-face consultations are available at no cost.

Program Details & Requirements

Eligibility criteria for participation in the Assisted Living Waiver includes the following: 

  • Individual has a need for certain services and care; 
  • Is age 21 or older;  
  • Has the ability to pay the state established monthly room and board cost (based on the current Social Security benefit rate);
  • And meets the established financial criteria. 

Throughout the state of Ohio, there is a selection of Assisted Living facilities that are certified to participate in the waiver program. To identify participating facilities, you may contact Buckeye Hills Regional Council or visit Ohio’s Long-Term Care Consumer Guide.

The Assisted Living Waiver Program pays for a variety of assisted living services. 

Assisted living combines a home-like setting with personal support services. Assisted living facilities typically provide more intensive care than is available through home care services. They also give older adults an alternative to nursing facility care that is both less expensive and less restrictive.

Assisted living residences vary, but most provide meals, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, and social activities. They also offer personal care, such as assistance with eating, bathing, grooming, and personal hygiene. Some nursing care is also provided, including medication administration and dressing changes.

Assisted Living facilities offer a variety of services, depending on the needs of an individual participant, including meals, housekeeping, laundry, transportation, and social activities. Personal care is also available, including hands-on assistance with eating, bathing, grooming, and personal hygiene. Nursing care may be provided, including medication administration and skilled services as needed.

Costs for assisted living generally range from $2,000 to $4,000 per month and vary depending on the size of living area, region of the state, and the amount of care needed. The Long-Term Care Consumer Guide is an online tool that can help you find and compare nursing and residential care facilities, including assisted living, in your area.

Costs for fees associated with assisted living vary based on the individual. The Assisted Living Waiver pays costs based on a two-tier system for Basic Service and Memory Care Service.

Older adult woman makes a phone call

Information and Help Applying for Home Choice

Call our Advice Line if you or someone you know is having difficulty moving back into the community. The Home Choice program is made available through the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

Program Details & Requirements

The Home Choice program is made available through Ohio’s Department of Medicaid supported by Buckeye Hills to provide eligible individuals the chance to transition from a long-term care facility to home and community settings.

The purpose of Home Choice is to assist folks who want to locate home and move from a long-term care facility back into the community.

Once individuals are in long-term care facilities, it is difficult for them to move back into the community because they usually do not have homes or access to other services and supports necessary for daily living. Individuals participate in the HOME Choice program for up to 180 days before moving to the community and remain with the program for 30 days after transitioning to their own home. Transition coordination will help them plan and arrange for services and supports they need while relocating from an institution to a community, including locating housing, transitioning, and connecting to community services such as health care, pharmacies, personal assistance and more.

The following services assist individuals: Transition Coordination and Community Transition Service 

Transition Coordination is a service provided to help HOME Choice participants throughout the process of returning to the community. Coordinators assist participants in identifying challenges and locating the resources needed for a successful move from the facility to a residence in the community. 

Community Transition Service pays for start-up living expenses for individuals transitioning from an institutional setting to the community. The funds are used for non-recurring expenses necessary to establish a basic household.

To be eligible for HOME Choice an individual must:

  • Be enrolled in Medicaid
  • Have resided in a long-term care facility for at least 60 consecutive days
  • Be 18 years of age or older
  • Have income to sustain community living
  • Participate in an assessment and have a need for the program
  • Have care needs that can be adequately met in a community setting

You can visit homechoice.medicaid.ohio.gov to apply online. You can also call our Advice Line, call 1-888-221-1560 or email home_choice@medicaid.ohio.gov for assistance.

Gather the following necessary applicant information prior to beginning the online application.

  • Social Security Number
  • Medicaid Recipient ID #
  • Date of birth
  • Income source
  • Nursing facility name and address
  • Nursing facility social worker name and contact information
  • Names and dates of other nursing facilities stays in the past 60 days
  • Guardian name and contact information (if applicable)

Once the application is received, HOME Choice staff will screen for basic eligibility requirements and follow up with the nursing facility if more information is needed.  

Applicants will participate in an assessment to provide the information necessary to determine HOME Choice eligibility. 

Locating and maintaining safe, affordable, and accessible housing is key to an individual’s successful transition into the community. Information below can assist with locating and maintaining housing, accessing legal help for housing-related issues, and learning about special initiatives for HOME Choice individuals.

You can visit OhioHousingLocator.org to search for affordable and accessible rental housing located throughout the state of Ohio. 

The locator can be used to search by location, monthly rent, number of bedrooms and accessibility features to find the perfect home. It also can be used to connect to other housing resources providing information on rental assistance, housing accessibility, and homebuying.

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