Ohio leaders want to hear from locals on experience selecting, living in assisted living facilities

Beginning in August, the Ohio Department of Aging will hold feedback sessions in seven different Ohio locations to solicit opinions from assisted living residents and their loved ones, as well as facility staff and administrators.

The Ohio Department of Aging wants to hear directly from Ohioans about their experiences selecting and living in assisted living facilities after previously holding listening sessions last year in regard to nursing homes.

“As we visited locations around the state last year and listened to Ohioans share their lived experiences with nursing homes, we also heard a pressing need to address care in assisted living facilities,” said Ursel McElroy, director of the Ohio Department of Aging.

Assisted living is for people who need help with daily care, but not as much help as a nursing home provides, according to the National Institute on Aging. Nursing homes focus more on medical care than most assisted living facilities.

Most assisted living residents pay for the costs themselves, which can cost more than independent living but less than a nursing home, the National Institute on Aging says. Medicare does not cover assisted living costs, but Medicaid may provide coverage for some aspects of assisted living, depending on the state and whether the person is eligible. Assisted living is partially covered by some long-term care insurance policies.

With these latest feedback forums, the Ohio Department of Aging will gather personal stories and suggestions from throughout the state and use that to improve the quality of care and quality of life for assisted living residents, McElroy said.

One listening forum will be from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 13 at Sinclair Community College Conference Center, Charity Auditorium, in Dayton.

Ohioans will also be shown the updated version of the Ohio’s Nursing Home Quality Navigator first launched in February 2024. The Nursing Home Quality Navigator is an online tool that provides users with detailed information about nursing homes across the state. Version 2.0 is set to be released later in 2024.

“This is also a tremendous opportunity to get direct commentary from users on our popular navigator and use that commentary to make the next version of the navigator even better,” McElroy said.

How to sign up

Register online at aging.ohio.gov/alff.