Care Options

• Choosing Long-Term Care
• Do I Need "Nursing Home" Care?
• Paying for Long Term Care
• Pamphlets
  

Choosing Long-Term Care

Care Options for Seniors
Choosing a nursing home, assisted living community, or other care provider
for you or someone you love can be one of the most important - and
difficult - decisions you'll ever make. Care Options can help. Our team of
experienced professionals will guide you through the process, step by step.
We'll give you the information you need to make the best possible choice.

You are eligible for Care Options' free assistance if you need services in
Hamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont, or Clinton counties.

Care Options offers you:

• A checklist that tells you what to consider when you visit a long-term care community.
• Help in exploring options for home health care, assisted living, or nursing home care.
• A record of resident complaints verified by state-certified ombudsmen.
• Informational brochures covering subjects from Medicare to Resident Rights.
• Current information on licensed long-term care, including payment options and special units available.
• Ohio Department of Health inspection reports of licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities ("assisted living") in Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, & Warren Counties.

While Care Options will not endorse a specific nursing home, the Care Options team will help you:

• Discuss choice of location & the services available at each facility, as they relate to your needs
• Learn what to look for when signing an admission agreement.
• Recognize and exercise resident rights that are protected by state and federal law.
• Understand how to make sure you or your loved one gets quality care, and know what to do if you spot a problem.

How do I contact Care Options?
Call the Care Options team Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.:

• (513) 345-4160; or at
• (800) 488-6070

Care Options' free service is supported by funding through

• The Ohio Department of Aging
• Council on Aging of Southwestern Ohio
• The United Way of Greater Cincinnati
• Grants & donations

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Do I Need “Nursing Home" Care?

Which long-term care setting you need to consider will depend on your health and related care needs, and the type of lifestyle you can afford. Below is a general explanation of the options available for your consideration.

Congregate Housing
Usually apartments, this is a rental housing arrangement with some common services. These services, most often, include a central dining area providing meals and social activities. The apartments should have safety features such as call buttons and safety rails or grab bars. Services may be included in the rent or there may be an additional cost per service. Your rights in this setting are described under tenant & landlord rights and responsibilities, and outlined in your lease agreement.

Adult Foster Homes*
The provider shares their home and family life with one or two residents. In addition to room and board, the services include housekeeping, laundry, some personal care; supervision with finances and medications when deemed necessary. These individuals must NOT need 24-hour supervision. The homes are certified by the Area Agency on Aging.

Adult Care Facilities*
These facilities include two types of homes - Adult Family Homes (3-5 adults) and Adult Group Homes (6-16 adults). Both provide room and board, laundry, housekeeping, and personal care services. The residents must NOT require 24-hour supervision. These homes are licensed by the Ohio Department of Health. Basic resident rights are protected by Ohio law.

Residential Care Facilities (RCF)*
Often called “assisted living”, these homes are licensed by the Ohio Department of Health to provide accommodations for 17 or more unrelated adults, with supervision and personal care services for at least 3 residents. Skilled nursing care is permitted only if that care will be provided on a part-time, intermittent basis for no more than 120 days in any 12- month period. Resident rights are protected by Ohio law. Read your admission agreement carefully, as each RCF is permitted to provide services up to and including those listed in their license - they are also permitted to exclude some services. Each RCF is likely to include different services. Make sure you have enough funds to pay for as long as you want to stay in this home. Keep in mind that many of these homes charge extra as your needs increase, and you need or want more help.

* - These facilities may apply for certification that would qualify them to receive payment from individuals on Ohio’s Residential State Supplement (RSS).  For more information on RSS see Paying for Long-Term Care.

Continuing Care Retirement Community
This option provides a type of long-term care insurance. A resident can move in as independent living and progress through various supportive services and on into nursing home care or even hospital care. These are no longer truly lifetime care as they once were. Many are now charging for added services. These are usually situated on acreage with apartments, condominiums, and a skilled nursing home on the site.

Nursing Home
A nursing home provides personal care, skilled nursing care, and rehabilitation services 24 hours a day to people with illnesses, injuries or functional disabilities.  Residents typically share rooms with another and eat in a community dining area.  Although most nursing homes serve the elderly, some facilities provide services to younger individuals who have special needs such as a developmental disability, mental illness, or a need for drug and alcohol rehabilitation.  Nursing homes are generally stand-alone facilities, but some are operated within a hospital or retirement community.  Nursing homes may also offer "Special Care Units" and indicate that these provide services specifically for Alzheimer's Disease, dementia, head injuries or other medical conditions.  Since no two "Special Units" will be exactly the same and since there are no licensing or certification standards for these units, make sure you know what is offered.

No single type of housing or care setting is recommended more than another. There are more in-home options than ever before, as well as new options that allow you to combine services - such as adult day programs and in-home assistance. The choice is yours to make, based upon your lifestyle, financial status, and health. Some housing concepts are fairly new and are not available in every community. Care Options staff can help you evaluate which option is right for you.

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Paying for Long Term Care

Paying for long-term care, whether in a nursing facility or in your own home, can be a costly proposition.
Here are some sources that may help pay for such care:

1) Private pay-where you can afford to pay for the necessary care.

2) Long term care insurance-where you pay premiums to an insurance company and if/when this care is
     required, some portion of the cost will be borne by the insurance company.  For more information, see our
     Long-Term Care Insurance pamphlet and the Ohio Department of Insurance booklet:
     Shopper's Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance.

3) Medicare-if you are a Medicare beneficiary when care is required, Medicare may cover either some or
    all of the expenses, but only if specific requirements are first met.   For more information, see our
    Medicare pamphlets, including Medicare Coverage of Nursing Home Care and Medicare Coverage of
    Home Health Care.

4) Medicaid-if you, or you and your spouse cannot afford to pay for this care, the cost of the required care
     may be covered by Medicaid if certain conditions are met.  For more information, see our
    Medicaid pamphlets, including Medicaid Eligibility for Nursing Homes and Home Care Through
    PASSPORT.

5) Ohio's Residential State Supplement - provides a cash supplement to low-income elderly, blind, or
    disabled adults who need assistance with daily activities, but do not require the skilled nursing care provided
     in a nursing home. This payment supplements an individual's personal income so they can live in more
     home-like, congregate settings.   For more information, see our pamphlet entitled:
     Ohio's Residential State Supplement (RSS) Program.