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Cincinnati Senior Advisor

About Cincinnati Senior Advisor

HomeAbout Cincinnati Senior Advisor

What we do

We help families across the Cincinnati, Ohio metro find senior care, and we publish what we can verify about how senior care works under Ohio law. That is the whole business.

How we are paid, stated plainly

Our service is free to families because senior living communities pay us a referral fee when a family we introduce moves in. We think you should know that on the first page you read rather than find it in a footer, because it is the thing most likely to bias a referral service.

Two consequences worth naming. First, we have a financial interest in you choosing a community that pays referral fees, and not every good option does. Ask us about those anyway; we will tell you what we know. Second, the fee does not vary by community in a way that should steer a recommendation, and if an advisor ever pushes a specific building without a reason that makes sense to you, push back.

Our editorial standard

We publish figures we can trace to a primary source. Where a widely-repeated number cannot be traced — metro-specific cost of care data is the clearest example — we say that instead of repeating it. Where a source is disputed, we flag the dispute.

What we are not

  • We are not affiliated with any state health department, department of aging, Area Agency on Aging, or any government agency.
  • We do not provide medical, legal or financial advice.
  • We do not operate, own or manage any senior living community.
  • We do not publish paid reviews or rankings.

Questions families ask

What license does Ohio require for assisted living, and what law covers it?

Ohio licenses assisted living as a Residential Care Facility (RCF) under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3721, with day-to-day operating rules in Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 3701-16. The Ohio Department of Health issues and inspects the license.

Does Ohio require a separate certification for memory care?

Only in one specific context: Residential Care Facilities serving residents under Ohio's Assisted Living Waiver must be certified for memory care under OAC 173-39-02.16. Private-pay memory care units outside that waiver are not certified the same way.

How does Ohio license nursing homes differently from assisted living?

Nursing homes are licensed under a separate administrative rule chapter, OAC 3701-17, distinct from OAC 3701-16 for Residential Care Facilities. Nursing homes are also federally certified and CMS star-rated, which assisted living in Ohio is not.

How many days can an assisted living community in Ohio provide skilled nursing before a resident must transfer?

Ohio caps the skilled nursing an RCF may provide at 120 days in any 12-month period per resident, under ORC 3721.011, with exceptions for physical/occupational/speech therapy and hospice residents.

Not sure where to start?

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