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Nursing Home vs. Assisted Living

Ohio licenses nursing homes under OAC 3701-17, separate from the OAC 3701-16 rules that govern assisted living (Residential Care Facilities).

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Short answer

Ohio licenses nursing homes and assisted living under two entirely separate administrative rule chapters -- OAC 3701-17 for nursing homes, OAC 3701-16 for Residential Care Facilities -- reflecting two different levels of medical care.

Why nursing homes carry star ratings and assisted living does not

Nursing homes are federally certified under Medicare/Medicaid and rated on CMS's Care Compare tool. Ohio's RCFs (assisted living) are not federally certified the same way and are not CMS star-rated.

What pushes a resident out of assisted living

Ohio caps the skilled nursing an RCF may provide at 120 days in any 12-month period under ORC 3721.011, with narrow exceptions. A resident whose needs exceed that must move to a licensed nursing home.

Questions families ask

What does adult day care cost in the Cincinnati area?

The 2024 CareScout Cost of Care Survey put Ohio's adult day health care median at roughly $21,580 a year, or about $1,798 a month, statewide -- well below full-time in-home or facility care.

Are the CareScout cost figures specific to the Cincinnati metro?

No. CareScout publishes state-level medians only. There is no published Cincinnati-metro-specific cost figure from CareScout or any other primary source, and this site does not invent one.

What does Ohio's Long-Term Care Ombudsman actually do?

The ombudsman investigates and helps resolve complaints about care, rights, transfers and discharges in licensed nursing homes and residential care facilities, acting as an independent advocate for the resident, and only with the resident's consent.

Which office is the Long-Term Care Ombudsman for the Cincinnati area?

Pro Seniors, Inc., based at 7162 Reading Road, Suite 1150, Cincinnati, OH 45237, is the Southwest Ohio regional ombudsman office, reachable at 1-800-488-6070.

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