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.
What this means in practice
This distinction trips up more families than almost any other rule on this site. A community can call a unit 'memory care' in its marketing without holding any specific state certification, if it doesn't serve Assisted Living Waiver residents. If a community does hold the OAC 173-39-02.16 certification, it must meet specific requirements: a written purpose statement, staff dementia training, at least three activities daily, a 10-minute response time to call requests, secured outdoor access, and staffing ratios at least 20% above basic RCF service. On a tour, ask directly which of these applies and ask to see documentation rather than taking a brochure's word for it.
Related questions
- What license does Ohio require for assisted living, and what law covers it?
- How does Ohio license nursing homes differently from assisted living?
- How many days can an assisted living community in Ohio provide skilled nursing before a resident must transfer?
- Is independent living licensed the same way as assisted living in Ohio?
- Where can I see a facility's Ohio inspection record before touring?
