Updated 8.4.25

WHERE TO START - When More Help is Needed

Starting Point for Services & Assessments for Help

• Your local Area Office on Aging: Call 1-866-243-5678 to be connected to the area agency on aging serving your community. They can do an assessment for services needed and income qualifications for different programs available to assist you at home or in a assisted living facility. Good starting point!

• Ohio Legal has basic information on forms including A Health Care Power of Attorney Form that you can fill out yourself on their Learn the Basic Page, (click complete the form link on their page Click Here

When Long-Term Care is Needed (especially nursing home care)

• Go to Ohio Long-Term Care Quality Navigator - Click Here to go to site (there is a link to go to CMS from there)

• CMS Link/Site shows star rating, (cannot be a five star with two in staffing, look for it!). Click here

  Things to know: *Keep an eye out for self reported information on sites, not always accurate.

  *CMS site has all the detailed surveys, citations from complaints (things change, check peiodically)

Tools Available

• You can now install a camera in the room of a resident at a nursing home, it’s the law! Putone in as a proactive tool to stop bad events and outcomes.

• Form a Family Council if they don’t have one. Even if you meet at the library or Zoom once a month for an hour, it’s a great networking tool that was missing during Covid. No reason to not have one if families are locked out for any reason ever again. It is said facilties that have these councils, have better care!

• Keep up with Elderly Advocates for information, resources, and direct help if needed. We are here to help on our website and on

• Facebook.

  Things to Know When

  Moving a Loved One Into A Facility

• What are Care Plans? When are they done? Click Here

• Medicare Rights in Nursing Homes - Click Here

• State Advocates -Ombudsman’s Office Phone Numbers for all Areas of Ohio - Scroll down, Click Brown Tab-Find Services Where You Live, Also information on Esthers’s Law (camers in resident rooms), and how to become an Volunteer Ombudsman - Click Here

• A good source of information from Justice in Aging, (25 Common Nursing Home Problems & How to resolve them) Click Here

  
  
  

  When You Are Unable to Resolve

  a Complaint/Issue/Concern with a Facility

• Department of Health Contact Info for all states Click Here

• Where to file Complaints - Click Here

• Good additional info on complaints - Click Here

• Actual Complaint Form for Ohio - Click Here

• HIPAA Rights to get medical records & How to file a complaint Click Here

  
  Other Basic Information & Resources

• 2023 Basics of Medicare Coverage of Skilled Nursing Home (SNF) Facility Care (Rehab Info) Newly Added resource 3/8/24 Click here

• Differences between Medicare & Medicaid Click Here

• Good Information on qualifying for Medicaid Click Here

• Medicaid Managed Plans, My Care Ohio - Click Here

• Medicare Hospice Coverage - Click Here

• Medicare Compare - Ratings on Nursing Homes and Recent Citations Click Here

• Nursing Home Watch List Provided by NHAA Click Here

• Ohio Dept of Aging (huge source of information, can assist with eligibiity for Medicaid, or Home Passport/Waiver programs , Ombudsman information, your local office information & location, and more) Click Here

• Information by Pro Seniors on Medicaid Estate Recovery Click Here

• Information dated June 18, 2021 from the Ohio Bar on the 5 year look back period for nursing home payment assistance Click Here

  
  Additional Information That May Be Helpful

• SUMMIT COUNTY RESOURCES - FOR CAREGIVERS

• Resources in Summit County for Caregivers - Click Here

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  

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