Assisted Living in Ohio: What Does It Cost and Why?

Updated on 8/19/24

With more than 750 licensed assisted living facilities , also known as residential care facilities, in the state of Ohio, you’re bound to find the right community for you or your loved one. Stretching from Lake Erie in the north to the Appalachian Mountains in the south, Ohio offers a wide variety of cities and smaller towns to call home. If you’re a senior citizen in Ohio, you’re in good company.

Like most of the country, Ohio is home to a growing number of senior citizens. Adults over 65 make up about 18.4% of the state’s population .

What Does It Cost?

According to Genworth’s 2023 Cost of Care Study , the median monthly cost of a private, one bedroom accommodation in an assisted living facility in Ohio is $5,294. This comes to about $63,531 annually. This is comparable to neighboring states. Pennsylvania’s median monthly cost is $5,550, Illinois’s is $5,225, and Indiana’s is $5,013, but Kentucky’s is $4,335. Ohio’s assisted living facilities are similar to the average for the country as a whole, with the U.S.’s monthly median rate coming in at about $5,350.

Prices vary around the state, based on factors such as the area cost of living and real estate market. The median monthly rate for one bedroom in an assisted living facility in Dayton, for example, is $6,750, which is one of the highest median rates in the state. But in Cleveland, the monthly median rate is only $4,984.

What Do You Get?

In Ohio, assisted living facilities are licensed by the Ohio Department of Health as residential care facilities. These facilities provide personal care to residents, including help with daily tasks like bathing, getting dressed, and taking medication. In addition, these facilities don’t provide constant skilled medical care, like a skilled nursing facility does. Staff at these communities varies, with some facilities employing more skilled medical staff like RNs and LPNs. Ohio law does state that each facility must have sufficient direct care staff to meet all of the residents’ needs. Assisted living facilities in Ohio are required to perform health assessments for all new residents before they move in or immediately after. These assessments are used to create a health plan for services provided by the community. Health assessments are repeated annually. These can be used to make sure that the resident is getting the right level of care at the facility.

These types of facilities value residents’ independence while providing those needed services in a home-like setting. Most facilities provide one to three meals a day; however, they do not have to. If meals are not provided, facilities must have the necessary equipment to prepare meals in residents’ rooms. Most facilities also offer transportation and access to campus amenities and activities, which vary by facility. Some communities may offer specialized services like Alzheimer’s care or other memory care services.

What Determines Your Cost?

Location of the community as well as the services and amenities offered affect the cost of assisted living in Ohio, creating a wide range of costs. Expect to pay more for facilities that offer more medical services and specialized care, like memory care. Variations in food services, group activities, and other optional services can affect price as well. But with the higher cost comes better trained staff. In Ohio, staff at facilities that care for memory-impaired residents must complete specialty training in cognitive care and four hours of continuing education annually.

How Do You Make Your Choice?

The best way to find the best assisted living facility for you or your loved one? Visit the community. It’s a good idea to visit more than once, and at different times during the day, so you can really get a good feel for the community.

Find out more about assisted living here!

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