Dayton Senior AdvisorWhat is PASSPORT?
PASSPORT is Ohio's flagship Medicaid waiver for adults 60 and older who need a nursing home level of care but want to stay at home; the Ohio Department of Aging runs it, and in the Dayton region the Area Agency on Aging, PSA 2 administers it.
A PASSPORT care manager builds a service plan and arranges the services from approved local providers, many of which appear in our non-medical home care roster. The program is meant to cost Medicaid less than a nursing home while keeping the person safely at home.
What does PASSPORT pay for?
Personal care, homemaker help, home-delivered meals, adult day services, emergency response systems, minor home modifications, medical transportation and, since October 2024, Structured Family Caregiving, which can pay a qualifying family caregiver who lives with the participant.
PASSPORT does not pay room and board anywhere, and it is not 24-hour care. The number of hours approved depends on the assessment. For many Dayton families the realistic picture is a few hours of aide help a day plus meals and an emergency button, with family covering the rest.
Who qualifies for PASSPORT in 2026?
Ohio residents 60 or older who meet nursing facility level of care, can be served safely at home within the program's cost limits, and qualify for Medicaid financially: income up to $2,982 a month (more through a Qualified Income Trust) and countable assets of $2,000 or less for a single person.
Married applicants benefit from Ohio's spousal impoverishment protections, which let the spouse at home keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in countable assets in 2026 and a share of income. The house is usually exempt while a spouse lives there. Our Medicaid guide has the full 2026 table.
How do we apply for PASSPORT in the Dayton area?
Call the Area Agency on Aging, PSA 2 at 1-800-258-7277 for an in-home assessment; it serves Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Clark, Darke and Preble counties along with Champaign, Logan and Shelby.
The financial Medicaid application is filed with the county Job and Family Services office or online at benefits.ohio.gov. Applying for both at the same time saves weeks. If your parent is in the hospital, ask the discharge planner to make the referral, which can speed the assessment.
What if PASSPORT is not enough?
When paid hours plus family help can no longer keep someone safe, the next steps are usually an RCF on the Assisted Living Waiver or a nursing home on Medicaid; in Montgomery County, PACE may become an option once the planned program opens.
Ohio's PACE expansion names Montgomery County as a planned site, reported for 2026; PACE combines medical care, an adult day center and home care in one program. Ask the Area Agency on Aging whether it is enrolling yet. Meanwhile, keep notes on what has changed, because the reassessment will ask.
Side by side
| PASSPORT is | PASSPORT is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Help in the participant's own home | Room and board in assisted living |
| Age | For Ohioans 60 and older | For younger adults (other waivers serve them) |
| Services | Aides, meals, adult day, home changes, family caregiving | Round-the-clock care |
| Local agency | Area Agency on Aging, PSA 2 | Run by Dayton or the county |
Drawn from Ohio Revised Code Chapter 3721, Ohio Administrative Code Chapters 3701-16 and 5160:1-6, ODH and Ohio Department of Aging publications, Ohio Medicaid letters, CareScout, CMS and the VA; our editorial standards explain how we check them.
