Paying-for-care questions from Dayton families

What does assisted living cost in Ohio?

CareScout's 2025 Ohio median is $6,103 a month ($73,230 a year); no Dayton-only median is published.

Ohio, 2025 (CareScout)	Median per month	Per year	Unit rate
Assisted living community	$6,103	$73,230	$196 per day
Nursing home, semi-private room	$9,186	$110,230	$302 per day
Nursing home, private room	$10,389	$124,666	$342 per day
Homemaker services	$6,483	$77,792	based on 44 hours per week
Non-medical caregiver	—	—	$34 per hour
Private duty nurse at home	—	—	$100 per hour, or $85 per visit
Adult day health care	$1,798	$21,580	$83 per day

Source: 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey, Ohio statewide medians; no Dayton-only table is published. CareScout does not survey memory care as a separate category, so no authoritative memory care median exists for Ohio or for any Ohio metro area. Any memory care price quoted online is an estimate, not survey data.

Does Ohio Medicaid pay for assisted living?

Partly: the Assisted Living Waiver pays for care in participating RCFs for Medicaid-eligible residents who need a nursing home level of care, while the resident pays room and board, capped at $944 a month in 2026.

Only RCFs with a waiver provider agreement participate. The Area Agency on Aging, PSA 2 (1-800-258-7277) does the assessment.

What are Ohio's Medicaid limits for long-term care in 2026?

Countable assets of $2,000 for a single applicant, and income above $2,982 a month placed in a Qualified Income Trust; a spouse at home keeps $32,532 to $162,660 in assets.

Ohio Medicaid long-term care, 2026	Figure
Income limit before a Qualified Income Trust is needed	$2,982 a month
Countable assets, single applicant	$2,000
Community spouse resource allowance	$32,532 to $162,660
Community spouse income allowance cap	$4,066.50 a month
Nursing facility personal needs allowance	$75 per month
Home equity limit	$752,000
Look-back on transfers	60 months

Sources: Ohio Medicaid MEPL No. 191 (January 1, 2026 figures), MEPL No. 195, OAC 5160:1-6-04, 5160:1-6-06 and 5160:1-6-07.

Does Medicare pay for assisted living or long-term care?

No. Medicare pays for short skilled nursing stays after a qualifying hospital admission, home health and hospice, but not for assisted living or long-term custodial care.

OSHIIP, Ohio's free Medicare counseling program, answers Medicare questions at 1-800-686-1578.

What is PASSPORT?

PASSPORT is Ohio's Medicaid waiver that pays for help at home, such as aides, meals, adult day and home changes, for adults 60 and older who need a nursing home level of care.

It is arranged locally by the Area Agency on Aging, PSA 2, which serves all six counties we cover.

Can VA benefits help pay for senior care?

Yes. VA pension with Aid and Attendance can add to income for wartime-era veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities, and care costs reduce countable income.

VA pension, maximum annual rate	Per year	About per month
Veteran, no dependents	$29,093	about $2,424
Veteran with one dependent	$34,488	about $2,874
Two veterans married, both eligible	$46,143	about $3,845
Veteran, no dependents, Housebound	$21,313	about $1,776
Surviving spouse, no dependents	$18,697	about $1,558
Surviving spouse, one dependent child	$22,304	about $1,859

VA pension rates effective December 1, 2025; the veteran, two-veteran and surviving spouse lines are the Aid and Attendance rates, and the housebound line is shown for comparison.

Is home care cheaper than assisted living?

Up to about 40 hours a week: at Ohio's $34-an-hour median, 41 hours of paid help a week roughly equals the $6,103 assisted living median, and round-the-clock care costs much more.

Hours of paid help a week	Monthly cost at $34 an hour	Against the $6,103 assisted living median
10	$1,473	below it
20	$2,947	below it
30	$4,420	below it
40	$5,893	below it
44	$6,483	above it
56	$8,251	above it
84	$12,376	above it
168	$24,752	above it