Home Care in Ohio

The average starting cost of home care in Ohio is $31 per hour, according to A Place for Mom’s proprietary data. Based on our ranking methodology, the top-rated home care agencies in Ohio are Home Instead - Ravenna, OH, Visiting Angels of Berea, OH or Seniors Helping Seniors (Canton-Akron) Hartville, OH. Home care can help older adults remain in their own homes while receiving support with personal care, meals, companionship, and daily routines.

Across Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Akron, and smaller Ohio communities, families may find differences in caregiver availability, minimum visit lengths, and scheduling. Many compare reliability, communication, caregiver continuity, and whether an agency can adjust as their loved one’s needs change.

Home care provides nonmedical support with activities such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands, and companionship. Home health care is different because it includes medical services delivered by licensed health professionals. Some companies provide both, but A Place for Mom’s network consists of nonmedical home care providers. A Place for Mom partners with 386 home care agencies in Ohio to help families compare local options.

Home care in Ohio costs $31 per hour, compared with the national average rate of $32 per hour. Current market data also shows variation within the state, with Cleveland trending lower than Columbus and Akron, while Toledo falls in the middle.^[01] What a family pays will also depend on the agency, the services provided, and how often care is scheduled.

The care schedule usually has the greatest effect on the monthly total. A few visits each week may provide enough time for companionship, meal preparation, errands, or help around the house. Someone who needs regular assistance with bathing, dressing, mobility, or other personal care may need longer or more frequent visits. The estimates below use Ohio’s average hourly home care rate:

• Part-time care (20 hours/week): $2,641 per month
• Full-time care (44 hours/week): $5,809 per month

Home care rates in Ohio may also be affected by:

• The type and amount of help your loved one needs
• Specialized support, such as dementia care
• The number and length of visits
• Evening, overnight, weekend, or holiday schedules
• 24-hour or live-in care
• Caregiver experience and training
• The availability of caregivers in the local area
• Agency minimum-hour requirements

Ohio families may use private funds, public benefits, or a combination to pay for nonmedical home care. Depending on eligibility, VA benefits or programs available through Ohio Medicaid may help cover some support delivered at home.

Private pay options

Private pay can give families more control over the agency, schedule, and type of assistance their loved one receives. Common private payment sources include:

• Social Security benefits
• Savings, investments, or pensions
• Proceeds from selling a home, real estate, or personal property
• Long-term care insurance
• Certain kinds of life insurance policies
• Reverse mortgages

Families may rely on one payment source or combine several.

VA benefits

Eligible veterans and surviving spouses in Ohio may qualify for benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that help with care at home. Depending on the program, support may include help with daily activities, temporary relief for family caregivers, or additional pension payments that can be used toward care.

Veterans enrolled in VA health care may qualify for home- and community-based services, including:^[02,03,04]

• Homemaker and Home Health Aide Care, which may provide help with bathing, dressing, eating, mobility, and other daily activities
• Respite Care, which provides short-term support while giving family caregivers time away from caregiving responsibilities

Eligibility and availability can vary based on the veteran’s needs and local VA resources. Some veterans may also have a copay.

VA Aid and Attendance provides additional monthly pension payments to eligible veterans and survivors who need help with daily activities or are largely confined to their homes. Families may be able to use these funds toward the cost of nonmedical home care.^[05]

Ohio families can use the Ohio Department of Veterans Services county office directory to find free local help with state and federal benefits, claims, and other veteran resources.^[06]

Read more: Home Care Options for Veterans: Eligibility and Services

Ohio Medicaid

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps eligible people pay for health care and long-term services. Ohio Medicaid covers state-plan home health services for eligible members and may also help pay for nonmedical support through home- and community-based services programs.^[07,08]

PASSPORT helps eligible adults age 65 and older remain at home instead of moving to a nursing home. It may also serve adults aged 60-64 who have a physical disability. Participants must meet a nursing facility level of care and the program’s other Medicaid requirements. Eligible people enrolled in MyCare Ohio may receive home- and community-based services through the MyCare Ohio Waiver. The Ohio Home Care Waiver serves eligible people age 59 or younger who have physical disabilities or unstable medical conditions and meet the program’s level-of-care and other Medicaid requirements.^{[08,09,10,11]}

Depending on the program and approved service plan, in-home support may include:^[08,09,10]

• Personal care, including help with bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, mobility, and eating
• Homemaker services and help with household tasks
• Home-delivered meals
• Respite care
• Adult day services
• Personal emergency response systems
• Home modifications or adaptive equipment
• Nonmedical transportation

PASSPORT participant direction may allow an eligible participant to hire a relative, friend, neighbor, or other person they choose. A spouse or another legally responsible relative may be paid only when additional program conditions are met and the arrangement receives approval.^[12]

Read more: Medicaid Home Health Care and Nonmedical Home Care: Your Questions, Answered

Medicare

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for adults 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities. It may cover limited help with bathing, dressing, grooming, or toileting when your loved one is also receiving qualifying skilled care through Medicare’s home health benefit. Medicare generally doesn’t pay for ongoing personal care, companionship, meal preparation, or housekeeping when those are the only services needed.^[13]

Read more: Does Medicare Cover Home Health Care?

Ohio licenses both agencies and certain self-employed providers that offer nonmedical home health services. Some independent caregivers are exempt, including immediate family members and people who care for no more than two individuals at the same time. Under state law, those services can include hands-on personal care, medication assistance, incidental homemaker help, respite, and safety-related errands. Skilled home health services follow a separate license category. Because A Place for Mom’s network consists of nonmedical home care providers, the information below focuses on the rules that most directly affect those agencies.^[14,15]

Does Ohio require home care agencies to have a license?

Yes. Ohio requires home health agencies and nonagency providers to hold either a nonmedical home health services license or a skilled home health services license before offering nonmedical services. A skilled license also permits nonmedical services, so an agency that provides both doesn’t need a second license. Licenses are issued by the Ohio Department of Health and generally remain valid for three years.^[14,15,16]

Does Ohio conduct inspections of home care agencies?

Ohio does not require routine inspections of every private-pay nonmedical home health agency on a set schedule. The Ohio Department of Health reviews license applications and renewals and may take enforcement action when a provider no longer meets state requirements. Medicare-certified home health agencies follow separate survey rules.^[15,16]

How to check licensing and inspection reports for home care agencies in Ohio

Families can use the Ohio Department of Health provider search to verify an agency’s state license. Search by provider name, location, or license status, and select the state-license option. Because Ohio does not use a routine inspection cycle for every nonmedical agency, the database is most useful for confirming that a license is current rather than reviewing a standard inspection history.^[17]

Licensed providers must submit information about ownership, services, hours of operation, criminal-record-check policies, and the area they serve. New nonmedical providers may also need a surety bond.^[15,16]

Some agencies seek voluntary accreditation from organizations such as The Joint Commission, the Accreditation Commission for Health Care, or Community Health Accreditation Partner. Accreditation may reduce some application requirements, but it does not replace the Ohio license needed to provide nonmedical home health services.^[15,16]

What are hiring practices for home care agencies in Ohio?

Ohio home health agencies must review several federal and state databases before employing someone in a direct-care role. They must also request a fingerprint-based criminal records check, and direct-care employees generally undergo another check at least every five years. An FBI check is required in some cases when the person hasn’t lived in Ohio for the previous five years.^[18,19,20]

Ohio’s general nonmedical licensing rules focus on screening and licensure rather than setting one universal training-hour requirement for every private-pay caregiver. Training and competency expectations may still differ by agency, service, payer, or Medicaid program, so families should ask what caregivers learn before working independently and how the agency evaluates their skills.

When comparing agencies, ask about background checks, reference checks, caregiver training, supervision, backup care, and how the agency handles complaints or missed visits.

Choosing a home care agency is easier when you understand how caregivers are selected, how care will be supervised, and what happens when plans change. Look for a provider that communicates clearly, explains its policies, and can offer the services and schedule your family needs. Consider the following as you compare agencies:

• Verify the license. Use Ohio’s provider search to confirm that the agency holds a current nonmedical or skilled home health services license. A Place for Mom verifies the licensing status of agencies in its network twice each year.
• Review caregiver screening. Ask about database checks, fingerprinting, reference checks, and how the agency handles concerns about a caregiver.
• Ask about training. Find out what caregivers learn before working independently and whether they receive ongoing education.
• Read reviews and testimonials. Look for patterns in feedback about reliability, communication, compassion, and caregiver consistency.
• Request clear pricing information. Ask about hourly rates, minimum service requirements, weekend or holiday rates, overnight care, cancellation fees, and additional charges.
• Confirm available services. Make sure the agency can provide the support your loved one needs, such as companionship, bathing, dressing, meal preparation, light housekeeping, transportation, or dementia care.
• Ask how care is supervised. Find out who manages the care plan, how often supervisors check in, and whom your family should contact if your loved one’s needs change.
• Plan for backup care. Ask what the agency does when a scheduled caregiver is sick, late, or unable to visit.
• Meet potential caregivers. A good personality fit can help your loved one feel more comfortable receiving support at home.

Read more: How to Choose a Home Care Agency