Community-based care more efficient

The Ohio Assisted Living Association thanks The Dispatch for the Aug. 6 article “Ohio cuts Medicaid costs with home aides," which highlighted an issue we care about deeply: meeting the care needs of our Medicaid population in a cost- effective and appropriate care setting. The cost of long- term care is especially important as our population ages, often without as much informal family care support available as in the past.

Ohio has received national attention for its longtermcare reform efforts by utilizing more communitybased settings, like assisted living and, as the article mentions, home care. This investment has made our state a leader in providing choices for care and lowering costs, allowing Ohio to serve more in need of care.

Community-based care, when appropriate, helps to reduce the need for costly nursing-home care. The Assisted Living Medicaid Waiver helps pay the costs of assisted- living care for qualifying individuals by allowing them to live in a lower- cost setting.

Dr. Robert Applebaum of Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University, in his study of the Ohio long-term care system, has cited the cost-effectiveness of homeand community-based services and we couldn’t agree more. He reports that in 2015, the Medicaid cost of the Assisted Living Waiver averaged $52.87 a day — very close to the cost of PASSPORT in-home care, and dramatically lower than the cost of nursing-home care.

We will continue to support appropriate and costeffective long-term care for all Ohioans, and we encourage all to voice their support for continuing home- and community-based options in long-term care.

Jean Thompson Executive director Ohio Assisted Living Association Columbus