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Assisted Living in Maryland What Is Assisted Living? Assisted living is a residential program that provides housing, supervision, personal care services, health related services, or a combination of these to residents who are unable to perform activities of daily living or who need help performing them. The activities of daily living include bathing, dressing, eating and toileting. The goal of assisted living is to provide the care needed in a way that promotes dignity, independence and choice in a home like setting. How Do Assisted Living Facilities Differ from Nursing Homes? Nursing Homes are facilities that care for residents who, in general, need health-related care and services rendered by or under the supervision of licensed health care professionals. Typically, a nursing home resident will need more help and supervision than an assisted living resident. How is Assisted Living Care Paid For? Generally, people pay privately for assisted living care using their income and assets. There are limited subsidies to help pay for assisted living in some counties. There are also a small number of assisted living beds paid for by Medical Assistance under the "Older Adults Waiver". Assisted Living in Maryland can cost anywhere from $500/month to over $4,000/month. The facilities that cost $500 per month tend to be small homes owned by people who decide to have 1 or 2 people move in with them. The residents will give the owner of the home $500 in exchange for a room, personal care services, and meals. The larger facilities tend to be more expensive. What Rights Do Residents of an Assisted Living Facility Have? Some of the rights accorded to residents include: right to sign an admissions agreement, which explains what types of services you will receive and the cost; right to make choices about care; right to privacy; right to be free of abuse, neglect, and exploitation; right to handle your own finances; right to visitors of your choice; & the right to make complaints and get timely responses to your complaints. The Office of Health Care Quality of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is the state agency responsible for licensing facilities and investigating complaints. It can be reached by calling (410) 402-8201. Also, the Legal Aid Bureau provides legal assistance with problems with assisted living. |
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Source: Legal Aid Bureau/Tamara Catchpole, updated by Maryland State Law Library (MSLL). |
Last legal review 03/05/08 |