Assisted Living in Maryland

Paying for Assisted Living in Maryland

Most Maryland residents pay for assisted living using their own personal savings or those of a family member. Medicare, the government’s health plan for adults age 65 and older, does not cover the cost of assisted living care.

Some public assistance is available however, through Medicaid, the federal health plan for low-income citizens, and The Maryland Department of Aging’s Senior Assisted Living Group Home Subsidy Program, which offers financial assistance to senior residents with limited income and assets who reside in selected assisted living facilities housing between 4 and 16 residents.

Overview of Maryland Assisted Living

Nestled along the Eastern Seaboard with nearly 4,000 miles of shoreline, the “Old Line State” of Maryland was first settled in 1634 by English colonists and became the seventh state to ratify the constitution in 1788.

Many seniors are attracted to assisted living in Maryland due to the area’s mild climate and varied geography. Nicknamed “America in Miniature,” Maryland boasts everything from sandy dunes to mountains to marshlands.

With a rich history intimately connected to the founding of the nation, Maryland served as home to a number of famous historical figures including abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, authors Upton Sinclair and Edgar Allen Poe, Blues singer Billie Holiday and baseball player Babe Ruth.

Assisted Living in Maryland Defined

The State of Maryland defines assisted living as a residence that provides housing and supportive services, including supervision, personal assistance and healthcare, to adults who need help with the basic activities of daily living. Maryland assisted living facilities are licensed to provide up to three levels of care: low, moderate and high.

The lowest level of assisted living care includes assistance with personal chores such as bathing and/or dressing for elder residents who are otherwise in good physical and mental health. The highest level of care provides full assistance with all activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming and eating, memory care services for residents with dementia, and professional management of multiple medications.

Regulation of Maryland Assisted Living

Assisted living facilities in Maryland must be licensed and regulated by the Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Office of Health Care Quality. The State requires that before beginning employment, all Assisted Living Managers must complete an 80-hour training program that covers topics such as:

• Resident assessment process
• Infection control
• Emergency disaster plans
• Basic CPR and first aid
• Dementia/Alzheimer’s training

All assisted living communities in the state of Maryland are inspected on a regular basis and inspection reports are kept on file to be made available to residents and their families upon request.

Legislation of Maryland Assisted Living Facilities

In the State of Maryland, couples living in the same assisted living facility gained a bit more independence in 2011 by being granted the option of administering medication to their spouse or domestic partner. However, there are checks in place to ensure mistakes aren’t made:  An initial assessment is made of the partner’s competency and ability to safely administer medication, and the facility’s delegating nurse will quarterly assess the partner’s ability to safely administer medications.