Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) - MHCC is the state agency responsible for developing the Assisted Living Guide. For more information about the Commission, visit the home page at www.mhcc.maryland.gov.

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH) - is the state agency responsible for overseeing and administering medical programs, including the Medicaid program for low-income residents. DHMH is responsible for the licensing and regulatory oversight of Maryland assisted living facilities through the Office of Health Care Quality.

The Office of Health Care Quality has an Assisted Living Consumer Information page which lists sources of information which will assist them in selecting an assisted living facility. To go to the Assisted Living Consumer Information page click here.

Maryland Department of Aging - in partnership with the Area Agencies on Aging provides leadership and advocacy for older Marylanders, their families and caregivers through information, education, programs and services. The Maryland Department of Aging envisions Maryland as a State where all people are able to age with choice, independence and dignity. The department provides information and assistance regarding a variety of issues that affect elders. Services include:

Senior Information and Assistance provides information on the services and benefits available for older persons. Staff in local offices throughout the state will help determine what services are needed and where they can be found.

The Senior Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides trained staff and volunteers to assist seniors with understanding their health insurance options, including the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program, and filling out claims and other forms.

The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program provides advocates for residents of long term care facilities (nursing homes, board and care homes, assisted living facilities). Paid and volunteer ombudsmen work in every jurisdiction to advocate on behalf of individuals and groups of residents, and provide information to residents and their families about the long term care system. They provide an on-going presence in long term care facilities, monitoring care and conditions and providing a voice for those who are unable to speak for themselves.

To learn more about these and other programs, and to find the office nearest you, click the following to visit the Maryland Department of Aging website MDOA.

Assisted Living in Maryland: What You Need to Know – This document was developed as a cooperative effort by many experts in the area of assisted living. The Guide covers information on Choosing an Assisted Living Provider, Your Rights Under the Law, Alternatives to Assisted Living and many other types of useful information. To access the Guide please click here: What You Need to Know

Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM)
A voluntary, non-profit trade association representing over 150 licensed nursing homes in Maryland, HFAM serves as an information and education source to its members, vendors and consultants to the long-term care industry, the public, the media, and the government. HFAM is an affiliate of the American Health Care Association, the largest long-term care association in the nation. To reach the HFAM web page, click here

Mid-Atlantic LifeSpan – LifeSpan Network is a senior care provider association in the Mid-Atlantic, representing more than 300 senior care provider organizations in Maryland and the District of Columbia. LifeSpan’s members include non-profit and proprietary assisted living, continuing care retirement communities, nursing facilities, subsidized senior housing and community and hospital based programs. For additional information on LifeSpan click here

Other Resources:

The Administration on Aging (AOA) – is the federal agency that oversees  home and community-based services to older persons through programs funded under the Older Americans Act. These services include home-delivered meals, transportation, adult day care, legal assistance, and health promotion programs. If you have visited a nursing home, you may have talked to an ombudsman, or you may be familiar with the National Family Caregiver Support Program funded through this agency. To access the AOA website click here: http://www.aoa.gov/about/over/over.asp

Assisted Living Fact Sheet prepared by the Administration on Aging
View Fact Sheet (pdf)

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) – A national organization committed to advancing the vision of healthy, affordable, ethical aging services for America. For additional information please click here

National Center for Assisted Living’s Consumer Guide to Assisted Living and Residential Care Facilities - National Center for Assisted Living is the assisted living voice of the American Health Care Association (AHCA), the nation’s largest organization representing long term care. NCAL provides consumer information about assessing your needs, finding a suitable facility and preparing for the transition to long term care. For additional information, please click here NCAL

Assisted Living Federation of America’s Consumer Checklists – The Assisted Living Federation offers a consumer checklist that you can use to evaluate Assisted Living communities as well as an assisted living cost calculator. To find these tools go to: ALFA