Services

Supported Living

Supported Living was born under the philosophy that all individuals should have the supports they need to live a full and happy life in their communities to the extent they wish to. Supported Living providers are here to help people with disabilities to do just that! Supported Living services are most often funded by the Individual Options Waiver (I/O) or through county funds, but there are some people who self-pay. SupportCare staff provide the level of services and supports specific to each individual. This could range from a few hours per week to 24 hours per day. These services are provided to individuals living in their own homes or apartments, or in the family home. Generally, no more than three individuals live in a home together.

Licensed Homes

SupportCare’s licensed homes serve adults with varying levels and types of disabilities and are licensed by the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (ODMRDD). The additional rules and guidelines these homes must follow provide extra oversight of services. People with Behavior Support Plans and/or high medical needs may be better served in this setting. All homes provide staff 24-hours per day, however, the amount of staffing you receive is determined by your ISP. As the ISP or Individual Service Plan is what drives a person’s services in both Supported Living and Licensed Homes, there is little to no day-to-day observable difference in services delivered.

Similarities of SupportCare Licensed Homes
and Supported Living Programs

Eleven homes are in the community and are spread out over Franklin County in neighborhoods similar to, if not the same as, our SL sites. There are also two homes operating in Brown County.
The ISP is what dictates the services the individual receives; not the setting. There are no differences in your ISP if you reside in a Supported Living home or in one of our licensed homes. It is you and your team who dictate alone time, behavior plans, restrictions, etc.
All SupportCare staff receive the same comprehensive new-hire and ongoing training.

Differences of SupportCare SL and Licensed Homes

All leases, and utilities are in the company’s name and are paid by SupportCare with the exception of the Brown County homes, where the county pays the lease. Each home has a credit card, which is used to purchase food, personal care products, programming items and minor equipment (toasters, telephone, towels, etc) for the people in the home. Personal choice is considered at these times.
All Licensed Homes are mandated to cover all medical expenses not paid for by Medicaid or Medicare. This includes all co-pays and prescriptions. This is an enormous benefit to those individuals with little to no earned income and high medical needs.
The number of people living in each home is typically 4 to 5 versus 1 to 3 in SL. A greater number of roommates decreases the amount the individual needs to spend on staff services, which lowers the cost of services overall. This will allow some individuals to receive more services in licensed homes than they could obtain in Supported Living.
There are many more ODMRDD rules, which SupportCare and its staff must follow. These rules aim to ensure quality services are provided and DO NOT limit, or directly impact, the individuals’ rights or ISP in any way.
ODMRDD Licensure Unit audits each of our sites at least annually to ensure compliance with all ODMRDD rules. These reviews are in addition to ODMRDD Quality Assurance Reviews, which are more randomly performed.
If a citation is issued; a follow up visit is conducted to ensure proper follow through has been completed to resolve the issue. With QA Reviews return site visits are rare.
Room and Board is paid to Licensed Homes by Franklin County and this money supplements the individuals’ unearned income.

Benefits to Individuals Residing
in a SupportCare Licensed Home

Greater oversight and tighter restrictions for the staff increases the quality of the home and the overall services provided to the individual.
Though the ISP still indicates how much cash an individual may carry at one time; the rule for Licensed Homes dictates that $75.00 of an individual’s unearned income MUST be provided to the individual at the beginning of every month. In SL all your unearned money must go to bills and the individuals may get what is left over, if any.
SupportCare provides all the individuals they serve in licensed homes with a clothing allowance of up to $400 per year, based on need. This is not an ODMRDD rule and many providers do not provide this allowance.
Each one of SupportCare’s 13 Licensed Homes has its own van.
SupportCare has its own full-time maintenance department, which is on call 24-hours 365 days of the year to address any environmental issues that may cause a health and safety concern. They provide continual environmental improvements to our homes such as installing new carpeting, painting, appliance maintenance and repair, repair windows, ensuring clear and safe walkways in the winter, etc. The maintenance team also conducts “Life and Safety Checklists”, monthly Smoke Detector Inspections, and Vehicle Inspections at each of our sights