Independent living in Ohio is typically unlicensed, because no personal care is provided -- it is housing with services bundled in. Assisted living is licensed by the Ohio Department of Health as a Residential Care Facility (RCF) under ORC 3721, because it involves hands-on personal care.
The practical line
If a resident needs help with bathing, dressing, medication management or similar daily-activity support, that is assisted living, regardless of what a community calls its independent-living wing.
Campuses that let you move between levels
Several Cincinnati-area communities -- including Twin Lakes, Maple Knoll Village, Marjorie P. Lee, Deupree House, The Kenwood by Senior Star and the Otterbein SeniorLife campuses -- combine independent living with assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing on one site, so a resident can move between levels without changing addresses.
