Ohio PASSPORT Waiver: How to Apply for Home Care for an Aging Parent

Your parent needs help bathing, dressing, and managing medications — but they want to stay home. A nursing home would cost $7,000+ per month out of pocket. The PASSPORT waiver is Ohio's primary answer: Medicaid-funded home care that keeps seniors out of nursing facilities. Here's how to actually get it.

What PASSPORT Covers

PASSPORT (Pre-Admission Screening System Providing Options and Resources Today) is a Medicaid home and community-based services waiver under OAC Chapter 5160-31. It funds:

• Personal care attendants (bathing, dressing, toileting, transfers)
• Home-delivered meals
• Non-emergency medical transportation
• Personal emergency response systems
• Minor home modifications (grab bars, ramps)
• Adult day services
• Respite care for family caregivers

The waiver is designed to supplement family caregiving, not replace it. It does not fund 24-hour continuous in-home care. Spouses are generally barred from being paid caregivers, with narrow exceptions.

Eligibility: Two Tests

Clinical eligibility: Your parent must be age 60 or older and require a Nursing Facility Level of Care. This means they need hands-on help with multiple Activities of Daily Living — bathing, dressing, transferring, toileting, eating, or continence management. Cognitive impairment (dementia-related executive dysfunction) also qualifies.

The clinical assessment is conducted in the home by a nurse or social worker from the local Area Agency on Aging using the Adult Comprehensive Assessment Tool (ACAT). Call 1-866-243-5678 to request the screening.

Financial eligibility: The same strict Medicaid long-term care limits apply. For 2026:

• Individual countable assets: $2,000 or less
• Individual income: at or below $2,982/month (the Special Income Limit). If income exceeds this, a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) must be established
• 60-month lookback period for asset transfers applies
• Primary home exempt if equity is under $752,000

The Application Process Step by Step

1. Contact the AAA: Call 1-866-243-5678 to request a phone screening and schedule an in-home ACAT assessment
2. Prepare for the ACAT: The assessor evaluates ADLs, IADLs, cognitive function, and informal support. Have medication lists, medical records, and a clear picture of daily care needs ready
3. Submit the Medicaid financial application: File ODM 07400/07408 with the County Department of Job and Family Services or online through benefits.ohio.gov
4. Provide 60 months of financial documentation: Bank statements, investment records, insurance policies, and documentation for any asset transfers
5. Respond to verification requests: The CDJFS caseworker has mandatory response windows — typically 10 days. Missing a deadline can result in denial

Timeline: the AAA screening takes about a day, the ACAT assessment 2–4 weeks to schedule, and county JFS financial processing can take up to 45 days.

Why Legal Authority Is the Prerequisite

If your parent has cognitive impairment — the very condition that often qualifies them for PASSPORT — they may not be able to navigate this process independently. Without a durable financial power of attorney, you cannot:

• Sign the Medicaid application on their behalf
• Establish a Miller Trust if income exceeds $2,982/month
• Request and organize the 60 months of bank statements
• Respond to CDJFS verification requests within the mandatory windows
• Coordinate with the AAA case manager on service plan details

Under guardianship, establishing a Miller Trust requires filing Form 75.0 with probate court and waiting for judicial approval — adding months of delay to an already slow process.

A proactive power of attorney with explicit trust-creation authority eliminates this bottleneck. The Ohio Power of Attorney & Guardianship Kit covers the full PASSPORT application process alongside the legal authority documents you need to manage it.

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