Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging and Senior Services: What's Available

Rhode Island has a layered system of senior services that can be difficult to navigate when you're in crisis mode. Here's how the pieces connect and where to start.

The Office of Healthy Aging (OHA)

The Office of Healthy Aging sits within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and oversees aging programs statewide. OHA doesn't provide direct services — it contracts with organizations that do. Its main role is coordinating the No Wrong Door (NWD) system, which is designed so that any point of contact (hospital, doctor's office, community center) can connect a senior to appropriate services.

The POINT: Your First Call

The POINT is Rhode Island's Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC), operated by the United Way of Rhode Island under contract with OHA. It's the single intake point for aging-related services. Call The POINT when you:

• Need help understanding what services your parent qualifies for
• Want to explore home care options before committing to a facility
• Need a referral to a specific program (Medicaid LTSS, @Home Cost Share, caregiver support)
• Don't know where to start

The POINT offers Person-Centered Options Counseling (PCOC), where a trained counselor walks through your parent's situation and maps out available options — home care, community services, facility care — based on their clinical needs, financial situation, and preferences.

MyOptionsRI

MyOptionsRI is the state's online portal for exploring home and community-based services. It lets families search for providers, compare care options, and access information about Medicaid waiver programs. It's useful for research, but The POINT provides more personalized guidance.

RIPIN Community Health Workers

The Rhode Island Parent Information Network (RIPIN) embeds community health workers directly into hospital discharge teams. If your parent is being discharged after a hospital stay and you're scrambling to arrange care, RIPIN workers can help coordinate the transition — connecting you to home care services, Medicaid applications, and equipment needs.

This is particularly valuable because hospital discharge planners often focus on clinical handoff, not the logistics of getting an aging parent safely settled at home or into a care facility.

The @Home Cost Share Program

For seniors who don't qualify for Medicaid but can't afford full-price home care, Rhode Island offers the @Home Cost Share program. It offsets in-home care costs on a sliding scale based on income. Eligibility and cost-sharing amounts are determined through The POINT.

This program fills a gap that many families fall into — too much income for Medicaid, not enough to pay $25–$35 per hour for home health aides out of pocket.

Caregiver Support Services

Rhode Island funds respite care, caregiver training, and support groups through OHA's caregiver programs. These are accessed through The POINT or through local senior centers. Respite care — temporary relief care that gives family caregivers a break — is particularly underused because many families don't know it's available.

Medicaid LTSS Under the Global Waiver

For seniors who meet Medicaid financial criteria (single applicant: $4,000 asset limit, $2,982 monthly income limit), Rhode Island operates its long-term care Medicaid under a Section 1115 Global Consumer Choice Demonstration Waiver. This means the state has more flexibility than most in directing Medicaid dollars toward home and community-based care rather than institutional placement.

The practical effect for families: Rhode Island actively supports keeping aging parents at home when clinically appropriate, and the Medicaid waiver covers home health aides, personal care, adult day care, home modifications, and other services.

The Legal Authority You Need to Access These Services

Here's what many families discover too late: accessing most of these programs requires legal authority. Without a durable power of attorney, you can't submit a Medicaid LTSS application on your parent's behalf, act as their representative in The POINT system, or manage the financial information needed for program eligibility screening.

The Rhode Island Power of Attorney & Guardianship Kit walks through establishing that legal authority so you can actually access the services your parent needs — along with a resource directory of Rhode Island-specific programs and contact information.

See more Rhode Island guides →