The STARS Awards shine a well-deserved spotlight on your frontline, non-management team members who make a difference every single day. From nursing assistants and dining staff to housekeepers, maintenance teams, and program staff, these individuals represent the heart of mission-driven aging services across Ohio.
Each member organization may nominate up to six employees per site location to be honored at one of four regional luncheons this spring. We encourage facilities to recognize their outstanding team members whose service reflects compassion, professionalism, and commitment to quality care. Nominations can come from management, coworkers, residents, and resident families.
Find more information on the program, including dates and locations, on the LAO website and check out the STARS Nomination and Ceremony Guide for eligibility details, deadlines, and instructions before submitting nominations.
Questions can be directed to Randi Hamill, Director of Workforce Development and Initiatives, at rhamill@leadingageohio.org. Top You Asked: Is there a resource that outlines which communicable diseases must be reported and when?
We Answered: Yes, the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) provides a resource titled Know Your ABCs: A Quick Guide to Reportable Infectious Diseases in Ohio, which outlines reportable conditions and required timeframes. Additional details and related resources are available on the ODH Communicable Disease Reporting Requirements webpage. Top Attend the special Advocacy in Action on Monday, February 16, at 10 a.m. to learn how you can take action on QIP rates and back payments.
In January we provided information on the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s intent to release recalculated rates and back payment information once the legislature issues appropriations. While LeadingAge Ohio is actively educating lawmakers on the urgent need for accurate and timely appropriations, member action is also crucial.
This webinar is a training for members on ways you can make an impact through coordinated grassroots action. The LeadingAge Ohio policy team will lead the call with education and a toolkit for effective engagement with policymakers. If you’re interested in learning how you can make an impact, register here. LeadingAge Ohio members are invited to meet and connect with members of the Ohio General Assembly at our Legislative Reception on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Due Amici in downtown Columbus. As budget discussions move forward, this reception provides an important opportunity to reinforce the value of mission-driven aging services and to share firsthand experiences that inform state policy decisions.
The evening will offer time for meaningful conversation in a relaxed setting with lawmakers and colleagues from across the state. Members are encouraged to attend and help ensure aging services remain front and center during this critical season. Register for the reception here.
For questions about sponsorship opportunities, contact Corey Markham, Director of Education and Business Development, at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org. The 2026 Leadership Academy cohort met for the first time this week, bringing together 26 fellows from across Ohio for a session focused on authentic and ethical leadership. Participants completed the DISC assessment and CliftonStrengths to better understand their leadership tendencies and how those tendencies influence team culture, communication, and decision-making. The group explored what it means to build a strong foundation for mission-driven leadership and toured the Ohio Eastern Star Home campus, reflecting on leadership legacy and long-term stewardship. Fellows also engaged with Aric Arnett, Ginny Barney, and April Queener, who shared perspectives on governance, executive leadership, and personal accountability. See the Academy in action. LeadingAge Ohio’s Regional Network Gatherings return this spring, offering members the opportunity to connect with peers from across the state. These in-person gatherings center on conversation and relationship-building among mission-driven aging services organizations.
Join us at one of the networking events from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.:
Thank you to Platinum Partner Link-age Solutions for their continued sponsorship of the Regional Network Gatherings!
Attendance is free for LeadingAge Ohio member communities. Associate firms and partners are welcome to attend for a fee. Contact Corey Markham at cmarkham@leadingageohio.org for details. Top Ohio lawmakers are advancing House Bill 491, legislation aimed at modernizing the state’s guardianship statutes to clarify roles and strengthen oversight. The bill would update longstanding code sections governing how courts appoint and supervise guardians for adults who cannot make decisions for themselves. It would define different types of guardians, outline clearer responsibilities, and introduce new reporting requirements for guardians of adults found incompetent. It also would revise rules on how guardianships end and require more documentation when a guardian is releasing a ward’s funds. Supporters say the bill will bring the law into alignment with current practice while keeping protections for vulnerable adults, and the proposal is now before the House Judiciary Committee. Read more here. The Hall of Fame recognizes current or long-time Ohio residents age 60 and older whose leadership, service, and professional accomplishments have made a lasting difference in their communities. Nominations must be submitted by March 31, 2026, for consideration at a September induction ceremony.
Since 1977, just 524 older Ohioans have been inducted. Nominees are evaluated on the scope and impact of their contributions both before and after age 60 and must be native-born Ohioans or have lived in the state for at least 10 years. Posthumous nominations are accepted if the individual passed away within the last five years and was age 60 or older at the time of death. Repeat nominations are welcome if eligibility criteria are still met. Learn more and access the nomination form through the Ohio Department of Aging’s Senior Citizens Hall of Fame webpage. Ohio lawmakers have launched the FY27–28 capital budget process, with plans to pass a brick-and-mortar spending bill by June — even as the state works to determine how much it owes nursing facilities following the Ohio Supreme Court’s ruling on withheld quality incentive payments.
Senate Finance Chair Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) this week acknowledged that resolving the state’s liability to nursing homes remains a key fiscal variable as lawmakers determine the size of the capital bill. While revenue collections have continued to exceed budget expectations, legislative leaders say they are awaiting greater clarity on the nursing facility payments and other budget risks before setting final spending levels.
At the same time, the capital budget process presents an opportunity for community-based organizations across the state. Community project requests are due to legislators by March 12, with lawmakers submitting final lists later in March. Providers interested in community-based partnerships may wish to engage local legislators now, as projects must be submitted through a sponsoring lawmaker. Applicants must be a government entity or a non-profit organization, and funding requests must be related to capital improvements, such as construction, acquisition, and infrastructure. Projects should have a state nexus, or relevant to the state's interests. Nonprofit applicants will need to bond their requests to a state agency.
Although fiscal caution will shape this year’s bill, leaders in both chambers have confirmed they intend to move forward — making the coming weeks an important window for providers to collaborate locally and position priority projects for consideration. Top Each March, Gerontological Society of America leads Careers in Aging Month to highlight the wide range of meaningful career paths serving older adults. From clinical care and social services to housing, technology, dining, and executive leadership, aging services offer mission-driven work that strengthens communities across Ohio.
GSA’s 2026 Careers in Aging Month Toolkit provides ready-to-use resources, including promotional ideas, social media graphics and sample posts, and official logos to help organizations engage staff, students, and community partners. Members can download the toolkit and learn how to participate on the Careers in Aging Month page.
LeadingAge Ohio members can also promote career pathways through Gateways to Care, our statewide initiative connecting individuals to education, training, and employment opportunities in aging services. Explore resources and share workforce pathways at www.GatewaysToCare.org. Top Bed rail citations have resulted in Immediate Jeopardy when residents have experienced bed rail entrapment, underscoring the high-risk nature of bed rail use when not properly assessed, monitored, and reassessed. The intent of the requirement under F700 is to ensure that prior to the installation or use of bed rails, the facility attempts to use alternatives. Surveyors expect facilities to demonstrate that less restrictive interventions were considered and implemented before bed rails are introduced, and that bed rails are not used for staff convenience or as a substitute for appropriate supervision or care planning.
Surveyors evaluate whether the facility has identified and mitigated entrapment risks, such as gaps between the mattress and bed rail, between split rails, or between the rail and the headboard or footboard. State Operations Manual (SOM) Appendix PP emphasizes that changes in a resident’s condition, including declines in mobility, cognition, strength, or balance, may significantly alter the safety of bed rails that were previously appropriate. Failure to reassess bed rail use following a change in condition is a common survey finding.
Surveyors will also review facility policies and procedures related to bed rail assessment, installation, monitoring, and reassessment, as well as staff competency in identifying entrapment hazards and responding to changes in resident condition. Facilities must demonstrate that bed rails are compatible with the bed and mattress system and are installed and maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidance.
Specialty or therapeutic air-filled mattresses may increase entrapment risk due to their high compressibility, which can widen gaps between the mattress and bed rail and increase the likelihood of sliding or compression against the rail. Surveyors may evaluate if the facility is following manufacturer equipment alerts and recalls.
State Operations Manual (SOM) Appendix PP references multiple resources related to bed rail safety, including the FDA Recommendations for Consumers and Caregivers about Adult Portable Bed Rails webpage, Clinical Guidance for Assessment and Implementation of Bed Rails in Hospitals, Long Term Care Facilities, and Home Care Settings, FDA Recommendations for Health Care Providers using adult portable bed rails, FDA Hospital Bed System Dimensional and Assessment Guidance Document to Reduce Entrapment, and Hospital Bed System Dimensional and Assessment Guidance to Reduce Entrapment. CMS has updated its citation trend database, providing current survey data for Ohio. Review of Ohio health and life safety surveys completed in 2025 to date shows continued concentration in core compliance areas, with notable increases in select deficiencies. These trends are reviewed in greater detail during the monthly STAT call, along with updates on current survey experiences across the state.
Health survey data show infection prevention and control, accident hazards and supervision, and quality of care continue to be the most frequently cited areas. Other commonly cited deficiencies include food service sanitation, pressure ulcer prevention and treatment, activities of daily living support, medication storage and administration, environmental safety, and reporting of alleged violations.
Life Safety Code data continue to show frequent citations related to sprinkler and fire alarm system testing and maintenance, essential electrical systems, and fire drills, along with other recurring areas such as smoke barriers, cooking facilities, utilities, smoking regulations, and egress requirements. Recent survey data indicate an increase in citations specific to corridor and door compliance.
Citation patterns differ for stand-alone recertification surveys, with comprehensive care planning cited more frequently. Immediate Jeopardy citations most often involve accident hazards and supervision, abuse and neglect, quality of care, CPR, pressure ulcer treatment, and medication errors. Inappropriate discharges and bedrail deficiencies, which did not rise to the level of Immediate Jeopardy in 2024, have been cited at the Immediate Jeopardy level in 2025.
The federal government shutdown, system changes, and surveyor staffing challenges have contributed to delays in recertification surveys. Ohio currently reports 307 overdue nursing home surveys, with an average survey interval of 27.5 months, and 31 overdue residential care facility surveys, with an average interval of 16.5 months. Surveyor staffing has increased, with seven surveyors hired in February and additional hires anticipated in April. Despite turnover of 30 surveyors, ODH reported a 91.4 percent retention rate, bringing total surveyor staffing to 157 in December 2025, up from 126 surveyors two years ago.
ODH has clarified for LeadingAge Ohio that the CDC Infection Control Assessment and Response (ICAR) tool and the Ombudsman Notification of Discharge Summary form are not required. ODH also confirmed it has contracted with HSAG, the QIN-QIO for region 7, to support nursing homes with ICAR assessments on a voluntary basis. The Ohio Department of Aging Ombudsman’s office encourages use of the discharge summary form due to ongoing issues with incomplete information but noted that its use does not change or replace the required emergency transfer list each month. The Ohio Department of Aging has announced an added security measure for the Care Center Portal (CCP): all users will soon be required to access the system using an OHID, the state’s centralized user identification number. The change affects administrators, directors of nursing, infection preventionists, medical directors, and any staff who access Facility Profile Administration or EXCEL Academy within the CCP. Each user must create a unique, 8-digit OHID account tied to a unique email address by March 31, 2026. Facilities are also reminded to update CCP profiles quarterly, with at least one required annual update; this information feeds Ohio’s Long-Term Care Quality Navigator. Administrators can review full details in the Ohio Department of Aging Care Center Portal – OHID Configuration Update (February 9, 2026) and in the related EIDC bulletin. Top A recent column in The Oberlin Review by a resident of Kendal at Oberlin offers a needed corrective to the dominant cultural narrative around dementia. Rather than framing cognitive change solely as loss, the piece calls readers to see the person who remains — someone who still waters plants, folds laundry, shares meals, and sustains relationships. For nonprofit providers across Ohio, this reminder reflects daily practice: care that honors dignity, agency, and connection even amid clinical complexity. We commend Kendal at Oberlin for elevating this thoughtful perspective and advancing a more complete public understanding of aging.
Read the full column in The Oberlin Review. Top Benzodiazepines such as lorazepam and clonazepam are commonly prescribed for anxiety, insomnia, seizure disorders, muscle spasms, and panic disorders. While often considered standard therapy, these medications carry significant safety concerns for older adults.
The 2023 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults notes that older adults have increased sensitivity to benzodiazepines and decreased metabolism of long-acting agents. Continued use may lead to clinically significant physical dependence. In addition, all benzodiazepines are associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment, delirium, falls, fractures, and motor vehicle crashes in older adults.
To read more on this update, courtesy of LeadingAge Ohio Partner, HealthDirect Pharmacy Services, please click here. “Arts on Prescription” (AoP) refers to healthcare professionals formally referring older adults to structured arts activities — from visual arts to music and dance — as a **non-drug approach to support health and well-being. A Journal of Applied Gerontology review finds AoP can reduce loneliness, improve mood and enhance quality of life, but the evidence specifically for older adults remains limited.
Experts note promising mental-health and social benefits but major gaps in research: few studies evaluate whether prescriptions increase actual arts participation, outcomes specific to older adults are often not reported separately, most research lacks rigorous design controls, and many programs involve participants with fewer barriers to care. Read more here. Senior living organizations are operating amid changing insurance and financing models, with growing pressure to adjust long-term financial assumptions. This one-day program convenes finance leaders from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky for focused discussion of national senior living trends and their implications for nonprofit providers. Designed for finance professionals, the session centers on concrete approaches to long-range planning in an increasingly complex operating environment, including new cybersecurity threats, strategies for containing construction costs, and case studies in mergers/acquisitions.
For complete details, including the agenda for the day, click here. Workforce pressures continue to land squarely on HR—turnover, uneven performance, leadership gaps, and the ongoing weight of compliance. Too often, that leaves HR teams managing risk instead of contributing to decisions that drive organizational stability and culture.
Beginning March 10, the Strategic HR Leadership Series offers a structured, three-part approach to repositioning HR as a strategic partner. Led by CoreStrategy HR Solutions, the series uses the Transform. Align. Achieve. framework to help HR leaders demonstrate value in ways senior leadership recognizes and trusts. The opening session, From Compliance to Strategic Partner: Transforming HR’s Value, focuses on elevating HR’s role beyond administrative demands and into long-term decision-making. Subsequent sessions address leading multi-generational teams and building sustainable leadership and talent capacity. Each one-hour webinar offers NAB and HRCI credit, with discounted pricing for LeadingAge Ohio members. Top
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