Ohio Shared Living is often called OSL for short. It provides an option for adults with a developmental disability to get the support they need while living with a family member or a caregiver. The person resides with one or more family members or caregivers, and they provide twenty percent or more of the person's care and support services. OSL family members and caregivers support adults with developmental disabilities in a home setting. Some benefits of using the OSL service are that it:

• nurtures family bonds, long-term relationships, and community connections;
• provides consistency of care and a safe environment;
• helps the person experience a genuine community life;
• develops life routines chosen by the person; and
• promotes shared decision-making

Service Planning

Eligibility for the OSL service is decided based on a person’s living situation and person-centered needs outlined in the Individual Service Plan (ISP). To qualify for the OSL service, a person must be at least 18 years of age, have an Individual Options (IO) Waiver, and live with one or more family members or caregivers approved to be OSL providers.

OSL service may be authorized when one or more adult caregivers who reside with the person provide twenty percent or more of the personal care and support services needed. OSL applies regardless of whether the person receiving the service and the caregiver are related.

Other IO Waiver services, such as, Respite, Self-Directed Transportation, Interpreter Services, Non-Medical Transportation, Adult Day, Vocational Habilitation, and employment or career services, are still available to people participating in Ohio Shared Living.

A person receiving the OSL service may, or may not, have other roommates with developmental disabilities. A maximum of four people with developmental disabilities can live in a home providing OSL services. 

People enrolling in the IO Waiver as a result of an emergency situation may consider OSL as an option. 

Providing this Service 

OSL family members and caregivers are paid to provide hands-on care and supportive services. Family members and caregivers provide, or help to coordinate, the services outlined in a person’s service plan. Assistance with personal care, supervision, housekeeping, and accessing community activities are all part of the OSL service.

OSL can provide peace of mind and consistency for both the person and family member. For caregivers hoping to be an OSL provider, they may want to become a certified independent provider or an employee of an agency certified to provide OSL. 

Although OSL is a full-time commitment, family members and caregivers can work outside the home, having planned for needed supports that align with the person's service plan. Respite services can be accessed during a caregiver’s short-term absence.

Training Requirements for this Service

Providers must complete the initial Provider Certification process (including a background check) and annual training requirements to deliver this service.

Billing and Payment Information

To be successfully submitted for payment through eMBS, all services must be delivered as specified in the ISP and authorized by the CBDD in the Payment Authorization for Waiver Services (PAWS) system.

Rates and limits for Ohio Shared Living are contained in the service rule's appendix.

Ohio Shared Living has separate daily rates for independent providers and provider agencies. 

Neither the medical, behavioral, nor complex care add-on apply to OSL services.

Related Laws & Forms

OAC 5123-9-33
Home and community-based services waivers - shared living under the individual options waiver