What is RAHSA?
The Rochester Area Association of Homes & Services for the Aging (RAHSA) is a local association of not-for-profit and public long-term care organizations dedicated to the mission of quality long-term care. Its purpose is to provide leadership, advocacy, and assistance for the development and delivery of quality long-term care and housing services, in cooperation with the not-for-profit institutions serving the aging. RAHSA was incorporated in 1960 and is the affiliated with the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA) and the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA). For information on why to consider a RAHSA facility, click here.
Back To Top

Who belongs to RAHSA?
RAHSA members are located throughout the greater Monroe County area, and include the not-for-profit organizations providing long-term care or housing services to the aging and chronically ill in our community. For a complete listing of our member facilities and a map showing their locations, click here. (link to map)
Back To Top

When do I start looking for these services?
If you have noticed a growing dependency or frailty in your loved one, or if he or she is unable to manage routine tasks without great difficulty or without being at risk, it may be a good time to begin gathering information and asking questions. If you have concerns, you may want to share them with others in your family and seek professional advice from doctors or the staff at a long-term care provider.
Back To Top

I'm not familiar with long-term care options. Where do I begin?
When most people think of long-term care, usually nursing homes come to mind. However, a nursing home is only one component in a spectrum of services in the continuum of long-term care. These services range from Senior Housing, which consist of apartments for independent living, Enriched Housing, Adult Care facilities, Assisted Living, Home Health Care, Adult Day Care programs, Transitional Care (which includes Rehabilitation Services), Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Hospice Care. For definitions on the levels of care offered in the Rochester area along with the RAHSA facilities providing those services, click here.
Back To Top

How will I know which level of care is appropriate?
To determine which level of care is appropriate, a health care professional - either a social worker or a case worker from a locally certified home health agency or case management service - administers a Patient Review Instrument (commonly called a PRI). This test assesses an applicant's ability to perform activities of every day living such as dressing, maintaining basic hygiene, preparing meals and moving safely about the house. The PRI score helps assess medical and social needs, and is required for admission to a nursing home. It is usually accompanied by a thorough medical report from a physician.
Back To Top

How do I choose the provider that is best for my loved one?
After determining the appropriate level of care, there are additional choices to be made to find the right local provider to meet your needs. Once you have narrowed the choices to those that offer the services you need, it is vitally important to visit those facilities in person. Nothing substitutes for a personal visit, since each person is unique and every facility has its strengths. Advice on what to look for when visiting a facility and some suggested questions to ask are included in the NYAHSA Consumer Guide which is available without charge online at www.nyahsa.org or by calling 1-877-LTC-BOOK.
Back To Top

What should I look for when choosing a long-term care provider?
It might be helpful for you to develop a checklist that reflects your own needs and priorities. This checklist might include issues of security, the quality of professional and support staff, proximity to home, family or friends, overall environment or atmosphere, (such as accessibility, cleanliness), and the quality and reliability of support services. Once you have developed your checklist, call the long-term care providers in whom you are interested and ask for tours and specific information about their services. You can view and download a checklist by clicking here that can help you when visiting potential nursing homes, providing both questions to ask and observations to make as you speak with staff and residents. These questions will help you determine the specifics of care and activity, but even more importantly, the approach and attitude of each home. It is easy to check on licensing and visiting hours, but concerns for a patient's dignity, privacy, personal belongings, preferences and abilities are subtler to discern. This checklist can get you started, and help direct your choices.
Back To Top

How do I pay for these services?
Long-term care services can be paid for in several ways:

MEDICARE is health care insurance available generally for those who are 65 years of age or over. Medicare may cover some of the costs of care in a skilled nursing facility for a defined period of time when admission is directly from a stay of three or more days in a hospital.

MEDICAID is health care insurance for those who are low-income and specific financial criteria apply for eligibility. While Medicaid may cover the expenses of some long term care providers, there are some limitations of choice of services. Some providers may not accept Medicaid payment.

MAJOR THIRD-PARTY HEALTH INSURANCE generally covers some or all of the cost for medical care. However, specifics depend upon the type of coverage that an individual has and the types of services sought. You should consult your policy and healthcare provider for coverage details.

LONG TERM CARE INSURANCE covers the costs of some long-term care providers. You should consult your policy to determine which services are covered.

PRIVATE PAY is accepted for most services, but there may be a sliding fee scale for some programs. However, the ability to pay privately does not guarantee admission to a specific long-term care provider. Criteria such as bed availability and level of care need determines access to services.
Back To Top

How do I apply for long-term care?
To make the admission process easier for consumers, RAHSA has included an online application for admission, complete instructions for attaching required medical reports and a completed Patient Review Instrument. Although various services have slightly different criteria, most require information on financial resources, physical, social or mental abilities of the applicant, and a summary of medical and nursing needs, and family situations. Some of these criteria are mandated by governmental or insurance regulations. For example, in New York State, anyone seeking admission to a skilled nursing care facility is required to complete a standard evaluation form called a Patient Review Instrument (PRI) and Screen (Click here for information on PRI). To apply online, click here for the RAHSA application.
Back To Top

Can I apply to more than one provider at a time?
Yes. When you use the RAHSA online application form (link to application page) you can apply to as many organizations as you would like. Then with a simple click, your application is forwarded to all the selected facilities at the same time.
Back To Top

How do I find out about other senior services and programs in the Rochester area?
The GRAPE Consumer Guide provides a comprehensive listing of all the senior services and programs in the Rochester area. This guide is a trusted resource for local consumers and professionals, and is now updated and available on-line. The guide is produced in collaboration with the Rochester Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), the Greater Rochester Area Partnership for the Elderly (GRAPE), and RAHSA. To view the current Consumer Guide, click here.
Back To Top

Are there any other publications or resources available to help me make my decision?
The Consumer Guide to Long-Term Care and Housing Options in New York State is another helpful resource which is published by the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA). This free guide explains in easy-to-understand terms the various long-term care and housing options offered in New York State. Copies of the Consumer Guide are available online at the Association's web site (www.nyahsa.org) or by calling toll free 1-877-LTC-BOOK. Click here to obtain a free copy of the publication.
Back To Top