YOUNGSTOWN - Transitioning a loved one to a nursing or assistants living home can be difficult. With so many to choose from and so many questions to ask, the process can be daunting. That’s why Ohio’s Department of Aging launched a nursing home navigator website in February. 

By entering your zip code and level of care needed you can be connected with all facilities in a 25 mile radius. 

“It's really hard to find the right fit for care when you're looking for it. There are a lot of options out there and there wasn't one stop shop, there wasn’t one place where people could go as a source of truth and get the information they needed to make really good decisions,” Jamie Carmichael, Chief Program officer at the Ohio Department of Aging said.

Now the state wants to improve that search site so they asked Ohioans what they items they would be searching for when trying to find care. 

“Some people it's really important to them that the facility is close by,” Carmichael said. “Some people the layout of the facilities is going to be really important because maybe their loved one has mobility issues.”

The updated version of the site will include assisted living facilities and specific care details for a more in depth look into where you could possibly be placing a loved one. 

“It's really about connecting people to the available resources,” Carmichael said.

The department plans to take all of the feedback, update the site and launch the second version in February of 2025.