Rosner Healthcare Navigation in Baltimore: Guidance for Long-Term Care Planning

Rosner Healthcare Navigation is a consulting firm based in Baltimore that helps older adults and their families navigate the complex landscape of senior care options, insurance coverage, and placement decisions. Unlike facilities that offer direct care, Rosner guides clients through the process of finding appropriate housing and services, from independent living through skilled nursing, and helps coordinate entry into those settings. The firm operates as an independent resource, not tied to any particular facility, community, or insurance plan.

What Rosner Healthcare Navigation actually does

Rosner's core service is care consultation. A navigator (typically a social worker or case manager with relevant credentials) meets with a client and family, assesses care needs based on activities of daily living (ADL) capacity and medical complexity, and then presents options matched to those needs and to the client's location preferences and budget. The navigation process includes site visits to communities the client is considering, help with applications and admissions paperwork, and guidance on Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay financial structures. Many clients come to Rosner when a discharge planner at a hospital has flagged an urgent placement need, though Rosner also works with families planning ahead, before a crisis forces a decision.

The firm's value lies partly in what it does not do: it does not own facilities and does not receive placement fees from senior living communities, which means its recommendations are not financially motivated by referring clients to a particular property. This independence is central to the pitch and to how Rosner positions itself against peers that operate both as navigators and facility operators.

Services and pricing

Rosner charges either a flat fee or an hourly rate, depending on the scope. A basic care consultation, in which the navigator meets with a client once or twice, assesses needs, and provides a list of recommended communities with explanatory notes, typically costs $500 to $1,200. More involved engagements, such as a series of site visits with the client, help completing multiple applications, and follow-up support through the first weeks in a new setting, run $2,000 to $5,000. Verify current pricing directly; hourly rates and bundled package pricing can shift.

The firm also offers post-placement follow-up, billed at an hourly rate (typically $150 to $200 per hour in the Baltimore area for senior care consultants, though Rosner's exact rate should be confirmed), which allows clients to call back if they have questions about their new community's services or insurance paperwork. This is distinct from ongoing care management, which typically happens through the facility's social work department or an external care manager.

Most of Rosner's clients are Medicare beneficiaries or are self-pay. The firm itself is not an insurance provider and does not handle claims, but the navigators are trained to explain Medicare Advantage network restrictions, supplemental insurance implications, and Medicaid spend-down requirements. They do not provide tax or legal advice; when estate planning or Medicaid eligibility hinges on legal decisions, Rosner identifies when an elder law attorney is needed.

How Rosner compares to other Baltimore navigation options

Baltimore has several pathways to care consultation. Hospital discharge planners (particularly at Johns Hopkins Hospital, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Bon Secours) provide free placement guidance at the point of acute care or rehabilitation, but their recommendations are typically limited to contracted facilities or those with short-term availability. A hospital planner's job is to place quickly; they have little time for exploration of fit or long-term suitability.

A geriatric care manager (also called an elder care manager) is a social worker or nurse who provides ongoing monitoring of a client's health and safety, typically over months or years, and can include placement consultation as one component. Care managers in Baltimore usually charge $150 to $250 per hour and are paid for continuous oversight. Rosner is narrower: it focuses on the navigation and placement decision itself, not ongoing case management. If a client later needs someone to monitor their medication compliance or ensure the facility is meeting care standards, they would hire a separate care manager.

Some Baltimore senior living communities employ their own move-in coordinators, who work with families and facilitate the application process. These are free to the applicant but obviously directed toward that particular community. Rosner's multi-community approach is more useful when a client has not yet identified a preferred setting or needs help weighing options across price points and care levels.

Medicaid's aging and disability resource center (ADRC) in Baltimore provides free information about long-term care options and Medicaid eligibility. It is a good starting point for basic questions but does not offer the personalized assessment and site-visit assistance that Rosner provides. Rosner costs money; the ADRC is a public resource and is free.

Choose Rosner if you want independent, personalized guidance tailored to your specific needs and geographic preferences, and you have the budget for it. Choose a hospital discharge planner if you need immediate placement after an acute illness and are comfortable with facilities the hospital works with regularly. Choose a geriatric care manager if you need ongoing oversight, not just a one-time placement consultation.

Who Rosner suits and who it does not suit

Rosner works best for families with time to plan, a reasonably clear sense of budget (whether private pay, Medicaid, or mixed), and either uncertainty about care level or a desire to explore multiple options before committing. It is particularly useful when a client has specific geographic constraints (such as staying in a particular Baltimore neighborhood) or medical needs that require careful matching (such as memory care with a particular programming focus).

Rosner is less necessary if a client has already identified a facility they want to enter, if they are being placed from the hospital and need a placement within days, or if Medicaid eligibility and coverage is the only question (in which case a Medicaid planning attorney or the ADRC may be more appropriate).

What the first visit involves

Rosner typically begins with a telephone consultation (often 20 to 30 minutes, free) to understand the client's situation in broad terms: current living situation, reason for considering a move, health conditions, and rough budget. A follow-up in-person or extended video meeting then takes place, usually at the client's home or the navigator's office. This meeting includes a formal assessment of ADL (bathing, dressing, toileting, continence, feeding, transfers) and IADL (cooking, medication management, finances, housekeeping) capacity, discussion of medical and cognitive status, and a conversation about preferences such as neighborhood, community type (apartment-style vs. congregate dining), and amenities. The navigator asks about family involvement, transportation, prior moves, and any mental health or behavioral considerations. From there, the navigator generates a shortlist of 3 to 8 communities that fit the criteria, with written summaries of each. The client and family then decide whether they want Rosner to arrange and accompany site visits.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Rosner operates from a Baltimore office and also conducts home visits. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with occasional evening or Saturday appointments available. Verify hours when you call; they may vary seasonally. There is no walk-in; all consultations are by appointment. Parking at senior living communities during a site visit is typically free and abundant; Rosner navigators are familiar with the properties and can advise on best access.

Rosner Healthcare Navigation has established itself in Baltimore's elder care landscape by filling the gap between free public resources and facility-based placement teams. Its fee-based independence and attention to fit over speed make it a useful resource for families who have time and want to choose thoughtfully.