Gaithersburg Q&A: Who Do I Actually Call?

"Who licenses assisted living in Gaithersburg?"

The Maryland Office of Health Care Quality (OHCQ), the same statewide agency that covers every Montgomery County city. Gaithersburg's larger campuses around Kentlands and Olde Towne carry the same COMAR 10.07.14 licensing and the same Level 1/2/3 rating system as a smaller Rockville or Bethesda community - OHCQ's facility directory is the single place to check any of them.

"Who do I call if I have a concern about my parent's actual care?"

Montgomery County Aging and Disability Services (240-777-3000) runs the local ombudsman program for the entire county, Gaithersburg included. This is a separate function from OHCQ - the ombudsman advocates for the resident, while OHCQ holds the licensing and inspection file.

"What if I'm not sure it's a big enough deal to call anyone?"

Call anyway. Both OHCQ and the county ombudsman program field general questions, not just formal complaints, and Maryland Access Point (1-844-MAP-LINK) exists specifically as a low-stakes first call for families who aren't sure where to start.

"Does any of this change for larger continuing-care campuses?"

No - even Gaithersburg's largest CCRC-style communities are still OHCQ-licensed for their assisted living and nursing levels of care. Maryland does not split this across two agencies the way Virginia does.