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Adult Day Care vs. In-Home Care

Adult day care runs on a schedule and gives a caregiver their day back. In-home care comes to the house on whatever schedule you set.

HomeComparisonsAdult Day Care vs. In-Home Care
Short answer

Adult day care operates on a set schedule at a dedicated facility, giving a family caregiver structured time back during the day. In-home care comes to the house on whatever schedule the family sets, with no travel required for the person receiving care.

Cost and coverage

Indiana does not publish a statewide adult day care cost median the way it does for assisted living or nursing homes. Indiana's PathWays Waiver can help cover adult day services for eligible Hoosiers 60 and older -- ask CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions whether a specific adult day program participates.

Why many families use both

Adult day care and in-home care are not mutually exclusive. A common pattern is adult day care on weekdays a caregiver works, paired with in-home help or family caregiving in the evenings and on weekends -- covering more hours of the week than either option alone, often at a lower blended cost than scaling up either one by itself.

Free help in your area. CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions is the Area Agency on Aging covering all six counties this site serves. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

Can an ombudsman file a complaint even if my parent doesn't want to?

No. Consent matters: if a parent has capacity and does not want a complaint pursued, that decision stands, even where family disagrees with it. The ombudsman represents the resident's wishes, not the family's.

Is the ombudsman the same as filing a state licensing complaint?

No, they're two different systems. The ombudsman advocates for an individual resident; the Indiana Department of Health investigates regulatory complaints and can take enforcement action against a facility's license. Using one does not preclude using the other.

How do I report suspected abuse or neglect in Indiana?

Call Indiana's statewide Adult Protective Services line at 1-800-992-6978, or file online. Indiana APS is state-run through five regional field teams under FSSA, not county-run, so there is no separate Marion County number to look up.

Is there a different number for a facility-specific licensing complaint versus abuse?

Yes. Adult Protective Services (1-800-992-6978) investigates suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of an individual. A facility licensing complaint -- about conditions, staffing, or care quality broadly -- goes to the Indiana Department of Health at 1-800-246-8909 or through its online complaint form.

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