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Questions families ask

42 questions, each answered directly and sourced.

Quick answer

This page answers 42 common questions about senior care in your metro.

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Home›Questions families ask

These are the questions that come up on real calls, answered as briefly as the facts allow. Where a figure is disputed or unpublished, we say so rather than picking a number.

Short answer

This page answers 42 common questions about senior care in your metro, covering state licensing, Medicaid waivers, costs, the long-term care ombudsman, adult protective services, hospital discharge, and county-by-county resources.

Rules & licensing

What license does Indiana require for assisted living?Does Indiana require every assisted living community to be licensed?Does Indiana require a separate license for memory care?How do I check a facility's Indiana license and inspection history?What's the difference between Indiana's Residential Care Facility and Comprehensive Care Facility licenses?

Medicaid & waivers

What Medicaid waiver pays for assisted living in Indiana?What is RCAP and how is it different from the PathWays Waiver?Is Indiana's Medicaid expansion (HIP) the same as long-term care Medicaid for seniors?Is there a waitlist for Indiana's PathWays Waiver?What is Indiana's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program?

Costs & paying

What does assisted living cost in Indianapolis?What does memory care cost in Indiana?What does a nursing home cost in Indiana?What does in-home care cost in Indiana, and when does a community become cheaper?Does Indiana have a state program that pays assisted living rent directly?

Ombudsman & advocacy

Which long-term care ombudsman office covers Indianapolis?What does a long-term care ombudsman actually do?Can an ombudsman file a complaint even if my parent doesn't want to?Is the ombudsman the same as filing a state licensing complaint?

Abuse & protective services

How do I report suspected abuse or neglect in Indiana?Is there a different number for a facility-specific licensing complaint versus abuse?What should I do if someone is in immediate danger?Who has to report suspected elder abuse in Indiana?

Hospital discharge

My parent is being discharged from an Indianapolis hospital in 72 hours. What now?Does Medicare pay for a nursing home stay after a hospitalization?Which Indianapolis-area hospital systems most often discharge patients to senior care?Can I push back on a hospital discharge date?

Common situations

How do I know when it's no longer safe for a parent to live alone?What should I do after a parent's first fall?What should I do right after a dementia diagnosis?I live out of state. How do I manage my parent's care from a distance?

County-by-county

Which Area Agency on Aging covers Marion County?Does Hamilton County have its own Area Agency on Aging?What senior care options exist in Hendricks County?What senior care options exist in Johnson County?What senior care options exist in Boone County?What senior care options exist in Hancock County?

Comparisons

What's the difference between independent living and assisted living in Indiana?What's the difference between assisted living and memory care in Indiana?Is in-home care or assisted living cheaper in Indiana?What's the difference between a nursing home and assisted living in Indiana?What's the difference between hospice and palliative care?

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