Independent living is generally unlicensed housing -- apartments or cottages with dining and activities but no personal care. Assisted living communities in Indiana are licensed as Residential Care Facilities and provide medication administration and help with daily activities.
The distinction that matters
Several Indianapolis-area campuses blend both models on one site, letting a resident start in an independent-living apartment and move into assisted living later without changing addresses -- ask directly whether that transition is guaranteed or merely 'available if space allows,' since the two are very different promises. If your parent already needs regular help with bathing, dressing, or medication management, independent living is the wrong category even when a community offers to arrange outside caregivers to fill the gap -- that arrangement usually costs more than simply choosing licensed assisted living from the start.
