Memory care: disclosure, certification, or neither?
Indiana requires a written Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure under Indiana Code 12-10-5.5, not a separate state certification, for any community that locks or segregates a dementia-specific unit. Operational standards sit at 410 IAC 16.2-5-1.2 and 16.2-5-1.3.
The disclosure must describe the unit's staffing pattern, physical design (secured exits, alarmed doors), and training program. Direct-care staff in the unit need 12 hours of dementia-specific training initially and 6 hours annually — requirements a July 1, 2023 amendment tightened, adding fines up to $10,000 for violations.
On a tour, ask to see the disclosure document itself, by name. A community that markets “memory care” but cannot produce it, or is vague about training hours, has not met Indiana's own minimum bar.
What the disclosure must cover
Under 410 IAC 16.2-5-1.2 and 16.2-5-1.3, the disclosure describes the unit's staffing pattern, physical design (secured exits, door alarms), admission/discharge criteria specific to the unit, and its training program. Staff working directly in the unit need 12 hours of dementia-specific training initially and 6 hours annually.
What changed in 2023
A July 1, 2023 amendment strengthened training requirements and added fines up to $10,000 for violations. If a community's memory-care marketing predates that date, ask whether its disclosure and training program have been updated to the current standard.
What to ask for on a tour
Ask to see the Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure document itself, by name. A community that cannot produce it, or that conflates it with a state "certification" that does not exist, has not met Indiana's own minimum bar.
