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Indiana · checked September 2026
How Indiana helps pay for long-term care, who to call when you need help or something's wrong, and how to check a facility before you sign.
The first question
Yes, for the care. Indiana PathWays for Aging (includes the PathWays Medicaid Waiver) helps pay for care in assisted living. Rent and meals are usually still paid by the resident, often from Social Security. There can be a waitlist, so ask to be screened early, before savings run out.
Indiana's Medicaid rules for long-term care, and the programs that pay for care outside a nursing home.
Ask the state Medicaid office
Special Income Level (300% of the SSI benefit), effective 1-1-26, for nursing home residents, PACE members and HCBS waiver (PathWays) services. People with income above this are not eligible unless they set up a valid Miller trust.
$2,000
$2,000 for a single applicant or one whose spouse is a community spouse. Ask the state Medicaid office about the limit for a couple.
Indiana uses a hard income cap. People over it can still qualify by putting the extra income into a Qualified Income Trust (a "Miller trust") each month.
Apply for Indiana Medicaid (Indiana Health Coverage Programs)
Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA), Division of Family Resources (DFR) and Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning
Indiana's managed care program for Medicaid members 60 and older. A health plan coordinates care, and people who qualify for waiver services can get help at home, adult day, structured family caregiving or assisted living. Room and board in assisted living is not covered by the waiver; see the Residential Care Assistance Program.
Waitlist: Yes. As of September 2026, 12,266 people were on the PathWays Medicaid Waiver waiting list. Invitations go out monthly, with priority for people leaving a nursing home or hospital and people moving from CHOICE, then by date of assessment. Nursing home Medicaid itself has no waitlist.
The Residential Care Assistance Program (RCAP) is a state program that helps pay room, board and laundry in approved residential care facilities for people 65+ (or blind or disabled) who get Medicaid or SSI. The resident pays what their income allows and RCAP pays the rest up to a set daily rate. The facility usually helps with the application.
PACE provides all medical and long-term care for people 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but can live in the community. Programs in Indiana:
Free, and on your side. Start with the aging office if you don't know where to begin.
The state's aging office and its local agencies explain your options, screen for programs and help with applications.
A free, independent advocate for residents of nursing homes and assisted living. Call about any problem with care, rights, billing or a discharge.
You don't need proof to report. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Unbiased Medicare help from counselors who don't sell anything: plans, bills, appeals, and programs that lower costs.
Help spotting and reporting Medicare fraud, billing errors and scams.
In Indiana, assisted living is licensed as: Residential Care Facility. Read inspection reports before you sign anything.
Confirm a community's license here, and ask the agency how to see its inspection reports.
File a complaint
Medicare rates every nursing home on staffing, inspections and quality, with full inspection reports.
State veterans homes are often far cheaper than private care for eligible veterans and, in many states, their spouses.
Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs
Free legal help for older adults on issues like benefits, housing, powers of attorney and elder abuse.
Can a family member be paid to provide care? Yes, in some programs.
PathWays for Aging lists structured family care as a covered service, which is the usual way Indiana pays a live-in family caregiver. Ask the PathWays health plan or your Area Agency on Aging how payment works.
Through the local Area Agency on Aging, family caregivers can get counseling, training, support groups, respite breaks and help with things like emergency response buttons. There is no income limit; donations are voluntary.
Each Area Agency on Aging has dementia outreach specialists who offer free education and help connecting families living with dementia to local services.
A state-funded program, not Medicaid, that pays for in-home help such as attendant care, homemaker, meals, adult day and respite for people 60+ or with a disability who struggle with daily tasks. Apply through your Area Agency on Aging, and ask about income, asset and cost-sharing rules.
Yes, for the care part. In Indiana, Indiana PathWays for Aging (includes the PathWays Medicaid Waiver) can pay for care in assisted living. Rent and meals are generally paid by the resident. There can be a waitlist.
$2,000 for a single person. $2,000 for a single applicant or one whose spouse is a community spouse. Ask the state Medicaid office about the limit for a couple.
The Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: 1-800-622-4484. It's free and independent.
Researched from 31 sources, official pages first. Last checked .