For most families, the question isn’t whether their loved one needs help at home. It’s whether they can afford it.

That worry is common, and it’s valid; home care is a real investment, especially when it grows into daily or around-the-clock support. But affordability isn’t just about the hourly rate a provider charges. It’s also about the programs, benefits, and local resources that exist specifically to help Indianapolis families carry that cost.

This guide walks through the financial support most commonly available to seniors and their families here, so you can explore your options with a clearer picture, before cost becomes the reason care gets delayed.

Indiana offers a few state-run programs designed to help lower-income seniors access care at home rather than in a facility.

The Indiana Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver funds services like personal care, meal help, and medication reminders for seniors who meet income and functional eligibility requirements. If your loved one’s needs are extensive, the waiver can, in some cases, help support care up to 24 hours a day when it’s medically necessary.

The Indiana Division of Aging, part of the state’s Family and Social Services Administration, is a good next stop if you’re not sure where to start. They help families understand which state programs apply to their situation and can connect you with local providers who offer flexible, including round-the-clock, care.

CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions, the Area Agency on Aging serving Greater Indianapolis, is one of the most useful starting points for families navigating care for the first time. Beyond referrals to home care providers, they offer local funding options and can help you make sense of how Medicaid and other programs fit together — available to anyone 60 and older, with priority given to lower-income seniors.

CICOA also coordinates Indiana’s Family Caregiver Support Program, which offers training and, just as importantly, respite care for family members who need a break. If you’re the one holding everything together at home, respite isn’t a luxury. It’s what keeps a caregiving plan sustainable, and it pairs well with bringing in part-time companion or personal care support to share the load.

If your loved one served during a wartime period, the VA Aid and Attendance Pension is worth a serious look. It’s a benefit specifically intended to help cover the cost of daily care assistance, and it can make a real difference in affording consistent, long-term support at home — from companionship to help with mobility and ADLs. Eligibility depends on income and asset limits, so it’s worth reaching out to the VA directly to see where your loved one stands.

Two questions come up in almost every conversation we have with families: Will Medicare cover this? and What about our long-term care policy?

Generally, Medicare doesn’t cover non-medical custodial care; the day-to-day help with bathing, meals, or companionship that most home care involves. If your loved one has a long-term care insurance policy, it may pick up the difference; coverage varies widely by policy, so it’s worth calling the provider directly to understand what applies.

For unbiased help sorting through Medicare specifically, Indiana’s Senior Health Insurance Program (SHIP) offers free counseling to help you understand what’s covered and what isn’t; a genuinely useful resource before you assume either way.

None of these programs are one-size-fits-all, and most families end up combining a few, a bit of Medicaid support here, a caregiver respite day there, a VA benefit covering part of the monthly cost. The goal isn’t to find a single program that pays for everything. It’s to build a plan that makes consistent, quality care sustainable for your family.

At Evelyn Wells, we’re a non-medical home care provider based in Indianapolis, and we spend a lot of our time helping families do exactly that; figure out what level of care actually fits their loved one’s needs, and how to make it work financially. Whether that’s companionship a few hours a week or full 24/7 care, we’ll help you think it through.

If you’d like to talk through your options, schedule a free consultation with our team.