The Eldercare Locator, a public service of the U.S. Administration for Community Living, can help families connect with aging-related services and resources in their communities.
This can be particularly useful if you’re unsure what kind of local support exists or where to begin.

Area Agencies on Aging can help connect older adults, people with disabilities, and families with information and community resources.
For families in Indiana, local aging organizations can be another useful starting point when exploring available support.

You can also ask people you trust whether they have experience with local home care.
Recommendations may come from friends, relatives, community organizations, senior-resource professionals, or healthcare professionals familiar with your parent’s circumstances.
A recommendation is a useful starting point, but you should still independently research any provider before making a decision.
Once you’ve identified several local options, the next step is narrowing them down. Our guide to finding great quality home care providers goes deeper into what to look for when evaluating the agencies you find.

After your initial search, you may have several possible providers.
You don’t need to investigate every company in detail. Instead, create a manageable shortlist.

Start by checking:

• Service area: Does the agency actually serve your parent’s community?
• Services: Does the provider offer the type of everyday assistance your parent needs?
• Scheduling: Can the provider accommodate the amount and frequency of support you’re considering?
• Experience: Does the provider have experience supporting older adults with needs similar to your parent’s?
• Care approach: Does the provider explain how care is planned and adjusted around the individual’s routines and preferences?

At this stage, your goal isn’t necessarily to choose a provider. It’s to narrow your search to a few options worth investigating further.

If you’re unsure what should matter most when comparing those options, our guide on How to Choose Home Care for a Loved One can help you move from finding potential providers to making the final decision.

Once you’ve identified a few potential providers, you can move from finding options to evaluating them.
Trust matters when you’re inviting someone into your parent’s home, but trust should also be supported by proper verification.
If you’re hiring through an agency in Indiana, check that the provider holds the appropriate state license for the services it offers.

Ask potential providers:

• How are caregivers screened before they are hired?
• Are background checks conducted?
• What training do caregivers receive?
• How are caregivers supervised?
• How does the agency handle complaints or concerns?
• Can the agency provide references?
• What happens if a caregiver isn’t a good match for your parent?

Online reviews can also provide useful context, but they shouldn’t be your only measure of quality. Look for patterns across reviews rather than relying on a single positive or negative experience.
Pay attention to communication from the beginning as well. Responsiveness, transparency, and willingness to answer questions can tell you a great deal about what working with a provider may be like.
For a more detailed provider-evaluation checklist, read How to Find Great Quality Home Care Providers.

If your parent is living with dementia, caregiver selection can involve additional considerations around experience, consistency, communication, and dementia-related needs. Our guide on Tips for Hiring a Caregiver for Dementia Patients explores those considerations in more detail.

Home care costs vary based on factors such as the amount of support required, scheduling, services needed, location, and the individual provider.
Before committing to care, ask each provider to clearly explain:

• How pricing is calculated
• Whether there are minimum-hour requirements
• Whether rates vary for weekends or holidays
• Whether transportation or other services involve additional charges
• How changes to the care schedule affect costs
• What payment methods are accepted

Families commonly use private funds to pay for non-medical home care. Long-term care insurance may provide coverage depending on the policy, while some eligible families may have access to state, local, veterans, or other assistance programs.
Medicare generally does not cover ongoing custodial care when that is the only care a person needs, so families should understand what their specific coverage does and does not include before building a care plan.
For a deeper look at planning and payment options, read How to Pay for Home Care: Private Pay Explained. Evelyn Wells’ current guide explains private pay and some of the factors families should consider when planning for non-medical care.

Once you’ve narrowed your search to one or two providers, schedule a conversation or consultation.
This is your opportunity to go beyond what’s written on a website and understand how the agency actually approaches care.

Useful questions include:

• What specific non-medical home care services do you provide?
• Do you serve my parent’s community?
• Are you appropriately licensed in Indiana for the services you provide?
• How are caregivers screened, trained, and supervised?
• How do you match caregivers with clients?
• Will my parent have consistent caregivers?
• What happens if the regular caregiver is unavailable?
• How is the care plan developed?
• How often is the care plan reviewed?
• What happens if my parent’s needs change?
• Are there minimum-hour requirements?
• Are there additional charges for weekends, holidays, transportation, or other services?
• How do families communicate concerns or request changes?
• Is support available outside normal business hours if an issue occurs?

Then consider something that’s harder to measure on paper:
“How does the provider interact with your parent?”
Does the person speaking with your family listen to them? Are your parent’s preferences and routines taken seriously? Are questions answered clearly? Does your parent seem comfortable participating in the conversation?
Credentials, screening, experience, and policies matter. Compatibility, communication, respect, and trust matter too.
If you’re ready to discuss what support could look like for your family, you can contact Evelyn Wells to speak with the team about your parent’s needs. The current contact page provides phone, email, and enquiry options.

If you’re trying to figure out how to find home care for an aging parent, you don’t have to make every decision in one day.
Start with the immediate question:
“What does my parent need help with right now?”
Then learn what type of care fits those needs, explore the resources and providers available in your community, create a shortlist, and take the time to ask questions before making a decision.
Your parent’s needs may also change over time. The support that works today may need to be adjusted later. If you’re still trying to determine the right amount of support.
The goal isn’t simply to find someone who can complete a list of tasks. It’s to find support that helps your parent continue living at home with as much independence, dignity, comfort, and choice as possible.