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Assisted Living vs. Memory Care

Both are licensed as Residential Care Facilities in Indiana, but memory care also requires a written Alzheimer's/Dementia Special Care Disclosure.

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Short answer

Assisted living and memory care are both licensed in Indiana as Residential Care Facilities. A memory care unit must additionally file a written Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure under Indiana Code 12-10-5.5 -- there is no separate state certification, just a more detailed disclosure and training requirement.

What physically differs

Secured exits, alarmed doors, a dedicated activity program, and staff who have completed 12 hours of initial dementia-specific training (6 hours annually) are what the disclosure actually requires. Ask to see the document itself on a tour, and ask specifically what happens when a resident tries an exit.

Cost

There is no published memory-care cost median in Indiana or any other state. Get all-in quotes in writing rather than trusting an online estimate.

Memory care regulation in Indiana. Indiana requires a written Alzheimer's/dementia disclosure under IC 12-10-5.5, not a separate state certification. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

My parent is being discharged from an Indianapolis hospital in 72 hours. What now?

Ask the case manager for the discharge plan in writing, confirm whether your parent was admitted as an inpatient or held under observation status (only inpatient stays count toward Medicare's skilled-nursing benefit), and ask which facilities have actually accepted the referral -- not just which ones were contacted.

Does Medicare pay for a nursing home stay after a hospitalization?

Medicare covers a limited skilled-nursing-facility stay only after a qualifying inpatient hospital admission, for rehabilitation, not long-term placement. Time spent under observation status does not count, even after multiple nights in a hospital bed -- ask the hospital directly which status applies.

Which Indianapolis-area hospital systems most often discharge patients to senior care?

IU Health, Ascension St. Vincent, Community Health Network, Franciscan Health and Eskenazi Health handle the bulk of Indianapolis-area discharge planning, alongside Hendricks Regional Health, Riverview Health, and Hancock Regional Health in the collar counties.

Can I push back on a hospital discharge date?

Yes, and it is usually less fixed than it sounds, particularly if no safe plan exists yet. Ask the case manager directly what happens if no placement is confirmed by the target date, and involve the hospital's patient advocate if the timeline feels unsafe.

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