Indiana runs one of the most established Structured Family Caregiving programs in the country — a genuine option for family members to become paid, trained caregivers rather than providing unpaid care. Here's how it actually works.
What Structured Family Caregiving is in Indiana
Indiana's program lets an eligible family member (with some exclusions — see below) become a paid caregiver for a Medicaid-eligible loved one who needs a nursing-home level of care but wants to stay at home instead. The caregiver enrolls, completes required training, and receives ongoing payment tied to the level of care provided.
Who qualifies — the care recipient
- Must be eligible for Indiana Medicaid
- Must meet a nursing facility level of care determination
- Must choose to receive care at home rather than in a facility
Who qualifies — the caregiver
- Typically cannot be the care recipient's spouse (confirm current rules — spousal exclusions are common in these programs and a frequent point of confusion)
- Must complete required caregiver training
- Must be willing to provide care according to an approved care plan
How pay is structured
Indiana's program ties payment to an assessed "caregiver level" based on the intensity of care needed — this isn't a flat hourly wage but a structured daily/monthly rate that varies by the care recipient's assessed needs. (Confirm current rate tiers directly with Indiana's Medicaid program before relying on any specific figure — these are reviewed periodically.)
How to apply
- Confirm the care recipient's Medicaid eligibility and level-of-care determination
- Contact the Indiana Medicaid managed care entity or Area Agency on Aging handling the case
- Identify the family member who will serve as caregiver
- Complete required training and enrollment paperwork
- Begin care under an approved plan, with ongoing documentation requirements
What you'll need to keep track of once approved
- Documentation of care hours provided
- Records supporting the ongoing level-of-care determination
- Any required periodic reassessments
Keeping this organized
Once you're enrolled, staying compliant means keeping consistent records — exactly the kind of ongoing tracking that's easy to lose track of alongside everything else caregiving involves. FeatherKeep organizes care hours, documentation, and reassessment records automatically as you go.