The choice between assisted living and memory care in Indiana really comes down to one safety question about your parent's dementia. Is the disease at the point where a secured, dementia-specialized setting is the only safe place for them?
Assisted living is for someone who needs help with daily life but can still largely direct their own day. Memory care is a secured, dementia-specific setting for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia who would wander, get lost, or come to harm without that supervision. Indiana assisted living runs about $5,365 a month, and memory care costs more because of the added staffing and secured environment. This guide walks through both so you can match the setting to the care your parent actually needs.
In This Guide
- The Core Difference
- Side by Side
- Who Each Setting Is Right For
- Cost and Who Pays
- How to Decide
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Core Difference
Assisted living in Indiana is for an older adult who needs help with daily tasks, bathing, dressing, medications, meals, and getting around, but who can still largely direct their own day. Indiana licenses these as Health Facility Residential Care Facilities or similar residential care settings regulated by the Indiana State Department of Health.
Memory care in Indiana is specialized dementia care delivered within an assisted living community, typically a locked or secured unit, for residents with Alzheimer's or another dementia who can no longer safely manage in a standard setting. Indiana does not issue a standalone "memory care" license; instead, any facility that locks or segregates a unit for residents with Alzheimer's or dementia, or that markets specialized Alzheimer's care, is required by Indiana Code 12-10-5.5 to disclose the specific care and programming it provides. That disclosure law is how Indiana distinguishes and regulates dementia-specialized care within the assisted living framework.
Side by Side
| Assisted living | Memory care | |
|---|---|---|
| Level of care | Help with daily living; resident can still largely direct their own day | Secured, dementia-specialized care for residents who cannot safely self-direct |
| Typical resident | An older adult needing daily support without dementia-specific safety risks | Someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia who wanders, exits, or presents safety risks |
| Indiana regulation | Licensed residential care facility | Secured unit within ALF; governed by IC 12-10-5.5 Alzheimer's/dementia disclosure law |
| Cost (2026 estimates) | About $5,365/month statewide | More than standard assisted living, due to added staffing and secured environment |
| Who pays | Largely private-pay; Medicaid HCBS may cover care services | Largely private-pay; Medicaid HCBS may cover care services |
Who Each Setting Is Right For
If your parent needs help with daily tasks but can still largely manage their own day, communicate their needs, and move safely through familiar spaces, assisted living is usually the right fit. The setting is built for daily-living support without dementia-specific supervision.
Memory care becomes the right setting when dementia-related safety is the central issue. The warning signs are typically: wandering or exit-seeking, getting lost in familiar spaces, unsafe behaviors, escalating agitation, or the inability to recognize danger. When those behaviors appear, a secured memory-care unit is what the care need calls for. Indiana's disclosure law means any facility marketing specialized Alzheimer's care must tell you exactly what that care looks like, so ask for the disclosure documentation when touring.
Dementia progresses, and many families start in assisted living and move to memory care as the disease advances. Some Indiana communities offer both levels under one roof, making that transition easier.
Cost and Who Pays
Indiana assisted living runs about $5,365 a month statewide, based on the 2024 CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey, roughly at the national median. Memory care costs more than that base, because of the additional staffing and secured infrastructure that dementia care requires.
Both settings are largely private-pay. Indiana Medicaid does not pay a resident's room and board in assisted living or memory care. Home- and community-based services (HCBS) waiver programs can cover care services for qualifying residents, but not the housing cost. Long-term care insurance, if purchased before a care need arose, can offset part of the monthly bill.
How to Decide
- Is your parent cognitively safe in a standard assisted living setting? Wandering, exit-seeking, or unsafe behaviors that a standard ALF can't manage are the signal that memory care is needed.
- How will the cost be covered? Both settings are primarily private-pay; if Medicaid eligibility is likely, explore HCBS waiver options early.
When touring a memory-care unit in Indiana, ask the facility for the IC 12-10-5.5 disclosure documents, which must spell out the specific care philosophy, programming, and staffing approach for dementia residents. That disclosure is often the most informative single document available when comparing units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Assisted living supports daily tasks for someone who can still largely direct their own day. Memory care is a secured, dementia-specialized setting for someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia who can no longer safely self-direct. Indiana does not have a standalone memory-care license; facilities that offer specialized dementia care must comply with the state's Alzheimer's/dementia disclosure law (IC 12-10-5.5).
No. Indiana does not issue a standalone memory-care license. Any facility that locks or segregates a unit for dementia residents, or markets specialized Alzheimer's care, must comply with Indiana Code 12-10-5.5, which requires disclosure of the specific dementia-care practices the facility uses.
Indiana assisted living runs about $5,365 a month statewide. Memory care costs more because of the additional staffing and secured environment that dementia care requires. The exact premium varies by facility and level of care.
Indiana Medicaid does not pay room and board in memory care or assisted living. HCBS waiver programs can cover care services for qualifying residents, but the housing cost remains the resident's responsibility.
The trigger is usually a dementia-related safety issue: wandering, exit-seeking, unsafe behaviors, or an inability to recognize danger. When a standard assisted living setting can no longer safely manage those behaviors, a secured memory-care unit is what the situation calls for.
Learn More
- Assisted Living in Indiana
- Memory Care in Indiana
- Nursing Homes in Indiana
- Cost of Senior Care in Indiana
- Assisted Living vs. Nursing Home in Indiana
- Home Care vs. Home Health in Indiana
Find personalized help comparing assisted living and memory care in Indiana at brevy.com.
The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.