Inviting a caregiver into your loved one's home is one of the most important decisions a family will make. The right caregiver changes everything. Here's what every Indianapolis family should look for before signing a contract with any home care agency.

1. Is the Agency State-Licensed?

In Indiana, personal care agencies must be licensed by the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) under IC 16-27-4. Always ask to see a current license. A licensed agency has met state requirements for policies, employee screening, training, and client rights.

2. What Does Their Background Check Include?

Indiana law requires an expanded criminal history check for every caregiver - including a national criminal database search, Indiana sex offender registry, and national sex offender registry. Ask specifically what the agency checks, and whether they check before the first client contact.

3. How Are Caregivers Trained and Evaluated?

Training requirements vary widely. Look for agencies that require both a written knowledge test and a hands-on skills evaluation before placing caregivers independently.

4. Who Oversees Your Loved One's Care?

Large franchise agencies often rotate managers and caregivers constantly. Ask who will personally oversee your loved one's care plan and how often client satisfaction is reviewed.

5. Are They Pursuing Medicaid Enrollment?

If you're planning to use Indiana Medicaid in the future, make sure the agency is pursuing enrollment. United Paths is actively completing Indiana Medicaid enrollment.

Questions about care in Greater Indianapolis? Call United Paths at (317) 886-6525 - we're happy to help.

Few conversations feel harder than telling a parent they might need help at home. Resistance is common and understandable - for many seniors, accepting care feels like admitting defeat. But approached with the right mindset, this conversation can go better than you expect.

Start With Listening, Not Telling

The biggest mistake families make is leading with their concern rather than their parent's perspective. Start by asking. Let them talk. You'll learn what matters most to them - and that's your roadmap for the conversation.

Focus on Independence, Not Dependency

Frame in-home care as something that protects independence rather than removes it. "Having someone help with a few things means you can stay in your home longer" lands very differently than "You need help now."

Involve Them in the Decision

Avoid presenting care as a decision already made. "Would you be open to meeting with a local agency to learn more?" gives your parent agency in the process.

Talk About Specific Concerns

Instead of "You're not able to take care of yourself," try "I noticed the stairs seem harder lately - is there anything at home that's been more difficult?"

United Paths offers free consultations for families in Greater Indianapolis. Call (317) 886-6525.

Indiana offers several Medicaid waiver programs that cover in-home personal care for seniors and adults with disabilities. This guide breaks down the key programs in plain language.

PathWays for Aging

PathWays for Aging is Indiana's primary Medicaid waiver for adults 60 and older who need a nursing facility level of care but prefer to remain at home. It covers services like attendant care, homemaker, and other supports.

Health & Wellness Waiver

The Health & Wellness waiver serves adults with physical disabilities aged 18–59. Like PathWays, it covers attendant care and other home and community-based services to support independent living.

TBI Waiver

The Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) waiver serves adults who have experienced a brain injury and need support services to remain in their community.

Attendant Care Under These Waivers

Under Indiana Medicaid, Attendant Care (ATTC) covers assistance with activities of daily living including bathing, grooming, dressing, mobility, meal preparation, housekeeping, transportation, and verbal medication reminders.

Questions about Medicaid coverage? Call United Paths at (317) 886-6525.

If you or your loved one needs in-home care but isn't yet enrolled in Indiana Medicaid — or is waiting for Medicaid approval — private pay is how care gets started. This guide walks you through exactly what private pay means, what it covers, and how to plan for it.

What Is Private Pay Home Care?

Private pay simply means the client or their family pays for home care services directly, without going through a government program or insurance. There is no referral required, no lengthy eligibility process, and no waitlist. Care can begin as quickly as 24-48 hours after your first call.

What Does It Cost?

At United Paths Home Care, our private pay rates are straightforward and discussed transparently before any care begins. A written rate agreement is provided to every client before the first visit so there are no surprises. Contact us at (317) 886-6525 for current rates.

What Services Are Covered Under Private Pay?

All of our services are available to private pay clients; personal care and hygiene, mobility and transfer assistance, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errands and non-medical transportation, companionship and supervision, medication reminders, and respite care. Your care plan is built around your specific needs — not around what a program will or won't approve.

What Is a Care Plan and How Does It Work?

Before services begin, we conduct a free consultation to understand your loved one's needs, preferences, and schedule. From that conversation, we create a written service plan that lists exactly what services will be provided and when. The client or their representative reviews and signs the plan. It can be modified at any time.

What Rights Does a Private Pay Client Have?

Private pay clients have the same rights as all United Paths clients; the right to know our fees in writing before services begin, the right to change or cancel services at any time, the right to file a complaint and receive a response, and the right to be treated with dignity and respect at every visit.

Will Medicaid Eventually Cover This?

United Paths Home Care is actively completing Indiana Medicaid enrollment and expects to accept clients through PathWays for Aging and Health and Wellness waiver programs soon. If you begin as a private pay client, we will work with you to transition to Medicaid coverage once enrollment is complete and eligibility is established.

Questions about starting care in Greater Indianapolis? Call United Paths Home Care at (317) 886-6525 — we'll walk you through everything.

If you have ever tried to research home care services, you have likely encountered the term "Activities of Daily Living" or ADLs. Understanding what ADLs are — and how they relate to home care — is one of the most useful things a family can know when making care decisions for a loved one.

What Are ADLs?

Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are the fundamental self-care tasks that most adults perform every day. They are the baseline of independent living. The six core ADLs are; Bathing and personal hygiene, Dressing and grooming, Eating and feeding oneself, Mobility and transferring (moving from bed to chair, walking), Toileting, and Continence management.

When a person can no longer perform one or more of these tasks safely or independently — due to age, illness, disability, or injury — they may need in-home personal care support.

What Are IADLs?

Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) are a broader category of tasks that support independent living but are not as fundamental as basic self-care. IADLs include; Meal preparation, Light housekeeping and laundry, Grocery shopping and errands, Managing medications (reminders, not administration), Non-medical transportation, and Managing finances and correspondence.

United Paths Home Care provides support with both ADLs and IADLs. Our caregivers are trained to assist with all of the above in a way that preserves dignity, promotes independence, and keeps your loved one safe at home.

How Are ADLs Used to Determine Home Care Needs?

ADLs are the primary framework used by healthcare providers, social workers, and Medicaid programs to assess how much care a person needs. In Indiana, Medicaid waiver programs like PathWays for Aging and the Health and Wellness waiver use ADL assessments to determine eligibility for home and community-based services.

Generally speaking; needing help with 1-2 ADLs may qualify someone for limited home care support, needing help with 3 or more ADLs often indicates a significant need for daily in-home care, and needing help with all 6 ADLs typically indicates a high level of care need that may include overnight or full-time support.

How United Paths Can Help

Our caregivers provide hands-on assistance with all personal care ADLs — bathing, grooming, dressing, transfers, ambulation, and toileting — as well as full IADL support including meal preparation, housekeeping, errands, transportation, and medication reminders. Every care plan is built around your loved one's specific ADL profile and personal preferences.

What to Do If You Think Your Loved One Needs Help

The best first step is a conversation. Call us at (317) 886-6525 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We will ask about your loved one's daily routine and challenges, help you understand what level of support makes sense, and build a care plan that fits.

United Paths Home Care serves seniors and adults across Greater Indianapolis. Call (317) 886-6525 to get started.

The vast majority of older adults want to remain in their own homes as they age - and the research strongly supports this preference. Seniors who age in place consistently show better health outcomes and higher quality of life.

Familiar Environment Supports Cognitive Health

For seniors with early cognitive decline or dementia, the familiarity of home provides meaningful continuity. Familiar surroundings and routines reduce confusion and anxiety in ways that new environments simply cannot replicate.

Independence Drives Well-Being

Control over one's daily life is a fundamental driver of happiness at every age. Aging in place preserves that control - the ability to wake up when you want, eat what you prefer, and follow your own routine.

The Role of In-Home Care

The key to successful aging in place is having the right support before a crisis forces a different decision. In-home personal care - even just a few hours a week - can make the difference between living safely at home versus a premature move to a facility.

United Paths supports aging in place across Greater Indianapolis. Call (317) 886-6525.