Home and Community-Based Services Waiver
The Home and Community-Based Services Aged and Disabled waiver program provides alternatives to nursing homes for seniors and disabled individuals who need care and support. Some use these funds to live at home, while others use them to move to an assisted living facility.
Some of the services available through this waiver program include:
- Assisted living care
- Community transition
- Health care coordination
- Emergency response system
- Respite care
- Nutritional supplements
- Transportation
Applicants are assigned a case manager who evaluates their needs and chooses the specific services that apply to each person. These services become part of a Plan of Care/Notice of Action for the applicant.
To be eligible for this program, a senior must:
- Be aged, blind or disabled
- Have an income no more than 300% of the maximum Supplemental Security Income amount
- Meet “nursing facility level of care” criteria
- Be living in or planning to transition to an HCBS-compliant facility
Seniors should apply as soon as they feel they need these services. Applicants must first qualify for Medicaid. Then, they must visit their local Area Agency on Aging to get help applying for HCBS waiver services. Waitlists for this program are common in Indiana, so applying early is important.
Residential Care Assistance Program
The Residential Care Assistance Program is available for Medicaid recipients or those who receive Supplemental Security Income and are already in an RCAP-approved facility. The program provides funds to pay for:
- Room and board
- Laundry
- Care coordination
Money is paid at an approved per-day rate established through the Division of Aging unless the resident has no income, in which case RCAP pays room and board monthly.
To qualify for this program, a senior must:
- Be 65 or older or be blind or disabled
- Currently receive Medicaid or SSI
- Live in an RCAP facility
- Not require a nursing home level of care
The RCAP community helps the applicant with the application process, or the applicant’s family members can download the application and collect supporting documentation to submit to the Division of Family Resources via email at FSSA.APPS4RCAP@fssa.in.gov.