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Adult Day Care vs. In-Home Care

Adult day care runs on a schedule and gives a caregiver their day back. In-home care comes to the house on whatever schedule you set.

HomeComparisonsAdult Day Care vs. In-Home Care
Short answer

Adult day care operates on a set schedule at a dedicated facility, giving a family caregiver structured time back during the day. In-home care comes to the house on whatever schedule the family sets, with no travel required for the person receiving care.

Cost and coverage

Indiana does not publish a statewide adult day care cost median the way it does for assisted living or nursing homes. Indiana's PathWays Waiver can help cover adult day services for eligible Hoosiers 60 and older -- ask CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions whether a specific adult day program participates.

Why many families use both

Adult day care and in-home care are not mutually exclusive. A common pattern is adult day care on weekdays a caregiver works, paired with in-home help or family caregiving in the evenings and on weekends -- covering more hours of the week than either option alone, often at a lower blended cost than scaling up either one by itself.

Free help in your area. CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions is the Area Agency on Aging covering all six counties this site serves. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

What's the difference between independent living and assisted living in Indiana?

Independent living is generally unlicensed housing -- apartments or cottages with dining and activities but no personal care. Assisted living communities in Indiana are licensed as Residential Care Facilities and provide medication administration and help with daily activities.

What's the difference between assisted living and memory care in Indiana?

Both can be licensed as Residential Care Facilities, but a memory care unit must also file Indiana's Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure under IC 12-10-5.5 and meet dementia-specific staff training requirements. There is no separate state cost median for memory care, unlike assisted living.

Is in-home care or assisted living cheaper in Indiana?

It depends on hours needed. At Indiana's 2025 median of $35 an hour, a 40-hour week of home care already costs more than Indiana's assisted living median of $5,639 a month. Below roughly 30-35 hours a week, home care is often cheaper; above it, a community usually wins.

What's the difference between a nursing home and assisted living in Indiana?

A nursing home is licensed in Indiana as a Comprehensive Care Facility, providing 24-hour skilled nursing care and carrying a federal CMS star rating. Assisted living is licensed as a Residential Care Facility, a lower level of care with no CMS rating.

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