Written & Reviewed by
Last updated: 18 September 2026
Indiana seniors with disabilities may need help from more than one system. Home care, Medicaid, housing, rides, equipment, Medicare questions, and disability rights are handled by different offices. This guide shows which door to try first and what to do if the first route does not work.
Bottom Line
For help staying safely at home, start with the INconnect Alliance or call 1-800-713-9023. Indiana’s Aging and Disability Resource Centers can connect older adults and people with disabilities to local screening, meals, caregiver support, transportation, long-term care options, and other services. For Medicaid or SNAP case help, call the Division of Family Resources at 1-800-403-0864.
If the need is urgent, use the emergency section below first. GFS is an independent information website. It does not decide eligibility or provide benefits.
Urgent Help
- Immediate danger or medical emergency: Call 911.
- Suicidal thoughts or mental health crisis: Call or text 988.
- Abuse, neglect, or exploitation: Use Adult Protective Services or call 1-800-992-6978. Emergencies should still go to 911.
- Food, shelter, utility, or local crisis: Use Indiana 211, dial 211, call 1-866-211-9966, or text your ZIP code to 898-211.
If you need a broader emergency plan, see GFS’s Indiana emergency help guide.
Start Here
- Name the main problem. Is it help at home, a benefits case, housing, transportation, equipment, or a rights problem?
- Call the office that owns that problem. Do not spend days calling unrelated programs.
- Ask for the next step in writing. If there is a denial, waitlist, missing document, or deadline, keep the notice and write down the date.
Quick Reference: Which Office Should You Try?
| If you need | Start here | Ask about |
|---|---|---|
| Help bathing, dressing, cooking, moving, or staying home safely | INconnect / local AAA | Screening, CHOICE, PathWays, meals, respite, home changes, and local services |
| Medicaid, SNAP, or a case notice | DFR contact page | Application status, renewal, missing proof, notices, and appeal instructions |
| Medicare plan or bill help | Indiana SHIP | Medicare, Part D, Medicare Savings Programs, Extra Help, claims, and appeals |
| Accessible or affordable housing | IndianaHousingNow | Accessible units, rent options, waitlists, and property contacts |
| A device, equipment, or technology | INDATA services | Device loans, demonstrations, reuse, and funding options |
| Disability-rights help | Indiana Disability Rights | Intake, advocacy, information, referrals, and rights issues |
What Has Changed
Indiana’s current aging and disability pages now use the DDARS structure. Older-adult programs are shown under the Bureau of Better Aging within the Division of Disability, Aging and Rehabilitative Services. The statewide Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center phone remains 1-800-713-9023. This update also tightens the PathWays wording so it does not imply that every Medicaid member age 60 or older belongs in PathWays.
Help Staying at Home
If disability makes bathing, dressing, walking, cooking, cleaning, transfers, memory tasks, or medication routines hard, start with Indiana’s aging and disability network. The local Area Agency on Aging can screen needs, explain local services, and point you toward state or Medicaid programs. GFS’s Indiana AAA guide can help you understand the regional system before or after you call.
Indiana PathWays for Aging
PathWays eligibility is more specific than “Medicaid plus age 60.” PathWays serves Indiana Medicaid members who are age 60 or older and qualify for a full-coverage aged, blind, or disabled category, with some exclusions. Members may also have Medicare. People receiving long-term services can include nursing-facility residents and people approved for the PathWays waiver.
The PathWays waiver can authorize services such as attendant care, adult day services, home-delivered meals, respite, home modifications, specialized medical equipment, structured family caregiving, and transportation when the person meets waiver rules and the service is part of the care plan.
Reality check: PathWays is not same-day home care. Medicaid eligibility, a level-of-care review, care planning, provider availability, and prior approval can affect what a person receives. If a service is denied, reduced, or stopped, ask for the written reason and appeal instructions.
CHOICE
Indiana’s CHOICE program is administered through Area Agencies on Aging. A person may qualify if they are at least 60 or have a disability and are at risk of losing independence. The local agency looks at daily-living needs and whether other funding can meet the need.
CHOICE may support services such as attendant care, homemaker help, respite, meals, transportation, home changes, and equipment. Funding and service availability can vary. Ask what is open now and what can be used while you wait.
PACE
The PACE program is another route in limited service areas. A person must be age 55 or older, meet nursing-home level of care, be able to live safely in the community at enrollment, and live in a PACE service area. PACE combines medical and supportive services through a PACE organization.
If you are comparing these care routes, GFS’s Indiana home-care guide explains payment paths in more detail.
| Route | Who it may fit | Main limit |
|---|---|---|
| PathWays | Qualifying Medicaid members age 60+ in full-coverage aged, blind, or disabled categories | Not every Medicaid member is included; services depend on program and care-plan rules |
| CHOICE | People age 60+ or people with disabilities who risk losing independence | Screening, other available payers, funding, and local service capacity matter |
| PACE | People age 55+ who need nursing-home level care and live in a PACE area | Only available in participating service areas |
Medicaid and Medicare Help
Indiana Medicaid
Indiana Medicaid has several coverage paths for people who are aged, blind, or disabled. The current Medicaid eligibility guide says the program used can depend on age, disability status, income, assets, living arrangement, and other rules. Do not rely on an old income chart or assume that one limit applies to every disability-related Medicaid route.
Apply or manage a case through the state Benefits Portal or a local Division of Family Resources office. For application status, missing proof, renewal questions, or case notices, call 1-800-403-0864. GFS’s benefits portal guide explains the online route in plain language.
Medicare counseling
Disabled seniors may have Medicare, Medicaid, or both. Indiana SHIP provides free Medicare counseling and can help with Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap, claims, appeals, and programs that may help with Medicare costs. The central SHIP line is 1-800-452-4800.
Before changing a plan, ask SHIP how the change could affect prescriptions, doctors, equipment, and coordination with Medicaid or PathWays. A plan that looks cheaper may not fit the providers or medicines you use.
Food and Utility Help
Disability can make a fixed income harder to stretch. SNAP is not a disability-only benefit, but older adults may still qualify based on household rules. If you need food assistance, the DFR office handles applications and case questions. Ask DFR which current SNAP rules apply to your household and what proof is needed.
For utility help, Indiana’s Energy Assistance Program page says the 2025-2026 application period closed on 20 April 2026 and will reopen in fall 2026. As of this 11 September 2026 review, the state page still shows applications as closed. The benefit is generally paid to the utility vendor and does not cover all annual energy costs.
Do not wait for EAP if shutoff is near. Call the utility first and ask about a hold, payment plan, or medical protection that may apply. Then call 211 for local crisis help. Program status can change after this review date.
Housing and Home Access
Accessible rental housing
IndianaHousingNow is a free statewide rental search that includes affordable, accessible, and market-rate properties. Search by ZIP code or county. Then call the property directly and ask about accessible units, elevators, roll-in showers, first-floor units, waitlists, and whether a live-in aide is allowed when needed.
For broader rent and housing routes, use GFS’s Indiana housing guide. Housing waitlists can move slowly, so ask each property how its list works instead of assuming a listing means a unit is open.
Reasonable accommodations and modifications
The Indiana Civil Rights Commission explains that a person with a disability may request reasonable accommodations, such as a change to a rule, policy, practice, or service when needed because of disability. A separate reasonable modifications page covers physical changes such as ramps, widened doorways, or grab bars.
A request does not need special legal words. Explain the disability-related need and the change you are asking for. Housing providers may ask for reliable documentation when the disability or need is not obvious, but the request should be evaluated individually.
Home modifications
If you own the home, ask your PathWays care coordinator or Area Agency on Aging whether a home modification can be considered under your current service plan. If you rent, ask the housing provider before making physical changes. Equipment or modification programs usually require approval before work starts.
Rides, Parking, and Equipment
Medicaid medical rides
For Traditional Medicaid, the state says most nonemergency medical transportation is brokered by Verida. The Medicaid transportation page lists the reservation line as 1-855-325-7586 and says members should generally call at least two business days before the appointment.
PathWays and other managed-care members use the transportation broker connected to their health plan rather than the Traditional Medicaid Verida route. Call the number on the member card and ask how much notice is needed. If the ride does not arrive, call the broker before leaving the pickup location so there is a record of the problem.
Disability parking
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles explains disability parking placards and plates. State Form 42070 is used for a disability license plate or parking placard, and a qualifying health care provider normally certifies the disability.
Assistive technology
INDATA offers statewide assistive-technology information, device demonstrations, short-term device loans, equipment reuse, and funding guidance. Check this route before paying out of pocket for a costly device. GFS’s Indiana equipment guide adds reuse and medical-equipment options.
For hearing and communication access, Indiana’s Deaf services program provides information and resource navigation. If disability affects work and you want to return to work or keep a job, Vocational Rehabilitation can help eligible people with employment-related services and supports.
Rights, Safety, and Legal Help
Do not ignore letters about loss of benefits, facility discharge, eviction, service cuts, or discrimination. Keep the whole notice, including the envelope, because the date can matter.
- Disability rights: Indiana Disability Rights is the state’s protection and advocacy organization. Its intake line is 1-800-622-4845. It cannot accept every case, but it can provide information, referrals, or advocacy when the issue fits its work.
- Civil legal help: Indiana Legal Services assists many low-income older Hoosiers with civil legal problems involving income, housing, health care, benefits, and safety.
- Long-term care: The Long-Term Care Ombudsman helps residents of nursing homes and licensed assisted living facilities with complaints and resident-rights concerns. The state line is 1-800-622-4484.
- Property tax: Indiana lists blind/disabled and age-related property-tax deductions among available property tax benefits. Rules and filing details matter, so ask the county auditor. GFS’s Indiana tax guide explains the main senior and disability routes.
How to Start Without Wasting Time
- Choose one urgent goal. “I need help bathing safely” gets a better response than “I need all disability benefits.”
- Use your ZIP code. Many services are organized by county or aging region.
- Describe what is hard. Mention falls, transfers, stairs, cooking, memory, toileting, driving, hearing, vision, or caregiver strain.
- Ask who decides. A referral agency may not be the office that approves the service.
- Ask about waiting. If there is a waitlist, ask what temporary service, local nonprofit, meal program, ride, equipment loan, or emergency route is available.
- Keep proof. Save confirmation numbers, uploads, notices, names, dates, and copies of documents.
If you need a wider statewide overview after checking disability-specific routes, see GFS’s Indiana senior assistance guide.
Documents and Details to Gather
You may not need every item for every program. Gather what you have and ask before delaying an application because one document is missing.
| Bring or copy | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Photo ID and Social Security number | Many benefit offices must verify identity. |
| Medicare, Medicaid, and plan cards | Care coordinators, ride brokers, and providers need the correct coverage. |
| Proof of Indiana address | County and regional programs depend on where you live. |
| Income and resource records | Medicaid, SNAP, housing, and utility programs may use financial rules. |
| List of daily-living problems | Home-care screening often focuses on what you can and cannot do safely. |
| Denial or change notices | Notices show the reason, effective date, missing proof, and appeal instructions. |
Phone Scripts You Can Use
Home care or aging office
“I am an Indiana senior with a disability and I need help staying safe at home. Can you screen me for services and tell me whether CHOICE, PathWays, meals, respite, transportation, or home modifications may fit my situation?”
Medicaid or SNAP case
“I need help with my benefits case. What proof is missing, what is the deadline, how can I submit it, and can you explain the next step in writing?”
Equipment or device
“I need a device or home-safety item because of my disability. Before I buy it, can you tell me whether my Medicaid plan, CHOICE, INDATA, or a reuse program may help?”
Housing accommodation
“I have a disability-related need and I am asking for a reasonable accommodation. What is your request process, what documentation do you need, and who should receive my request?”
Reality Checks
- One office rarely solves everything. Medicaid, housing, Medicare, transportation, and legal rights may use different systems.
- Funding can be limited. A program can be real and still have a waitlist, provider shortage, or local service gap.
- Coverage is not the same as approval. A service may exist under a program but still require assessment, authorization, or a care plan.
- Local options vary. Ask which agency serves your ZIP code and which providers are taking new clients.
- Do not pay first unless required. Equipment, home modifications, and transportation may need approval before the cost can be covered.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using an old eligibility chart: Financial and program rules can change by year and by Medicaid category.
- Assuming PathWays covers everyone 60+: It has specific full-coverage Medicaid eligibility rules and exclusions.
- Throwing away notices: A denial or reduction letter can contain a deadline and appeal route.
- Buying equipment too early: Check coverage, loan programs, and reuse options first.
- Waiting for a crisis: If walking, bathing, driving, or food preparation is getting unsafe, ask for screening before an emergency happens.
Denied, Delayed, or Overwhelmed
Read the notice first. Find the reason, the effective date, the deadline, and what proof the agency says is missing. Do not rely only on a phone explanation when a written notice exists.
Send proof again if needed. Keep a copy, screenshot, fax confirmation, upload receipt, or mail tracking number.
Ask for help early. A SHIP counselor, aging-office worker, care coordinator, hospital social worker, Indiana Disability Rights, or legal-aid office may help you understand which process applies.
Use a backup while you wait. If food, utilities, housing, or safety cannot wait, use 211 and local emergency programs rather than waiting for a long-term benefit decision.
Resumen en Español
Las personas mayores con discapacidad en Indiana pueden empezar con INconnect Alliance o la agencia local de envejecimiento para ayuda en casa, comidas, transporte, apoyo al cuidador y opciones de cuidado a largo plazo. Llame al 1-800-713-9023. Para Medicaid o SNAP, llame a DFR al 1-800-403-0864. PathWays no incluye automáticamente a toda persona de 60 años o más con Medicaid; existen reglas específicas de cobertura y elegibilidad.
Para abuso, negligencia o explotación, llame a Adult Protective Services al 1-800-992-6978. Si hay peligro inmediato, llame al 911. Guarde cartas de denegación, fechas y comprobantes. Si un programa tiene lista de espera, pregunte qué ayuda temporal está disponible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should a disabled senior in Indiana start?
For home care, meals, rides, caregiver support, or long-term care screening, start with INconnect Alliance or the local Area Agency on Aging. Call 1-800-713-9023 to find the office serving your area.
Does every Medicaid member age 60 or older use PathWays?
No. PathWays is for qualifying Indiana Medicaid members age 60 or older who are eligible for a full-coverage aged, blind, or disabled category, with specific exclusions. Check current PathWays eligibility if you are unsure which Medicaid program applies.
Can Indiana Medicaid help with in-home care?
It can for eligible members when program rules, level-of-care requirements, and service authorization are met. PathWays waiver services can include attendant care, meals, respite, home modifications, equipment, and transportation when approved in the care plan.
What is CHOICE in Indiana?
CHOICE is a state home- and community-support program administered through Area Agencies on Aging. It can serve people age 60 or older or people with disabilities who are at risk of losing independence, subject to screening, funding, and service availability.
How do Traditional Medicaid members request medical rides?
Most Traditional Medicaid nonemergency rides are arranged through Verida at 1-855-325-7586. The state says members should generally call at least two business days before the appointment. Managed-care members should use their health plan’s transportation route.
What should I do after a denial or service cut?
Read the written notice, find the reason and deadline, keep copies, and ask what proof or appeal step is required. Get help early from the responsible agency, SHIP, an aging office, Indiana Disability Rights, or legal aid when the issue is serious.
About This Guide
Sources: This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources linked in the article.
Editorial note
This guide is produced under the GFS Editorial Standards using official and other high-trust sources. GFS is not affiliated with a government agency and is not a substitute for official agency guidance. Individual eligibility outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
Corrections
Despite careful verification, errors may occur. Email info@grantsforseniors.org with corrections.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal, financial, medical, tax, disability-rights, immigration, or government-agency advice. Program rules, policies, funding, and availability can change. Readers should confirm current details directly with the responsible official program before acting.
Last updated: 18 September 2026 · Next review: 18 January 2027
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