Frequently Asked Questions

Assisted living can be beneficial for senior adults who need help in one or more of these areas:

• Are unsteady on their feet or prone to falls
• Use walker or wheelchair
• Have increased forgetfulness or mild confusion
• Have experienced some loss of vision
• Are not eating properly
• Have difficulty with meal preparation
• Are lonely and frequently isolated from friends and family
• Need help with dressing and bathing
• Have problems with incontinence
• Can no longer keep their home
• Need a safety network with assistance nearby
• Want an option other than moving in with their adult children or into a nursing home
• Desire a less expensive alternative to intensive home health and skilled nursing care
• Need availability of supportive services 24 hours a day

Change is rarely easy for anyone. The good news is that most seniors, once they weather the upheaval of transition, report that assisted living has offered them enhanced quality of life.

The most significant difference between assisted living and independent senior living is the care provided. Residents of assisted living facilities require assistance with daily activities like medication, eating, bathing, dressing, and toileting.

Independent senior living residents are able to live on their own with limited assistance (provided by third-party home health care providers, if needed) and without around-the-clock supervision. Neither assisted living nor senior independent living communities offer 24/7 skilled nursing that is provided at a skilled nursing facility (commonly referred to as a nursing home).

You can never know for sure when you will need assisted living or independent living care, but an unexpected accident, illness, or injury can change your needs, sometimes suddenly. The best time to think about care is before you need it.

Planning for the possibility of assisted living or independent living care gives you time to learn about services in your community and what they cost. It also allows you to make important decisions while you are still able including health, legal, and financial decisions.

Private pay refers to paying with private funds from your personal bank account. Living in our facility may also qualify you to receive VA & long-term care insurance benefits. These benefits would pay you directly once obtained. You can use these supplemental benefits to cover a portion of your expenses.

In the past, Medicaid only paid for long-term care services that were provided in an institution, such as nursing facilities and group homes. The waiver program “waives” the requirement of an admission into an institution in order for Medicaid to pay for the needed Home and Community-Based-Services (HCBS).

Nursing Facility level of care waivers:

• Aged and Disabled Waiver
• Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver

These waivers are for children and adults whose needs are primarily medical, and assist a person to be as independent as possible and live in the least restrictive environment possible while maintaining safety in the home.

No, the Medicaid Waiver covers the nursing portion of our fee. The resident is still responsible for paying rent to the facility privately. That rate is always the annual cost of living minus the monthly patient liability.

The Medicaid waiver is obtained through your Indiana Local Area Agency on Aging. To locate your local AAA visit www.IAAAA.org.

For additional questions on obtaining and qualifying for the Medicaid Waiver please contact your Local Area Agency on Aging.

MFP stands for “Money Follows the Person.”  The MFP program is funded through a grant from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  The MFP program was developed to help states move individuals from institutional settings to home and community-based settings. Indiana was approved for the MFP program in 2007 and since that time has focused on assisting eligible persons to leave institutional care by providing services for individuals to live safely in their community.

To become a part of the MFP program you must first contact your institution’s social services department who will then assist you in learning more about the program. 

For additional information on obtaining and qualifying for the MFP program please contact CareStar of Indiana at carestar.com or by phone at the toll free number 866-423-2220. Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) can also provide you with more information by visiting their website at www.in.gov/fssa.

In order to be admitted into an assisted living or independent living facility, you must complete the following:

• First we will conduct a clinical assessment at your current residence to see if we can provide the care needed.
• You must have a physical completed by a physician within the last year.
• You must have had a chest x-ray within the last 6 months and a statement from your physician indicating you have had no communicable diseases.
• You or a family member will need to complete admission paperwork prior to the day of admission
  • The following documents will be needed:
    • Insurance cards
    • Social security card & personal identification card
    • Advance directive, living will, power of attorney, etc.
    • Most recent 3 months of bank statements
    • Any other personal information that our admissions team requests

Our Admissions Team will assist you through this process and provide you with a smooth transition into our facility.

Our team of professionals will greet and welcome you to our facility. Our team includes: administration, nursing, dietary, activities, and housekeeping staff.  We will also be gathering personal clinical information and discussing with you your plan of care. 

Our apartments come unfurnished so you are able to customize your own living space. You will need to furnish a bedroom, living room, kitchenette area, and bathroom. Besides furniture and décor items, you will also need your own clothing and personal care items. Please ask our admissions team for assistance on what to bring upon admission.