Memory Care Licensing and Regulations in Indiana

Indiana Does Not Issue a Standalone Memory Care License

This is the single most important fact families miss when evaluating memory care communities in Indiana: the state has no dedicated "memory care" license category. Every facility marketing itself as a memory care provider operates under one of two existing license types issued by the Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH):

• Residential Care Facility (RCF) — provides room, board, and personal care assistance in a homelike setting. Cannot provide skilled nursing services.
• Comprehensive Care Facility (CCF) — a nursing home that can deliver 24/7 skilled nursing, including IV medications and wound care.

A memory care "unit" is simply a locked or secured wing within one of these licensed facilities. The marketing brochure may look specialized, but the regulatory framework underneath is the same one governing every other assisted living or nursing home bed in the state.

The IC 12-10-5.5 Disclosure Requirement

Indiana Code § 12-10-5.5 — the Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure statute — is the state's primary consumer protection mechanism for families evaluating memory care. Any facility that does any of the following must submit an annual written disclosure form to the state and provide a copy to every prospective resident and their family upon admission:

• Locks, secures, or physically segregates a unit for residents with dementia
• Markets or advertises itself as providing specialized Alzheimer's or dementia care

The disclosure form is a public document. Families should request it before any tour and compare its contents against verbal sales pitches. Pay attention to these sections:

Care plan development. The form must describe how the facility creates and updates individualized care plans. Indiana requires care plans to be initiated prior to admission and updated at least every six months, plus whenever a significant clinical change occurs. If the disclosure is vague on this process, that's a red flag.

Staffing qualifications. The facility must disclose its staffing model, including credentials and training hours for staff who interact with dementia residents.

Discharge and transfer criteria. RCFs are legally barred from retaining residents who require total, continuous assistance with eating, toileting, or transferring, or who pose an active danger to themselves or others, unless the resident is medically stable and the facility can safely meet those needs. Families must understand these discharge triggers before signing an admission agreement — a parent with advancing dementia may eventually exceed the facility's license.

Staff Training Requirements for Dementia Units

Indiana law sets minimum dementia-specific training hours, but the numbers are lower than families typically assume:

Special Care Unit Director:

• Must have at least one year of dementia care experience within the previous five years
• Must complete 12 hours of dementia-specific training within three months of hire
• Must complete 6 hours of continuing education annually

All staff with regular dementia resident contact:

• Staff assigned directly to the Special Care Unit must complete 6 hours of dementia-specific training within 30 days of hire
• Other staff with regular contact must complete 6 hours within six months of hire
• Staff with regular dementia-resident contact must complete 3 hours of continuing training annually

These are minimums. When touring facilities, ask what training programs they use, whether they exceed state minimums, and whether overnight and weekend staff receive the same training as weekday staff. The IC 12-10-5.5 disclosure form must describe this, so you can verify the sales pitch against the written record.

How Facility Inspections Work

The ISDH conducts unannounced inspections of licensed facilities. Inspection results are public record and available through the federal CMS Care Compare tool at medicare.gov. For RCFs (which don't participate in Medicare), check the ISDH facility database directly.

During an inspection, surveyors evaluate infection control, medication management, resident rights, staffing levels, and the physical environment. Deficiencies are classified by severity, and facilities with serious violations face follow-up surveys and potential penalties.

Families can also file complaints directly with the ISDH if they observe care problems. The Indiana Long-Term Care Ombudsman program provides an independent advocate who can investigate complaints and mediate disputes.

What to Verify Before Signing

Before committing to any Indiana memory care community, request and review these documents:

1. The IC 12-10-5.5 Alzheimer's and Dementia Special Care Disclosure form
2. The facility's current ISDH license (confirming RCF or CCF status)
3. The most recent state inspection report and any deficiency citations
4. The admission agreement, focusing on discharge criteria and fee escalation clauses

The Indiana Dementia & Memory Care Guide includes a Facility Audit Checklist that walks through each disclosure requirement point by point, so you can evaluate every community using the same standardized criteria.

See more Indiana guides →