How to Get Paid to Care for a Parent in Indiana (2026): SFC and Attendant Care

ElderHearth offers general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Program rules and pay change, so confirm the details with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) or your parent's waiver case manager.

If you are caring for an aging parent in Indiana, there are two real Medicaid routes to be paid for it, and which one fits depends on whether you live with your parent. To get paid to care for a parent in Indiana, most families use either Structured Family Caregiving (SFC), a daily stipend for a live-in caregiver, or self-directed Attendant Care, an hourly option where your parent hires and directs you. Both run through Indiana Medicaid, and an adult child can be the paid caregiver. This guide covers how each works, who qualifies, what they pay, and how to apply.

How to get paid to care for a parent in Indiana: two options

Indiana Medicaid, through its Home and Community-Based Services waivers (most older adults now go through the PathWays for Aging program), offers two ways to pay a family caregiver:

• Structured Family Caregiving (SFC). A daily stipend paid to a family caregiver who lives with the parent and provides their care. It is arranged through a contracted agency that handles training and payment.
• Self-directed Attendant Care (AC). Your parent (or their representative) becomes the employer and hires their own hourly attendant, which can be a family member. This does not require living together, but it excludes a spouse or other legally responsible individual.

An adult child can be the paid caregiver under either route.

What Indiana's programs pay

• Structured Family Caregiving pays a daily stipend that varies by the parent's care level, commonly ranging from roughly $75 to $130 a day depending on how much help is needed. These payments are generally tax-free under an IRS rule for Medicaid caregiver payments.
• Attendant Care pays an hourly wage, commonly in the range of $13 to $17 an hour, set by the agency, with the authorized hours based on your parent's assessed needs.

Confirm the current figures when you enroll, since rates change.

Who qualifies

Eligibility runs through your parent, with the caregiver meeting the program's rules:

• Your parent must be on Indiana Medicaid and enrolled in an HCBS waiver (such as PathWays for Aging), which requires a nursing-facility level of care. For 2026, that generally means income up to about $2,982 a month and assets under $2,000 for an individual.
• For SFC, you must live with your parent full-time as the primary caregiver.
• For Attendant Care, you can be a family member but not a spouse or legally responsible individual, and you do not have to live together.
• You complete the program's enrollment, including a background check and any required training.

How to apply in Indiana

The process runs through Medicaid and the waiver:

1. Apply for Indiana Medicaid for your parent if they are not already enrolled, through the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA).
2. Contact your Area Agency on Aging (Indiana has 16), which screens for PathWays and starts the assessment.
3. Choose the route: ask about Structured Family Caregiving if you live with your parent, or self-directed Attendant Care if you prefer an hourly arrangement.
4. Enroll as the caregiver through the agency or financial management service, completing the background check and paperwork so you can be paid.

Other ways to get paid to care for a parent in Indiana

The Medicaid routes are the main ones, but not the only ones:

• VA programs, if your parent is a veteran, can pay a family caregiver (including a spouse) through Veteran-Directed Care or the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
• A personal care agreement, if your parent can pay from their own savings, sets the hours, duties, and pay in writing, which matters for family clarity, taxes, and any future Medicaid application.

For the full national picture of every program and how they compare, see our main guide to how to get paid to care for an elderly parent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get paid to care for my parent in Indiana? Often, yes. Indiana Medicaid pays family caregivers two ways: Structured Family Caregiving (a daily stipend if you live with your parent) and self-directed Attendant Care (an hourly wage). Your parent must be on Medicaid and enrolled in an HCBS waiver at a nursing-facility level of care.

Can an adult child be paid to care for a parent in Indiana? Yes, under either Structured Family Caregiving (if you live together) or self-directed Attendant Care (which excludes a spouse or legally responsible individual, but allows an adult child).

How much do family caregivers get paid in Indiana? Structured Family Caregiving pays a daily stipend, commonly around $75 to $130 a day by care level, generally tax-free. Attendant Care pays an hourly wage, commonly $13 to $17 an hour. Confirm the current rates when you enroll.

Does Indiana Medicaid pay family caregivers? Yes, through Structured Family Caregiving and self-directed Attendant Care under its HCBS waivers, most commonly PathWays for Aging. The VA also pays family caregivers of eligible veterans.

Where to start

The fastest first step is to make sure your parent is enrolled in Indiana Medicaid through the FSSA, then contact your Area Agency on Aging about the PathWays for Aging waiver and ask about Structured Family Caregiving or self-directed Attendant Care. If your parent is a veteran, look at the VA programs in parallel. Getting set up to get paid to care for a parent in Indiana takes some paperwork, but it is a real way to keep aging in place affordable.

If you would like help figuring out where to begin, you are welcome to reach out.

Sources

• Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Home and Community-Based Services Waivers.
• Internal Revenue Service, Notice 2014-7 (certain Medicaid payments excludable from income).
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Caregiver Support Program.