Respite care may be considered when an unpaid caregiver needs temporary relief and the participant requires appropriate support during that time. Requesting respite does not guarantee approval. The need must be reviewed through person-centered planning and included in an approved Indiana Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver service plan.
To request respite care, contact the participant’s TBI Waiver case manager and ask for the caregiver-relief need to be discussed during person-centered planning or a service-plan review.
Families researching how to get TBI Waiver respite hours should explain that they want the current supports reviewed, rather than requesting hours from a provider first. Indiana states that the case manager identifies services that meet the participant’s needs, submits them for state approval, and lists approved services in the Plan of Care and Notice of Action.
As of July 2026, Indiana is transitioning TBI Waiver case management to selected statewide case management organizations effective August 1, 2026. Participants whose organization is changing should confirm their assigned case manager before requesting a plan review.
Families can review the Indiana TBI Waiver respite guide for broader coverage and eligibility information.
A TBI respite care needs assessment should address the participant’s daily support requirements, preferences, safety considerations, and the unpaid caregiver’s actual responsibilities.
Person-centered planning should be directed by the participant as much as possible and reflect personal goals, choices, strengths, and support needs. The participant may include a guardian, representative, family member, or other chosen person in the planning process.
Discuss practical details such as:
Describe the situation honestly. Do not exaggerate the participant’s needs or the caregiver’s workload to seek additional services.
Families still determining whether respite may be covered can review TBI respite coverage in Indiana.
Helpful TBI Waiver respite documentation gives the case manager a clear picture of the current care arrangement and the unmet need.
Prepare information such as:
The TBI Waiver exists to provide services based on the needs of participants and their families when community support is an alternative to institutional care. Respite is among the services Indiana identifies as potentially available through the waiver.
The case manager may decide that more assessment information is needed or that another waiver service better addresses the identified need. Nana Cares cannot make that determination or influence the approval decision.
After respite is approved, the TBI respite authorization process should identify the authorized service, provider, dates, activities, and amount of support in the participant’s Plan of Care or Notice of Action.
The family and case manager can then select a provider approved for the exact service. The provider must review the authorization before care begins and confirm that its certification, service area, scope, and staffing fit the plan.
Before scheduling services, confirm:
Authorization does not guarantee that every agency can accept the case. Families can use the TBI respite provider in Central Indiana guide when comparing approved providers.
Nana Cares provides non-medical caregiver respite in Indianapolis and related in-home support for adults with disabilities. Services may include companionship, supervision, routine assistance, personal care within scope, meal support, and homemaker help related to the care plan.
Contact Nana Cares to discuss the approved non-medical needs, routines, personal care, supervision, schedule, preferences, safety considerations, service location, and current availability.
Nana Cares cannot add respite to a Medicaid service plan, approve hours, influence authorization, provide rehabilitation or skilled nursing, guarantee coverage, or promise a start date.
Compassionate, non-medical in-home care for seniors and adults with disabilities across Central Indiana.
Nana Cares provides personal care, homemaker services, companion care, respite care, and overnight support with a warm, professional approach.