Indiana’s Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver may fund approved home and community-based support for eligible people with traumatic brain injuries. Respite is listed as an available waiver service, but coverage is not automatic. Eligibility, assessment findings, the authorized service category, provider qualifications, and the person-centered service plan must all align.
TBI Waiver respite care in Indiana is temporary or periodic support provided in place of the person who normally provides unpaid care. The broader TBI Waiver offers Home and Community-Based Services, commonly called HCBS, to eligible people who would otherwise require institutional care. (Government of India)
Indiana’s current provider guidance defines Respite Care Services as support provided temporarily or periodically in place of the usual caregiver. Care may occur in qualifying home and community settings. (Government of India)
Respite may give a spouse, parent, guardian, or other family caregiver time to rest, work, attend appointments, or handle other responsibilities while the participant receives appropriate support.
Families comparing waiver pathways can begin with the Indiana Medicaid respite care guide and Indiana Medicaid waiver home care.
Yes, the Indiana TBI Waiver may cover in-home respite care when the participant is eligible and the appropriate service is approved in the person’s Plan of Care.
Indiana lists Respite Care Services among the benefits that may be authorized through the TBI Waiver. The case manager identifies services that meet the participant’s assessed needs, submits them for state approval, and documents approved services in the Plan of Care and Notice of Action. (Government of India)
Coverage may depend on:
Enrollment in the waiver does not mean every listed service is automatically available. Families can review Indiana TBI Waiver respite coverage for a focused explanation of the coverage question.
Indiana TBI Waiver respite eligibility generally requires the person to meet Medicaid requirements, be determined to have a traumatic brain injury, meet the applicable level-of-care standard, and have respite identified as an appropriate authorized service.
Indiana defines a traumatic brain injury as damage to brain tissue caused by an external event through an open or closed head injury. The injury must involve a sudden insult or damage to brain function and cannot be degenerative, congenital, or related to birth trauma. (Government of India)
The required level of care depends partly on when the injury occurred:
Indiana evaluates level of care during the application process and periodically after enrollment. Financial and other Medicaid eligibility requirements also apply. (Government of India)
A diagnosis or history of brain injury alone does not guarantee waiver enrollment or respite authorization. Families exploring broader non-medical support can review home care for adults with disabilities.
Families can apply for the TBI Waiver by contacting the Area Agency on Aging serving the applicant’s Indiana county. The person must also apply for Medicaid if they are not already eligible. (Government of India)
The process generally includes:
Families can prepare by organizing information about the injury, when it occurred, daily assistance needs, mobility, personal care, supervision, communication, current caregivers, and the support needed to remain in the community.
Do not send detailed medical records, Medicaid identification numbers, or other sensitive information through an unsecured website form. Ask the Area Agency on Aging or program representative how documents should be submitted securely.
Application, eligibility, waiver enrollment, and service authorization are separate steps. Completing an application does not guarantee immediate enrollment or respite approval.
TBI Waiver respite authorization occurs when the planning process identifies an unmet caregiver-relief need and the appropriate service is approved in the participant’s person-centered plan.
The case manager considers the participant’s assessed needs, goals, preferences, existing supports, safety considerations, and caregiver situation. Federal HCBS rules require person-centered planning to reflect the individual’s choices and goals rather than relying only on a diagnosis. (CMS)
Families should accurately explain:
The case manager determines which waiver service category appropriately addresses the need. Asking for a certain number of hours does not guarantee that those hours will be approved.
Indiana has announced changes to TBI Waiver case management scheduled for August 1, 2026, including statewide contracted case management organizations. A related state fact sheet noted that parts of the proposed waiver amendment remained subject to federal approval and possible revision. Families should verify the current process when requesting a change. (Government of India)
The planned guide to adding respite to a TBI service plant can help families prepare for the discussion.
Authorized in-home TBI respite care depends on the exact service named in the Plan of Care, the participant’s assessed needs, and the qualifications required of the provider.
Indiana’s current provider manual states that the formal TBI Waiver category called Respite Care Services includes:
The professional level is determined through the person-centered service plan. Indiana currently lists a licensed home health agency as the provider qualification for this formal service category. (Government of India)
This distinction is important. Nana Cares is a non-medical Personal Services Agency, not a skilled home health or nursing agency. It does not provide nursing, neurological rehabilitation, cognitive therapy, behavioral therapy, medication administration, or clinical monitoring.
Caregiver relief may sometimes be supported through another authorized non-medical TBI Waiver service, depending on the participant’s assessment and plan. Within its scope, Nana Cares may assist with:
Nana Cares states that waiver services must follow the approved care plan, authorization, service pathway, and agency scope. (Nana Cares LLC)
The case manager should confirm whether the participant’s caregiver-relief need belongs under formal Respite Care Services, Attendant Care, Home and Community Assistance, or another authorized category.
Families should compare TBI Waiver respite providers based on the exact authorization, provider credentials, service scope, location, communication approach, safety procedures, and staffing availability.
Indiana requires participating H&W and TBI Waiver providers to complete state HCBS certification, enroll with the Indiana Health Coverage Programs, and finish the applicable waiver enrollment process. (Government of India)
Ask each provider:
Do not assume that general TBI experience, Medicaid enrollment, or waiver certification proves that an agency can provide every TBI service. The TBI respite provider in Central Indiana guide can support the comparison process.
A family can start TBI respite care in Central Indiana after the authorized service, provider, schedule, service location, and staffing have all been confirmed.
The usual steps include:
Nana Cares provides non-medical caregiver respite in Indianapolis and related support for adults with disabilities. Its intake process includes a free needs assessment, care planning, caregiver matching, and confirmation of availability. Services must remain within Nana Cares’ non-medical scope and the participant’s authorization. (Nana Cares LLC)
Nana Cares can discuss the participant’s non-medical routines, personal-care needs, supervision, schedule, service location, safety considerations, caregiver preferences, and current authorization.
Contact Nana Cares to book a free needs assessment and determine whether its certified non-medical TBI Waiver services may fit the approved care plan.
Nana Cares does not determine TBI Waiver eligibility, authorize services, provide skilled respite nursing, deliver rehabilitation, guarantee Medicaid coverage, or promise immediate staffing.
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.