Personal Assistant Services in Indianapolis

Choose help around a defined task list

Start with the work you want someone to finish: reconcile a calendar, research appointment options, collect an order, or coordinate a repair visit. For each task, state the deadline, address if relevant, spending limit, and what completion means. Ask the assistant to flag anything they cannot complete within those limits.

Choose remote support for tasks you can complete through calls, shared documents, or calendar access. For errands and visits, specify pickup instructions, building entry, delivery location, and whether you expect the assistant to wait. Keep appointment booking separate from transportation and accompaniment in the written scope.

For recurring work, agree on priorities and a handover method. Ask for a short record of completed tasks, receipts, unresolved questions, and the next deadline. Begin with a limited assignment before granting broader access to your home or accounts.

Check the boundary between assistance and personal care

Indiana’s care-agency guidance extends beyond hands-on attendant care. The Department of Health lists homemaker services such as shopping, laundry, housekeeping, and meal planning and preparation. It also lists companion services including transportation, letter writing, mail reading, and escorts, provided at a client’s residence by agency staff. [1]

If your request includes those services, describe the arrangement to the agency and ask how its Indiana license covers the work. Use the Department of Health’s Personal Care Services Agency Licensing Program page to reach its consumer directory and contact information. Avoid deciding the licensing question from a provider’s job title alone. [1]

Write down any care needs before requesting offers. Ask the provider to explain which duties it accepts, which require a different professional, and who handles an unexpected change during a visit. Keep family contact details and your instructions available to the assigned worker.

Compare complete quotes and plan transportation

Ask each candidate to quote the same task list. Request their billing basis, minimum booking, travel-time charges, mileage or transit reimbursement, waiting time, cancellation terms, and purchase approval process. For recurring support, ask how they handle unused time and additional requests. Set a ceiling that requires your approval before further work.

Request written quotes for your task list and compare assistant fees separately from travel expenses. Require receipts for purchases and agreed travel expenses, and specify which costs need your approval before the assistant spends money on your behalf.

For transit planning, IndyGo lists a full-fare fixed-route two-hour unlimited fare of $2.75 and daily fare capping of $6.00, effective January 1, 2026. Its separate Access fare schedule took effect July 1, 2026. Confirm the intended service, trip arrangements, and applicable fare before agreeing to an accompanied outing. [3]

Verify screening and control access

Ask who performed the screening, when they performed it, and which jurisdictions they searched. Indiana State Police says its Limited Criminal History report covers Indiana felony and misdemeanor arrests, excludes other states’ criminal history, and depends on county participation for completeness. Ask providers to explain a screening claim beyond saying that someone passed. [2]

Before driving errands, ask the provider to confirm insurance coverage for the proposed work and clarify whose vehicle they will use. For home access, agree on key custody and return. Give account permissions for the assigned task, set purchase limits, and keep control of approvals for payments or account changes.

Review the first assignment against your instructions: completed work, time billed, receipts, communication, and returned keys or documents. Resolve differences before expanding the arrangement. For recurring visits, ask who covers an absence and whether a replacement needs your approval.

IndyGo Access published one-trip fares

Match the request to the next hiring step

Your hiring checklist

1. List tasks, deadlines, addresses, and completion instructions.
2. Identify household or companion duties that need a care-agency licensing check.
3. Request screening scope, timing, and relevant references.
4. Confirm driving arrangements and insurance coverage for the assigned work.
5. Agree on billable time, travel expenses, waiting, and cancellation terms.
6. Set purchase limits and require receipts.
7. Record key custody, account permissions, and replacement-worker approval.
8. Review a limited first assignment before adding recurring duties.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does household help require a licensed agency?

Indiana licenses agencies providing specified attendant, homemaker, and companion services at a client’s residence. Describe your proposed tasks to the provider and consult the Department of Health program if the licensing position is unclear. Do not assume that all arrangements have the same requirements. [1]

Does an Indiana background check cover other states?

The Indiana State Police Limited Criminal History report does not include other states’ criminal history. Ask which check the provider used and how it addressed places where the worker previously lived. [2]

How should I compare assistant quotes?

Give candidates the same task list and request the full billing terms. Compare assistant time, minimum bookings, travel, waiting, purchases, and cancellation charges. For a recurring arrangement, specify how much work you authorize and when the assistant must request approval.

Can I use the chart to estimate the assistant’s fee?

Use the chart to discuss a potential transportation expense. It contains IndyGo Access passenger fares, not assistant rates. Obtain a separate quote for the worker’s time and confirm the fare applicable to the planned trip. [3]