Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina

Overview of Volunteers of America the Gardens on Carolina

Volunteers of America the Gardens on Carolina is an independent living community in Gary, IN. Independent living here means having a private living space with community services, but no daily care, and the one-bedroom option gives a resident one private living space rather than a shared arrangement.

The community may be a good fit for someone who wants independent living in a smaller setting without daily assistance. With 37 beds, it is a smaller community where staff and residents can get to know each other. A Walk Score of 39 describes a car-dependent setting, so residents who no longer drive will need a car or a ride for most errands, and pets are allowed, making it possible to bring a pet when moving in.

By The Numbers

Community insights.

Bed count Info A smaller, more intimate setting that may offer a quieter environment and closer staff-resident interactions. 37 Rank #124 / 128Bed count — State benchmarked This independent living community is ranked 124th out of 128 independent living communities we track in Indiana for bed count. Shows this facility's certified or reported bed count compared to other Indiana facilities. Larger communities may offer more amenities, programs, and on-site services for residents and families. Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings compare like with like: every independent living community we track in Indiana that reports data for that category. Independent living communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.

Smaller home · May offer a more intimate, personalized care environment.

Walk Score Info Car-dependent. A few nearby services may be reachable on foot, but most trips require transportation. Rank #97 / 221Walk Score — State benchmarked This independent living community is ranked 97th out of 221 independent living communities we track in Indiana for walk score. Shows how walkable this facility's neighborhood is compared to the average walk score across Indiana facilities. Higher scores benefit residents, families, and staff. Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings compare like with like: every independent living community we track in Indiana that reports data for that category. Independent living communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.
39 / 100

About This Community

Additional Services

1 service
Transportation Services

Additional Policies & Features

Pets Allowed

Room Accommodations

Building Type3-storey
Room Types
1 Bed

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Address 0.7 miles from city center Info Estimated distance in miles from Gary's city center to Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina's address, calculated via Google Maps. — 6.59 miles to nearest hospital (St. Catherine Hospital)

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Info below is compiled from the IN Dept. of Health (IDOH), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.

Communities are listed from highest-ranked to lowest-ranked based on our methodology.

Care Types in This Table AL (Assisted Living): Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing. MC (Memory Care): Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. RC (Respite Care): Short-term temporary care that gives family caregivers a break. IL (Independent Living): Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care.
City and state of the facility. Used for mapping and state-average comparisons.
Licensed bed capacity (maximum allowed). Not the same as how many beds are currently filled.
Indicates whether residents are allowed to have pets in the facility.
Third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100). Convenience/context metric, not a healthcare quality measure.
Housing or bed configuration options (e.g. studio, shared), often from facility-reported amenities and licensing details.
Number of years the company has been in operation.
Reported or derived occupancy for the facility—typically how fully licensed capacity is utilized. Compare across peers in the same market.
Better Business Bureau grade for the operating company. Reflects complaint handling and business practices, not clinical care quality.
A named contact for the facility. Hover the name to see their role — Administrator (state administrator of record or facility-provided administrator), Nursing Director, Medical Director, or Staff. The most authoritative available is shown.
Name of the licensed owner, operator, or managing entity as filed with the state. Useful for grouping facilities under the same organization.
Name of the director of nursing on record, when the state publishes this field.
Count of regulatory inspections in the reporting window. Higher volume can reflect more oversight visits, complaint-driven surveys, or routine licensure cycles.
Complaints the state investigated and upheld, as published in the state record.
Total count of citations (cited regulatory issues) recorded in the selected reporting period. Read alongside inspection counts for context.
The average number of citations this facility receives each time it's inspected, calculated as total citations ÷ total inspections. A lower number suggests more consistent compliance with safety and care standards.
Rittenhouse Village At Portage
IL
AL
MC
RC
Portage
105
Facility 105
IN AVG 138
Rank #79 / 128
Yes
20
Facility 20
IN AVG 37
Rank #155 / 221
Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
10
Facility 10
IN AVG 12
Rank #46 / 127
76.2%
Facility 76.2%
IN AVG 63.4%
Rank #35 / 120
A+Kristin PawlakDiscovery Portage Leasing, LLCKatelynn Clemons8
5
Facility 5
IN AVG 5
Rank #88 / 116
27
Facility 27
IN AVG 36
Rank #70 / 117
3.4
Facility 3.4
IN AVG 1.9
Rank #104 / 117
Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina
IL
Gary (Emerson)
37
Facility 37
IN AVG 138
Rank #124 / 128
Yes
39
Facility 39
IN AVG 37
Rank #97 / 221
1 Bed----------
The Linden House of Gary
IL
Gary (Midtown)-No
64
Facility 64
IN AVG 37
Rank #34 / 221
Apartment----------
Al Thomas Senior Living
IL
Gary (Midtown)-No
59
Facility 59
IN AVG 37
Rank #48 / 221
Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed----------
Gary Manor Apartments
IL
Gary (Midtown)-No
60
Facility 60
IN AVG 37
Rank #45 / 221
2 Bed / 3 Bed----------

Rank badges are statewide and care-type specific: each independent living community is ranked against every other IN independent living community we track that reports that metric, not just the 5 on this page. See how we rank facilities

Financial Assistance for
Independent Living in Indiana

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina is located in Gary, Indiana.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in Indiana.

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Aged and Disabled Waiver

Indiana Medicaid A&D Waiver

Age 65+ or disabled
General Indiana resident, Medicaid-eligible, nursing home-level care need.
Income Limits (2025) ~$2,829/month 300% FBR, individual
Asset Limits $2,000 (individual), $3,000 (couple).
IN

Requires level-of-care determination.

Benefits
Personal care (5-7 hours/day) Respite (240 hours/year) Adult day care (~$60/day) Home health services

CHOICE Program

Indiana CHOICE

Age 60+
General Indiana resident, at risk of nursing home.
Income Limits ~$2,000/month varies
Asset Limits $10,000 individual
IN

Limited funding; regional variation.

Benefits
In-home care (3-5 hours/week) Respite (up to 10 days/year) Transportation (~5 trips/month)

Residential Care Assistance Program (RCAP)

Indiana Residential Care Assistance Program

Age 65+
General or blind, or disabled, Indiana resident, in approved facility, low-income or SSI recipient.
Income Limits (2025) ~$1,004/month including SSI
Asset Limits $2,000 (individual), $3,000 (couple).
IN

~50 facilities statewide; per diem rate set by FSSA.

Benefits
Room/board Laundry Minimal care coordination (~$20-$50/day subsidy)

Medicare Savings Program (MSP)

Indiana Medicare Savings Program

Age 65+ or disabled
General Indiana resident, Medicare Part A/B.
Income Limits (2025) ~$2,510/month (QMB), ~$3,380/month (SLMB), ~$3,598/month (QI)—individual.
Asset Limits $9,430 (individual), $14,130 (couple).
IN

Three tiers; no waitlist.

Benefits
Covers Part B premiums ($174.70/month) Deductibles ($240/year) Copays (~20%)

National Family Caregiver Support Program (NFCSP) Respite

Indiana NFCSP Respite Care

Age —
General Caregivers of 60+ needing care or 55+ caregivers of others; Indiana resident; functional needs (2+ ADLs).
Income Limits (2025) Prioritizes ~$24,980/year (individual); no strict cap.
Asset Limits Not assessed; need-based.
IN

16 AAAs; prioritizes low-income, rural caregivers.

Benefits
Respite (4-6 hours/week or 5 days/year) Adult day care ($60/day) Caregiver training

VA Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound Benefits

Indiana VA Aid and Attendance/Housebound

Age 65+ or disabled veteran/spouse
General Indiana resident, wartime service, need for ADL help (A&A) or homebound.
Income Limits (2025) Net income < ~$1,984/month (veteran with dependent, A&A); pension offsets income.
Asset Limits ~$155,356 net worth limit
IN

High veteran demand statewide.

Benefits
Cash (~$1,433-$2,642/month veteran, ~$951-$1,318 spouse) for care costs (e.g., in-home, assisted living)

Frequently Asked Questions about Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina

What neighborhood is Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina in?

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina is in the Emerson neighborhood of Gary.

Is Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina in a walkable area?

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina has a walk score of 39. Car-dependent. A few nearby services may be reachable on foot, but most trips require transportation.

Are pets allowed at Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina?

Yes, Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina allows residents to bring their pets.

How many beds does Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina have?

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina has 37 beds.

Are there photos of Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina?

Yes — there are 5 photos of Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina in the photo gallery on this page.

What levels of care does Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina provide?

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina offers Independent Living.

What is the address of Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina?

Volunteers of America The Gardens on Carolina is located at 521 Carolina St, Gary, IN 46402.

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