Key Takeaways on Assisted Living in Florida
- The median monthly cost of assisted living in Florida is $4,000. In comparison, the national median monthly cost of assisted living is $4,500.
- Florida has 1674 assisted living communities.
- You can visit your local Area Agency on Aging to learn more about Assisted Living in Florida.
Florida’s population of elderly individuals is consistently increasing, and there are numerous appealing choices for retirees looking to maintain their independence while also receiving assistance for certain daily activities and managing their medications.
What is Assisted Living?
In assisted living, older adults receive personal care based on their needs. Benefits may include communal meals, a social activities calendar, and help with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as getting dressed and maintaining personal hygiene.
Assisted living communities are for older adults who need some help with daily tasks but still want to live somewhat independently in a home-like environment and keep their own things. Some people move to assisted living after living at home or in another place for independent living. In assisted living, you’ll usually find services like managing medications, organizing social activities, keeping the place clean, preparing meals, doing laundry, and offering transportation. These facilities are designed to meet the needs of older adults in a residential setting.
The assisted living facilities in Florida can suit many preferences, with some offering multi-acred campuses and others consisting of a single building with apartments and communal spaces. The goal of assisted living is to provide a sense of community and a degree of independence while ensuring all residents receive the care they need.
Assisted Living in Florida: The Big Picture
The National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL) reports that Florida has 1674 assisted living communities. In Florida, the median monthly cost of assisted living is $4,000, while the national average is $4,500.
According to the NCAL, 45 percent of assisted living facility residents in Florida are over the age of 85, with 24 percent relying on Medicaid for long-term care. 47 percent of assisted living residents in Florida are living with Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
What Services Are Provided in Assisted Living?
Assisted living facilities often offer several services including medication management, housekeeping, laundry, three daily meals, activities, and support with certain everyday tasks. However, the extent of care provided may differ from state to state, as these facilities are regulated on a regional basis. Read about the scope of care for assisted living facilities in your state in the National Center for Assisted Living State Regulatory Review.
Assisted Living Scope of Care in Florida
Because assisted living is regulated at the state level, the scope of care will vary depending on where you live. The primary factors that vary from state to state are minimum staffing requirements and background checks for staff members.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does Florida have a minimum staffing requirement for assisted living facilities? | no |
| Does Florida require an administrator to be onsite 24 hours per day? | no |
| Does Florida require state and federal background checks for all staff members? | yes |
The Cost of Assisted Living in Florida
According to Genworth, the median monthly cost of assisted living in Florida is $4,000. In comparison, the national median monthly cost of assisted living is $4,500. Still, that median monthly cost varies depending on your location within Florida.
The cost of assisted living often reflects a state’s overall cost of living. In Florida, the cost of living index is 102%. To find the cost of living index, we first need to establish a starting point. This starting point is called the baseline, which represents the average cost of living in the United States. The baseline for the US is set at 100. After that, we compare the cost of living in each state to the national baseline. So, a state with a cost of living index of 150 is 50% more expensive than the national average. On the other hand, a state with a cost of living index of 50 is half as expensive as the national average.
How to Pay for Assisted Living in Florida
Moving to a place where you can get help can be a lot to handle. It might make older people worried about how they can pay for it. There are different ways to cover the costs, and many people use a mix of resources.
Common ways to pay for assisted living in Florida include:
- Personal savings: This may include Social Security benefits, pension payments, stocks, and 401(k) or IRA accounts.
- Reimbursement from long-term care insurance: Know the details of your policy. Many have an initial 90-day out-of-pocket period. If the 90 days begin when you start assisted living, you could face thousands of dollars in non-reimbursable expenses.
- Home equity: This may include proceeds from the sale of your home or a reverse mortgage plan. Always consult a trusted financial advisor before deciding how to structure your assets.
- Veterans benefits: Check with the Department of Veterans Affairs or use BenefitsCheckUp to discover your options.
- Medicaid benefits: For Medicaid-eligible older adults, Medicaid can help cover the cost of care received in assisted living. In combination with a state-level Medicaid waiver, Medicaid dollars can also help cover the room and board costs of assisted living.
Will Medicare Pay for Assisted Living in Florida?
Medicare will not pay for any form of long-term care, whether the care is received at home or in a facility. Because the federal government regulates Medicare, this is true in every state, including Florida.
Here are the goods and services often covered by Medicare for assisted living residents:
- The cost of physician-ordered physical, occupational, and speech therapy, which residents can often receive onsite in assisted living settings
- Up to 100 days of care in a skilled nursing facility
- Durable medical equipment (DME) such as bedside commodes and shower stools
- Outpatient health care services and some prescription drug costs
Will Medicaid Pay for Assisted Living in Florida?
Medicaid is regulated by federal and state governments, meaning its coverage will vary widely from state to state. In most cases, Medicaid will cover the cost of personal and medical care received within assisted living, but it will not pay for room and board. In combination with a state-based Medicaid waiver, Medicaid dollars can help cover the total cost of assisted living.
Florida Long-Term Care Waiver (0962.R02.00)
Helps to identify and cover the least restrictive form of long-term care, including assisted living, for older adults, and for individuals with physical disabilities or with brain injury, with HIV/AIDS, or 18-64 years old who are medically fragile and need a hospital or nursing facility level of care.
| Coverage Type | Included |
|---|---|
| Home Care | yes |
| Memory Care | no |
| Community-Based Care | no |
| Assisted Living | yes |
Resident Resources for Assisted Living in Florida?
Several resources are available in Florida to help support assisted living residents.
- The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They help residents get quality care, assist in resolving conflicts, and prevent and address elder abuse. Find the LTCOP in Florida.
- An area agency on aging (AAA) is an organization designated by the state to address the needs and concerns of older persons at the regional and local levels. Area agency on aging is an umbrella term for this kind of organization, and specific names of local AAAs may vary. An AAA can provide information on health services, community engagement, and long-term care options. Find the AAA closest to your Florida location using the Eldercare Locator.
- Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits: Veterans and their families are eligible for federal benefits covering health care, life insurance, housing assistance, and pension payments. To maximize your benefits, ensure you receive the federal VA benefits you qualify for before checking with Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. Additionally, veterans are also eligible for services at the state level, such as State Veterans Homes, which offer full-time skilled nursing care.
Assisted Living vs. Other Types of Care in Florida
Assisted living facilities provide help, social activities, and care to residents while still letting them be independent. However, assisted living communities may not be suitable for every older person, even though they have many advantages. Fortunately, Florida offers various options for senior living, with distinctive differences to accommodate residents’ needs. Each senior care option comes with different levels of care and associated costs.
The five main senior living options available in Florida are:
1. Independent Living
Independent living facilities offer a lively community experience where you don’t have to stress about tasks like taking care of your yard, cleaning, or cooking. These places usually have social groups, games, exercise classes, outings, and other activities available on-site. All-inclusive fees for independent living in Florida vary widely based on the facility’s style and size, the types of amenities included, and the specific area’s cost of living.
Older adults needing personal care or help with ADLs while staying in an independent living community can receive that care through third-party service providers.
2. Assisted Living
Assisted living communities offer housekeeping, three communal meals per day, onsite activities, and daily help with ADLs and medication. The average monthly cost for assisted living in Florida is $4,000, and additional fees for personal care services could increase that fee. In comparison, the national average median monthly cost for assisted living is $4,500.
3. Nursing Homes
All of the services available in assisted living are also available in a nursing home, with the addition of skilled nursing care provided by RNs. In Florida, the average monthly cost for nursing home care in a private room is $9,627, while the average monthly cost for a shared room is $8,654. Nationally, the cost of nursing home care in a private room averages $9,034 per month, while sharing a room drops the national monthly average to $7,908.
4. Memory Care
Also called special care units, memory care can be found in assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The average monthly cost for memory care varies by facility. Our research found that, in Florida, the cost falls somewhere between the cost of assisted living care and nursing care, depending on individual needs.
5. Aging in Place
Staying at home with the help of in-home care is also an option worth considering, especially if you can’t find a residential facility that meets your or a loved one’s needs. Usually, Medicaid will cover in-home care services more readily than it covers the cost of an assisted living facility.
In-home care includes:
- Personal companions, or homemakers, provide companionship, light housekeeping, some meal preparation, and help with errands. In Florida, the median monthly costs of homemaker services for 44 hours a week is $4,767. Nationally, the average monthly cost is $4,957.
- Home health aides assist you or a loved one with ADLs such as bathing and dressing. They will also help with housekeeping and meal preparation. Hiring a home health aide in Florida for 44 hours a week will cost, on average $4,767 a month. The national average monthly cost of 44 hours a week of home health aide care is $5,148.
- A registered nurse (RN) can come to your home to provide nursing services. These services are important for people who are getting older and staying at home but need help with things like taking care of wounds or managing chronic conditions such as diabetes. The price of in-home nursing services may be different depending on where you live and how many hours of care you require.
- Adult day centers provide social activities for older adults during the day while also offering caregivers a break from caregiver responsibilities. The median monthly cost for adult day health care in Florida is $1,517. Comparatively, the national average monthly cost for adult day centers is $1,690.