Florida state law defines an assisted living facility as any residential entity or portion of a residential entity that is for profit or non-profit which has a management staff providing housing, meals, and other personal care services for more than 24 hours to one or more adults who are unrelated to the residence’s administrator or owner. Under state law, there are four different types of assisted living communities, as listed below, differing based on resident needs. Read to find the complete definitions and differences of these types of assisted living communities in Florida.
Types of assisted living licenses available in Florida:
Assisted living residences holding an ECC license are able to provide additional nursing and total assistance regarding personal care services.
Currently, there are 3,053 standard licensed assisted senior communities operating in Florida.
City | Monthly Minimum | Monthly Maximum | Monthly Median |
---|---|---|---|
Miami | $1,100 | $4,700 | $2,125 |
Tampa | $1,750 | $4,295 | $2,750 |
Orlando | $2,000 | $5,000 | $3,330 |
Jacksonville | $1,530 | $4,100 | $2,500 |
The average cost of assisted living in Florida is $3,150 per month. Typically known as the favorite retirement location for older generations, Florida offers fairly low assisted care services compared to the northern section of the country. Florida falls within the same low price range for long-term care as compared to the surrounding states of Georgia and Alabama. With a high volume of privately own communities, Florida offers a myriad of pricing options with many locations to choose from.
For more information about assisted living costs in Florida, check out Genworth’s 2015 Cost of Care Survey.
Known for fun in the sun, Florida offers various thrilling and unique attractions for the public to enjoy. With intriguing native wildlife prevalent in the state, there are many animal attractions such as Gatorland to experience first hand the fascinating and dangerous reptiles. Kissimmee Prairie is one of the last surviving natural prairies left in Florida along with its indigenous prairie wildlife.
At night, Kissimmee Prairie provides a spectacular star show with Jupiter, Saturn, the Space Shuttle, and the Space Station being visible in the night sky along with breathtaking clusters of stars. America’s history of space exploration can be found at the Kennedy Space Museum. In the metropolitan areas, one can catch an equally awe-inspiring show at Cirque de Soleil. During the day, locals frequently visit the endless beaches. Thrills can be found at one of Florida’s noted amusement parks such as the globally revered Walt Disney World.
Known as a favorite retiree spot, Florida is more than just a place for seniors to settle down or celebrities to vacation. The state does have many large cities, but residents are generally relaxed and are sometimes referred to as “beach bums”. In Miami, however, there are large Latino and Cuban populations that influence the culture.
Nicknamed the “Sunshine State”, Florida does experience four seasons per year; however, they are not the typical four seasons most of the continental U.S. experiences. During the months May through October, Florida experiences a rainy season. After October, the dry season arrives until April. Therefore, winter is fairly dry and sunny throughout the season bringing threats of wildfires in spring. Typical temperatures for a Florida winter ranges between 41 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Although summer occurs during Florida’s rainy season, average temperatures stay in the 70 to 90 degree Fahrenheit range depending on the location.
Assisted living homes are regulated by a state-to-state basis. Every state has a publicly accessible legal document outlining the regulations, licensing, operation and other rules for assisted living. Assisted senior care falls under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. You can view the complete legal document for assisted living regulations as defined by Florida state law online. To obtain public records concerning inspections, violations, citations and the like on individual homes in the state of Florida, please visit this website Floridahealthfinder.gov.
As with any long-term care option, it is a good idea to be aware of the safety of your nursing home’s location. A safe and positive environment can make rehabilitation or routine daily care all the more effective. Check out some of Florida’s safest cities to start your search:
Location | Violent Crimes Per 1,000 Residents | Property Crimes Per 1,000 Residents |
---|---|---|
Indian River Shores | 0.0 | 3.0 |
Weston | 0.7 | 5.5 |
Parkland | 0.3 | 6.4 |
Windemere | 0.3 | 6.3 |
(Source: spacecoastdaily.com)
For those eligible for Florida Medicaid and seeking financial assistance, Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program provides low-income elderly residents who need any type of long term care, including personal care services, with monetary support.
For those who are not eligible for Medicaid or prefer an alternate payment option, the state of Florida offers financial assistance through the Optional State Supplementation program for low-income seniors who are seeking to live in an adult family home, a mental health treatment center or an assisted living home. This program is under the jurisdiction of the Florida Department of Children & Families. Medicaid will not be provided for those concurrently participating in this program.
Alternate payment options are available. Families can apply for an assisted living family loan. This provides temporary or long-term financial assistance when paying for assisted senior care. The program allows multiple people to contribute to payment
While residing in the home, a resident retains constitutional civil rights, rights of privacy, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion. The resident also retains the right to personal possessions, autonomy over personal finances, bodily autonomy, and power of attorney. The resident has a right to be informed of the process to file a complaint of unsatisfactory living situations, abuse, neglect and the like. Florida law also uses the term “bill of rights” to refer to resident rights for assisted senior care homes. A complete list of resident rights as defined by Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs can be obtained online. Resident rights that are unique to Florida are as follows:
Assisted living homes in Florida are required to provide any type of heath services that are ordered by an attending physician, as well as keep all medical information confidential, accurate, and complete. Records are to be kept for a minimum of 5 years following death or discharge of a patient.
Residents have access to their medical records and can request a copy of all or a portion of their medical records. All requested health records should be available no later than 30 days after the request. They can also request a copy of some or all of the information at a cost not to exceed the community standard for photocopies.