Florida has more older residents than almost any other state, so you're far from alone in figuring this out. This page explains the basics and points only to free, official resources. We don't recommend or rank any agency.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates; CMS Provider Data Catalog Home Health Care Agencies (July 2026 file) and Hospice General Information (August 2026 file). Agency counts are a statistic only, not a recommendation. A count doesn't tell you about quality or whether an agency serves your area.
Three kinds of care, in plain words
Which kind of care fits? A quick guide
- Home health is short-term skilled care at home, like a nurse or therapist, ordered by a doctor and given by a licensed agency. Medicare-certified agencies also follow federal rules.
- In-home care (also called home care, personal care or companion care) is help with daily life: bathing, dressing, meals and company. Families usually pay for it themselves, unless their loved one qualifies for Medicaid long-term care (below).
- Hospice is comfort-focused care for someone with a terminal illness, usually at home.
You can look up licensed providers and their inspection records on FloridaHealthFinder, the state's public search tool from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Florida at a glance
Florida had about 5.3 million residents 65 and older in 2025 (22.8% of the state), up from 4.6 million in 2020.
Note: Civilian population. 85+ grew from 537,470 to 633,779. U.S. share 65+: 19.0%.
What care costs in Florida
Full-time paid in-home help (44 hours a week) had a median cost of about $73,216 a year in Florida in 2025, vs. $80,080 nationally.
Note: Median of provider-reported rates; 44 hours/week x 52 weeks. Costs vary a lot by city and by hours. Figure taken from published CareScout state data (retrieved Oct. 2, 2026).
Costs vary by region and by how many hours of help you need.
Medicare: what it covers at home
Medicare's rules are the same in every state. According to Medicare.gov, Medicare covers part-time or intermittent skilled care at home for people who are homebound. A doctor or other provider must see your loved one in person and order the care, and a Medicare-certified agency must provide it. You pay nothing for covered home health visits. Medicare doesn't pay for 24-hour care, meal delivery, or personal care when that's the only help needed.
Medicare.gov also includes a special note for people getting home health from agencies in Florida and a few other states. If that's your situation, read that section of the Medicare home health page or ask a SHINE counselor.
Hospice: Medicare covers comfort-focused hospice care for people with a terminal illness, usually at home (Medicare.gov).
In 2024, 11.0% of Florida's Original Medicare enrollees used home health (247,546 people) and 3.2% of Medicare Part A enrollees used hospice (161,847 people).
Note: Home health counts cover Original Medicare only (not Medicare Advantage). Hospice counts include all Part A enrollees. Orange = U.S. comparison.
Medicaid Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC)
Florida provides Medicaid long-term care through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program. According to AHCA, a person may qualify if they are:
- 65 or older and eligible for Medicaid, or 18 or older and eligible for Medicaid because of a disability, and
- found by the state's CARES program (Department of Elder Affairs) to need a nursing home level of care.
How it works, step by step (from AHCA):
- Screening: Call your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) or the Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337). AHCA says the phone screening takes about 45 minutes to an hour.
- Wait list: The screening gives a priority score used to place people on a wait list.
- Eligibility: When released from the wait list, a doctor completes a medical form, CARES does an in-person assessment, and the Department of Children and Families (DCF) decides financial eligibility.
- Enrollment: If eligible, you choose a long-term care plan. The program offers home and community-based services to help people live at home.
If you disagree with a screening or eligibility decision, AHCA explains how to ask for a fair hearing.
Help for veterans
- VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits add a monthly amount to a VA pension for veterans and survivors who need help with daily activities (VA.gov).
- Ask your VA social worker about VA home-based care and respite. The VA Caregiver Support Line is 1-855-260-3274 (Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–8 p.m. ET).
- The Florida Department of Veterans' Affairs can help with benefit claims (floridavets.org, 844-693-5838). Listed in VA's directory of state veterans offices.
Free, official places to call
| What you need | Who to contact |
|---|---|
| Local aging services, Medicaid LTC screening, caregiver help | Your ADRC or the Elder Helpline: 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337) (Elder Affairs ADRC list) |
| Free, unbiased Medicare counseling | SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders): 1-800-963-5337, TTY 1-800-955-8770 (shiphelp.org) |
| Check a provider's license and inspection records | FloridaHealthFinder (quality.healthfinder.fl.gov) |
| Suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult | Florida Abuse Hotline / Adult Protective Services: 1-800-962-2873 (TDD 1-800-453-5145) (NAPSA directory) |
| Medicaid long-term care rules | AHCA SMMC LTC (ahca.myflorida.com) |
| Anywhere in the U.S. | Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 (eldercare.acl.gov) |
If someone is in danger or has a medical emergency, call 911. For an emotional crisis, call or text 988 (veterans: 988, then press 1).
What this means for your family
- Call the Elder Helpline early (1-800-96-ELDER) if long-term help may be needed. The Medicaid LTC program has a wait list, and screening is the first step.
- Ask the doctor whether your loved one qualifies for Medicare home health, and ask for the list of agencies that serve your area.
- Talk with SHINE about Medicare and Medicare Advantage choices. It's free.
- Look up any agency on FloridaHealthFinder and Medicare Care Compare before you decide.
- Ask your ADRC about respite and caregiver support for yourself.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: Home health services
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/home-health-services - Medicare.gov: Hospice care
https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/hospice-care - Florida AHCA: Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program
https://ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care/long-term-care-program.html - Florida AHCA: Who Can Receive Long-Term Care Services
https://ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care/long-term-care-program/who-can-receive-long-term-care-services.html - Florida AHCA: SMMC LTC Program Screening
https://ahca.myflorida.com/medicaid/statewide-medicaid-managed-care/long-term-care-program/statewide-medicaid-managed-care-long-term-care-program-screening.html - Florida Department of Elder Affairs: Aging and Disability Resource Centers
https://elderaffairs.org/resource-directory/aging-and-disability-resource-centers-adrcs/ - SHIP National Technical Assistance Center: Florida SHINE
https://www.shiphelp.org/ships/florida/ - FloridaHealthFinder (AHCA facility and provider search)
https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/ - NAPSA: Adult Protective Services, help in your area
https://www.napsa-now.org/help-in-your-area/ - Florida DCF: Adult Protective Services
https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/abuse/adult-protective-services - VA: Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/ - VA: State Departments of Veterans Affairs office locations
https://department.va.gov/about/state-departments-of-veterans-affairs-office-locations/ - CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, state data
https://www.carescout.com/cost-of-care
This is general information to help you think things through. It isn't medical, legal or financial advice. For your family's situation, please talk with your loved one's doctor or a benefits counselor. In an emergency, call 911.