Florida Assisted Living

For years, Florida has been a mecca for seniors looking to enjoy retirement in a community where the weather is almost always great and where the chance of snow is slim to none. No matter the reason, this has created great demand for independent living communities and senior’s assisted living centers so retirees looking to make a home in Florida are going to find a lot to consider.

Prices-wise, Florida is a pretty friendly place too. At the end of this article, we’ll talk about costs in a bit more detail but on average, senior living costs in Florida are below average, compared to the rest of the US.

Put these factors together and independent living communities, senior’s assisted living facilities and continuing care senior communities in Florida offer seniors some excellent options.

Types of Senior Living Communities in Florida

The first task for seniors is to take a clear-eyed look at their overall health. Aging has a way of slowing people down and making it important for them to get some level of care, but that isn’t true for everyone. And even those that do need care, they may not need very much. When seniors understand where they are in this aging process, they will be able to focus in on a retirement community that will support their specific needs.

Stage One – Independent Living

If seniors are still active and living independently with confidence, they probably don’t need any more than a great senior living community in Florida where independent seniors live actively and with little or no worries related to dealing with an empty nest or constant maintenance.

This are what independent living communities, 55+ communities, and retirement communities are designed for. First, they offer homes, cottages, villas, townhomes, duplexes and apartments that are still comfortable, without being overly big. These communities also take charge of all of the building maintenance so seniors never need to worry about mowing lawns, raking leaves, cleaning out gutters, or painting ever again.

They then add a wide range of amenities where seniors can gather and enjoy an active life in the company of others and that helps turn these into real communities where friendships, both old and new, flourish.

Stage Two – Assisted Living

At some stage in the aging process, normal daily activities can become a real challenge, especially when there are no helping hands to call on. Seniors can start to feel isolated and uncomfortable and that can lead to further deterioration in both physical and mental health. The best way to fight back at this stage is to settle into a senior assisted living community in Florida where staff is at the ready to help deal with the challenges and eliminate the stresses that are most common among aging seniors.

They do this by providing Assisted Daily Living care, (ADL’s), so seniors can easily deal with the challenges of aging and stay focused on enjoying an active and reasonably independent way of life. Essentially, these assisted living communities are designed to support an active lifestyle rather than limit it, by providing just the care that is needed, along with loads of amenities and activities that help keep seniors engaged with life and their community.

Stage Three – Memory Care

Dementia can be one of the most challenging changes seniors will ever have to deal with. This group of diseases steals memories and can leave seniors anxious, frustrated and feeling alone. They are progressive as well, so the challenges seniors are facing today will get worse quickly unless there is some form of intervention.

Memory care in Florida is designed to address these challenges and while it isn’t a cure, this care can help bring memories back, rekindle relationships with loved ones, and slow the progress of these diseases so seniors can enjoy more of life for a longer period of time.

Memory care is most often offered as an extension of the care provided by assisted senior living communities in Florida, where they can dedicate space that is more secure and organized, and where staff is specially trained to deliver cognitive and sensory therapies that have a positive impact for these seniors.

Evolving Care – Continuing Care

Aging is a continuing process. The challenges seniors face today may not be the same challenges they will face tomorrow and the care they need today may not be sufficient tomorrow. Continuing care communities in Florida combine independent living communities and assisted senior living communitys under one umbrella, so seniors are able to age in place, with care that evolves as health issues develop.

This means seniors are able to move into a new senior living community and build relationships without the fear of having things torn apart if they need a greater level of care. They just adjust to take on new care services while staying in place and enjoying their life in the company of their many friends.

Top 5 Senior Living Communities in Florida

With so many retirement living options, it is tough to narrow this list down to just five senior living communities in Florida. In fact, it would have been hard to narrow it down to a top 20 list too. So, what we are offering here are really a set of benchmarks. Seniors can look at what makes each of the following independent living communities and assisted senior living communities and then measure all of the others against these criteria.

To make it on our list, every assisted senior living community or independent living community must have earned at better than a 4-star rating and they will have more than 25 published reviews from residents and their loved ones. Reviews must also be both historical and fresh so we can be confident that these living centers are not sitting back on their laurels.

The following are five of the very best senior living communities we’ve found in Florida. Seniors should take some time to consider what makes them so good and use what they learn to find others that they will come to love.

• Riverside Presbyterian Apartments – 4.2-stars - 32 Reviews – Based in Jacksonville, Florida, this Presbyterian community combines both an independent living community and an assisted living center, and while it is faith based, they warmly welcome all faiths into this senior community. This is part of Westminster Communities that offers several other communities throughout the state so this could be a good place to start. They are also continuing care retirement communities.
• Encore at Avalon Park Assisted Living and Memory Care Community – 4.6-stars – 29 Reviews – This Orlando care center is dedicated to senior assisted living. Set in a wonderful resort setting, this senior living community also offers Memory Care. Living spaces are a spacious mix of one and two-bedroom senior apartments that are perfect for couples, individuals and companions that are happy to share.
• Discovery Village At Melbourne – 4.3-Stars – 51 Reviews – Set in Melbourne, Florida, this is a continuing care option that includes both an independent living community and a senior’s assisted living facility, on a grand campus. Just the entry hall will cause a few o’s and a’s, with its grand columns and soaring atrium. It offers a long list of amenities and activities for the community to enjoy, along with some really wonderful dining options. It’s also in a great location for those looking for a really popular retirement destination.
• Westminster Woods on Julington Creek – 4.2-Stars – 29 Reviews – This is another senior living community in Jacksonville, FL that combines senior assisted living and an independent living community in one to create a great continuing care options for seniors. This is also part of Westminster Communities so if you like what you see in this community, it may be worth looking at the many others they also have available. Once again, this is a faith-based community, but they are equally welcoming to those of other faiths.
• Florida Presbyterian Homes – 4.6-stars – 63 Reviews – Based in Lakeland, Florida, this is a community that caters to seniors that require some level of personal care. This starts out with seniors assisted living and moves up the scale to memory care and full nursing care. Since it does not include independent living, it probably can’t be considered a full continuing care community, but for those starting out needing an assisted living environment, this certainly has a lot to offer. This senior living community is a mix of homes and apartments so seniors have some great options here as well.

Cost of Senior Living in Florida

Independent living communities and assisted living facilities in Florida are about $500 less expensive at $3,500 per month, than the average cost across the US, so beside offering a lot of choices, those choices are reasonably budget friendly. They can be even friendlier in places like Sebring, FL, for example, where the average rate drops to $2,836. As always, there are cases where the prices are much higher too, like in Tallahassee, FL, where they jump to $4,774 per month. One of the most popular retirement destinations in Florida is Port St. Lucie, FL, and rates there are exactly the same as the statewide average rate of $3,500 per month. Florida ranks as one of the most attractive states for retirees and with their selection of independent living communities, senior living communities, 55+ communities, and assisted living communities, it’s easy to see why.

List of All Senior Living Communities in Florida:

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