Jacksonville Florida is a big area and accordingly, there is a wide spectrum of prices. Costs depend on location, size of unit, amenities and care needs. In the greater Jacksonville area, board and care homes are generally less expensive than the larger assisted living buildings that offer resort style living with dining rooms, movie theaters and off-site activities. On the low end, it is possible to find a nice, clean and safe board and care home in the $3500/month range inclusive of meals and care. On the high end, two bedroom apartments in our area can run as much as $10,000/month. The 2020 Genworth Cost of Care Survey (https://www.genworth.com/aging...) revealed that the median cost for assisted living was $4150 monthly in our area.

We work with a carefully vetted, comprehensive roster of the most reputable
communities and personal care homes in Jacksonville Florida. Our job is to be your
advocate and guide to evaluating the best fit for you or your loved one. Once there is
a move into one of our recommended communities, we receive a referral fee from
them.

Unfortunately, Medicare doesn’t help finance assisted living. The Medicare program pays for health care expenses in hospital and medical settings. In general, Florida Medicaid’s Institutional Care Program (ICP) pays for room and board only when they are offered in an institution that provides skilled care (like a nursing home), and it does not pay for room and board expenses in assisted living facilities. Florida Medicaid offers the Assisted Living Waiver program which partially pays for seniors to live in a select few communities.

The basic costs, often referred to as ‘rent,’ range from about $3,500 per month and
can go over $12,000 per month. The differences in cost are based on the type of
community, the services required by each resident, the features and amenities
offered, and the overall environment of the community. Some communities also
charge extra to support medication management, and others charge extra if the ADL
support exceeds certain time thresholds. This is an area where a skilled and local
senior care advisor like Assisted Living Locators can truly help.

Most communities present the resident or their family with a monthly bill. The
senior/family is responsible for paying the bill and managing their own finances.
Typically, there is little acceptance of any benefits directly by the community.
The payment sources often utilized by seniors and families include:
○ Social Security Retirement Payments
○ Veteran’s Cash Benefits
○ Pensions
○ Long-Term Care Insurance 
○ Resident Savings
○ Money From the Sale of a Primary Residence
○ Life Settlement and Other Income Sources

Nursing homes existed long before assisted living and were born out of the need to provide around the clock medical care for older adults who could not be cared for at home. While assisted living typically has 24/7 access to nursing care, the focus is on providing a socially active residential community for older adults. Residents with more complicated medical needs, such as chronic wound care or complex illnesses may have to live in a nursing home. But for most seniors, the activities of daily life can be cared for in the non-medical setting of an assisted living community.

In Florida, board and care homes are assisted living facilities with the same Residential Care For the Elderly (RCFE) license as the larger communities. The difference is that board and care homes are licensed for a maximum of six to eight residents and are generally located in residential neighborhoods. Seniors who live in board and care homes generally have higher care needs or are in the mid-to-late stages of dementia.

Our Jacksonville Florida office covers Nassau, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Flagler and
Northern Volusia counties.

Jacksonville Florida residents love their pets! Most communities here are accepting residents with cats and dogs. Often a pet fee will be required upon move-in. Some assisted living communities will only allow cats, while others will allow cats and dogs, usually with a weight limit. In most communities, residents must be able to completely care for their pets themselves.

There are many senior living communities in Jacksonville Florida, and each is a bit
different. Generally speaking, the communities provide a private apartment for each
senior within the building. The apartments range from multi-bedroom, high-end
apartments to modest, one-room studios. In almost every community, though, the
apartments are not intended for 24/7 occupancy. Rather, meals, snacks, and all
activities are provided in common spaces for all residents.
Communal activities, meals, and services serve two important goals: 1) Socialization,
and 2) The opportunity for the staff to observe and potentially support residents. The
days can be as relaxing or as busy as a resident wants—it is not uncommon for a
community to schedule ten or more activities each day.

Assisted Living and Memory Care Communities provide support with the activities of daily living (ADLs). These include dressing, showering, toileting, transferring, escorting, and other day-to-day activities. Some people need little or no help with these activities, and others need very routine and regular help. Most senior care communities include some amount of time dedicated to these ADLs with the monthly rent, with additional charges applicable as the time needed to support these ADLs increases. In addition, meals, room cleaning, and laundry are also provided as part of the monthly rent charge. Some residents in Assisted Living and Dementia Care Communities require a very high level of support with ADLs. In particular, residents with Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions may require total assistance, including feeding, complete continence management, and ambulation via wheelchairs. Some people without cognitive difficulties but with multiple physical challenges need this higher level of support, too. This level of care is not available in every community, though, and Assisted Living Locators can be particularly helpful in matching seniors with the right community for these high need activities.

Assisted living communities offer the best of both worlds. Residents have their own
apartments and live an independent lifestyle. Caregiving staff is on the property
allowing seniors to receive the support they need when they need it. In the Jacksonville
Florida area, caregivers are licensed to offer assistance with activities of daily life
such as bathing, grooming, medication management, mobility and incontinence care.
Residents enjoy a worry-free existence with meals, housekeeping, laundry,
transportation and a plethora of activities provided.

All assisted living and memory care communities licensed by the State of Florida as Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE) operate on a month-to-month rental basis. No long term contract is required. A resident can move out of a community after providing a 30 days notice.

Absolutely! This is your home. Residents are encouraged to bring their furniture, and
often have the opportunity to paint and in other ways decorate their space.

You can try to find the right senior living community on your own but why spend all
that time when Assisted Living Locators can expertly and quickly point you in the
right direction? There are hundreds of places in the greater Jacksonville area. It is
our full-time job to know the best independent, assisted living and memory care
properties in Jacksonville Florida and to help you find the one that is best suited to your
particular needs

In some instances, we work with Medicaid Assisted Living Waiver clients, but the
majority of our business is private pay. If you are on the Florida Medicaid Assisted
Living Waiver or want to find out whether you would qualify for the Assisted Living
Waiver program, please contact https://myeldersource.org/ at 1-888-242-4464.