Assisted Living in Clermont, FL

Assisted Living Costs in Clermont

The average monthly cost of assisted living in Clermont is $3,275, which is below the state ($3,500) and national ($4,000) averages. Prices in nearby areas range from $2,808 in Lakeland to the south up to $5,031 in The Villages to the north. 

Statewide, assisted living prices tend to be highest in upscale areas, such as Naples ($5,488), and lower in cities throughout central Florida, such as Tampa ($3,250), Sebring ($3,038) and Sebastian ($3,524). 

Note: Senior care cost data wasn’t available for Clermont, so data for the closest city, Orlando, was used. 

The Cost of Assisted Living in Surrounding Areas

Care Cost Comparison

The type of care is the most influential factor in senior care cost pricing, and that’s especially true in Clermont, where assisted living ($3,275) costs less than half of what nursing home ($8,106) care does. While both services include room and board, nursing homes are geared towards seniors who have complex medical needs and require around-the-clock care. 

In-home care options, such as a homemaker or home health aide, cost $4,004 per month on top of the regular living expenses associated with maintaining a home. 

Senior Care Cost Comparison Chart

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Clermont

Medicaid in Florida

Medicaid is the national health insurance plan for Americans in need. It’s funded by federal and state governments. In Florida, the Medicaid program provides 88% of Florida’s elderly and disabled with essential health care services, such as long-term care. 

Florida residents aged 65 and older who require long-term, Medicaid-funded services must have a monthly income of $2,313 or less and own fewer than $2,000 ($3,000 for couples) in countable assets to qualify for coverage. Seniors who already receive Supplemental Security Income benefits automatically qualify for aged, blind and disabled Medicaid coverage. 

Medicaid rules classify some assets as exempt, such as one vehicle, household items and a residence that the applicant and/or their spouse lives in valued at $585,000 or less. 

Qualified Income Trust

Because Florida is an income-cap state, there’s no Medicaid spend-down program. Florida Medicaid does permit the use of a Qualified Income Trust.

Also called a Miller Trust, a QIT is a binding legal agreement that seniors can sign to qualify for Medicaid coverage. The senior agrees to place all income that exceeds Medicaid limits into a trust fund that names the State as the beneficiary in exchange for Medicaid coverage. This trust fund can only be used to pay specific medical expenses and associated legal fees. 

Upon death, the QIT is released to the State in order to recoup costs paid on behalf of the Medicaid enrollee. 

Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program 

Seniors aged 65 and older who have Medicaid coverage and meet the clinical criteria for nursing home placement may be eligible for the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long Term Care Program. 

The SMMC LTC funds additional community-based support services to seniors in assisted living facilities to reduce the number of seniors living in institutional nursing homes. Services are delivered through a contracted managed care plan and assigned on a case-by-case basis. 

SMMC LTC services may include medication management, personal care, rehabilitation, adult day services and access to an emergency response system. 

All Florida seniors who request long-term Medicaid services are evaluated through the Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services program. 

To learn more about Medicaid programs and enrollment, contact ACCESS Florida at (866) 762-2237. 

To request a CARES assessment for the SMMC LTC program, call the Lake County Elder Helpline at (800) 262-2243. 

Other Financial Assistance Programs for Assisted Living

Optional State Supplementation

The Optional State Supplementation program provides Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries with additional state funds for use towards their room-and-board costs. 

To qualify for OSS, seniors must live in an assisted living facility because they cannot safely live on their own. In addition to the regular SSI benefit, eligible seniors may receive up to $78.40 per month, and couples may receive up to $156.80 per month.

For more information, contact ACCESS Florida at (866) 762-2237. 

Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance

VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance are two enhanced pension programs for regular VA pension recipients. To qualify, claimants must have a permanent disability or chronic illness that impairs their day-to-day functioning. Claimants may only receive benefits from one of these two programs. 

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, claimants must:

• Be placed in a nursing facility as a result of physical and/or mental deterioration or disability, or 
• Need daily assistance from a caregiver to perform activities of daily living, such as bathing, grooming and toileting, or
• Have a visual field of 5 degrees or less, or
• Have corrected vision tested at 5/200 or worse, or
• Be restricted to bed except to participate in medically prescribed therapies

To qualify for Housebound, claimants must: 

• Have one disability that is rated at 100% that restricts the claimant to their place of residence, or
• Have one disability that is rated at 100% and at least one additional disability rated at 60% or greater

For more information and assistance with the application process, contact Lake County Veterans Services at (352) 742-6586. 

Assisted Living Resources in Clermont

Veterans Services

Veterans, dependents and survivors can get help with local, state and federal benefit claims at Lake County Veterans Services. 

Outpatient VA health care, including primary care, social work guidance and smoking cessation, is offered at the Clermont VA Clinic, which is affiliated with the Orlando VA Medical Center. 

Lake County Veterans Services 
418 W. Alfred St., Tavares, FL 32778
(352) 742-6586

Clermont VA Clinic
805 Oakley Seaver Dr., Clermont, FL 34711-1968
(352) 536-8200

Senior Recreation Programs

The City of Clermont offers a variety of free social groups, fitness classes, arts lessons and special events for seniors Monday through Saturday at the Clermont Arts and Recreation Center. Activities include pickleball, bingo, quilting, chair yoga and cross stitch. 

Clermont Arts and Recreation Center
3700 S. Hwy 27, Clermont, FL 34711
(352) 394-3500

Transportation

Seniors aged 60 and older qualify for half-price fares on LakeXpress, Lake County’s public transit system. All buses on the system are equipped with either a wheelchair lift or a kneeing ramp system. 

Lake County Transit Division
2440 U.S. Hwy. 441, Fruitland Park, FL 34731
(352) 742-1940