Assisted Living in Sun City Center,FL

Assisted Living Costs in Sun City Center

Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study shows the average monthly cost of assisted living in Sun City Center is lower than the state ($3,500) and national ($4,000) averages. Further south, assisted living prices are higher in Punta Gorda ($3,400), North Port Area ($3,874) and Cape Coral ($4,000), while prices of inland areas, such as Sebring ($3,038) and Lakeland ($2,808), are lower.

Note: Senior care cost data wasn’t available for Sun City Center, so data for the closest city, Tampa, was used. 

The Cost of Assisted Living in Surrounding Areas

Care Cost Comparison

When comparing the different costs for senior care, it’s important to understand the range of services and support provided with each senior care option. Nursing home care in Sun City Center is more than twice the cost of assisted living, largely because nursing home care includes around-the-clock skilled nursing under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. By comparison, assisted living facilities are usually staffed by care aides or attendants, and the staff-to-senior ratio may be much lower than in a nursing home. 

In-home senior care for 44 hours per week costs more than assisted living, and unlike residential care services, in-home senior care prices don’t include ongoing costs, such as food and home maintenance. 

Senior Care Cost Comparison Chart

Financial Assistance for Assisted Living in Sun City Center

Medicaid in Florida

One in five Florida residents is 65 or older, and Medicaid, the national, government-funded health insurance plan for low-income Americans, provides basic health coverage to 88% of Florida’s elderly and disabled. 

Medicaid eligibility is based on the income and assets of each applicant. In Florida, seniors who collect Social Security Income benefits automatically qualify for Medicaid coverage. 

Low-income seniors age 65 and older who need long-term care services may be eligible if their monthly income is $2,313 or less and they have under $2,000 ($3,000 for couples) worth of countable assets, such as cash, stocks and recreational real estate. Medicaid exempts some assets, including one vehicle, a nonrevocable burial trust, personal belongings and a home that the applicant lives in valued at no greater than $585,000.

Note: Seniors with incomes in excess of the Medicaid limits cannot spend down their excess income to achieve Medicaid eligibility since Florida is an income cap state. Florida Medicaid rules do, however, permit the use of a Qualified Income Trust.

Also known as a Miller Trust, a QIT is a non-revocable legal agreement that requires seniors place any income exceeding Medicaid limits into a trust account. This trust is used to pay the patient responsibility portion of Medicaid costs, along with other specified medical expenses. Upon death, the balance of the trust account is paid to the state up to an amount that equals what Medicaid paid while the trust was in place. 

Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program 

Florida seniors who meet the Medicaid income and asset limits and need nursing home level care may qualify for the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long Term Care Program. 

SMMC LTC reduces nursing home placement rates by supplementing support services to seniors in assisted living facilities. These services are assigned based on medical need and may include skilled nursing, personal care, medication administration and/or adult day health. 

To learn more about Florida Medicaid programs for seniors including the SMMC LTC and Qualified Income Trusts, contact ACCESS Florida at (866) 762-2237. 

Other Financial Assistance Programs for Assisted Living

Optional State Supplementation

The Florida Department of Children and Families provides financial assistance to low-income seniors in assisted living facilities or other types of community care through the Optional State Supplementation program. Money from the OSS is designed to help seniors pay for the room and board portion of their care, and payments are usually directed to the facility. 

To qualify, seniors must either receive SSI benefits or earn an income that’s at or below SSI rates and own no more than $2,000 in countable assets. If approved, individual seniors may receive a maximum of $78.40 per month, while couples applying together may be eligible for up to $156.80 per month. 

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

Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance

Veterans and survivors who receive a regular VA pension may be eligible for additional funding through VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance. These two programs provide pension top-ups for qualified applicants who are either housebound as a result of a disability or have an illness or disability that significantly limits their ability to function independently. 

Aid and Attendance provides a maximum annual pension of $22,577 to veterans without dependents and $26,766 for veterans with one dependent. For survivors, the maximum annual pension is $14,509 without dependents and $17,309 with one dependent. 

To qualify for A&A, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria: 

• Be legally blind
• Be bedridden
• Be a resident of a nursing home as a result of physical and/or mental deterioration or disability
• Require assistance from another person to perform one or more activities of daily living, such as installing and removing a prosthetic device, using the toilet, dressing and/or eating

The Housebound Allowance provides a maximum annual pension of $16,540 to veterans without dependents and $20,731 for veterans with one dependent. For survivors, the maximum annual pension is $11,095 without dependents and $13,893 with one dependent. 

To qualify for the Housebound Allowance, applicants must have a permanent disability limiting them to their principal place of residence aside from travel needed to attend medical appointments. 

For more information and assistance with the application process, contact the Southshore Regional Service Center at (813) 272-5600. 

Assisted Living Resources in Sun City Center

Senior Activity Centers

As residents of Hillsborough County, seniors in Sun City Center are also welcome to participate in programs at any of the eight county-run senior centers. These centers offer senior-friendly fitness classes, internet-connected computers and free Wi-Fi and host special holiday events. Seniors can participate in free health information seminars, join a sewing circle to make items for cancer patients and join field trips to local restaurants or attractions. 

Membership is free and open to adults 50 and older, and noontime meals are available for seniors 60 and older. 

Community Aid Agencies

Seniors who need door-to-door transportation within Hillsborough County can use the Sunshine Line, a low-cost, barrier-free transportation service for the elderly and disabled. The Men’s Club of Sun City Center provides medically frail seniors with access to a low-cost emergency personal response system, and the Tax Aide Club helps low-income seniors complete their tax returns. 

Sunshine Line
2709 E Hanna Ave, Tampa, FL 33610
(813) 272-7272

Men’s Club Lifeline
1002 Cherry Hills Dr, Sun City Center, FL 33573
(813) 633-7091

Veterans Services 

Veterans who need assistance accessing benefits, including completing an application for the Aid and Attendance Benefit or Housebound Allowance, can contact Hillsborough County Veterans Services. VA outpatient health services are available at the newly constructed South Hillsborough CBOC. 

Hillsborough County Veterans Services – Southshore Regional Service Center
410 30th St SE Ste 104, Ruskin, FL 33570
(813) 272-5600

South Hillsborough Community-Based Outpatient Clinic
12920 Summerfield Crossing Blvd, Riverview, FL 33579
(813) 972-2000 Ext. 1710