7 Assisted Living Communities in Zephyrhills, Florida

The average cost of assisted living in the city is $2,808 a month. This guide is a starting point covering the cost of assisted living care in the city, as well as financing options to pay for it. You’ll find in-depth information on 7 Assisted Living Communities in Zephyrhills and several in surrounding areas. The Cost of Senior Care in Zephyrhills, FL

• Assisted Living: $2,808
• Nursing Home Care: $8,304
• In-home Care: $3,337
• Adult Day Health Services: $1,365

According to Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study, monthly assisted living costs in Zephyrhills are among the lowest in the state, where the average is $3,500. To the east, prices are $442 higher in Tampa, while in Sebring to the south assisted living costs $230 more. Costs are significantly higher in areas north of Zephyrhills such as Homosassa Springs ($4,125), The Villages ($5,031) and Deltona ($3,850). 

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

In Zephyrhills, senior care costs range from $1,365 a month for adult day health services up to $8,304 for nursing home care. The wide price range is due to differences in the type of care provided with each service as well as factors such as the staff to senior ratio and hours of care per week.  Assisted living costs less than in-home care from a homemaker or home health aide for 44 hours weekly, and like nursing home care, assisted living includes room and board. 

 

Approximately 88% of seniors and people with disabilities in Florida qualify for Medicaid, the national health coverage program that provides basic health care to low-income children, adults and seniors. 

In Florida, Medicaid is administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration, a state-run agency. Seniors who already receive Supplemental Security Income are automatically enrolled in Medicaid, and they only need to file an additional application when requesting Medicaid-funded long-term care services. 

Seniors who do not receive SSI benefits must meet strict income and asset limits to qualify for free Medicaid coverage. Income limits are currently set at $2,313 per month for an individual and $4,626 per month for a couple, which is 300% of the federal poverty level. 

Medicaid applicants can own no more than $2,000 in countable assets ($3,000 per couple), however, there are some exclusions such as one vehicle, a non-revocable burial trust and a home owned and occupied by the applicant worth up to $585,000. 

Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program

Established by the Florida government in 2011, the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long Term Care program reduces nursing home placement rates among Medicaid-covered seniors by funding long-term care services within assisted living facilities. 

SMMC LTC enrollees are provided long-term care services based on medical necessity. Every assisted living facility that provides contracted SMMC LTC services must offer:

• Adult day health care
• Medication management and administration
• Personal emergency response systems for seniors
• Skilled nursing
• Attendant and personal care
• Transportation assistance
• Prepared meals
• Speech, occupational, physical and respiratory therapy
• Homemaker services
• Durable medical supplies and medical equipment
• Hospice care
• Behavior management
• Case management 

To qualify for the SMMC LTC program, applicants must be eligible for free Medicaid coverage and either at least 65 years old or over the age of 18 and enrolled in Medicaid due to a disability. Seniors need to meet the Medicaid requirements for nursing home placement and be willing to reside in an assisted living setting with additional supports. 

Applicants must also complete a preadmission screening program through the Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services program. This federally-mandated screening program identifies seniors’ long-term care needs and recommends the least restrictive care services, which may include enrollment in the SMMC LTC. 

For more information on Medicaid and the SMMC LTC or to request a CARES assessment, contact the Pasco County Elder Helpline at (800) 861-8111. 

Optional State Supplementation

Administered by the Florida Department of Children and Families, the Florida Optional State Supplementation program provides Supplemental Security Income top-up funds to eligible seniors. 

To qualify for the OSS, seniors age 65 and older who receive SSI benefits must reside in an assisted living facility due to physical and/or cognitive deterioration that prevents them from living independently. Single seniors may receive up to $78.40 per month in OSS funding for use towards the room-and-board portion of their monthly assisted living costs, while couples may receive up to $156.80 in state funding. 

For more information on the OSS, contact Suncoast Region ACCESS Florida Pasco County office at (877) 595-0384 or the Pasco County Elder Helpline at (800) 861-8111. 

VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound 

Veterans and survivors who qualify for a regular VA pension and have a life-limiting chronic illness or disability may be eligible for higher pension payments through either the VA Aid and Attendance benefit or the VA Housebound allowance. 

These two VA pension programs cannot be combined, and veterans who already receive VA disability benefits are excluded. 

To qualify for the Housebound allowance, applicants must have a permanent disability that leaves them confined to their principal residence, which may be an assisted living facility, for the majority of their time. 

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Live in a nursing home to receive ongoing care for a mental and/or physical disability

• Have severely limited eyesight in both eyes, tested at 5/200 or worse, or have a visual field of 5 or fewer degrees, even with the use of corrective lenses

• Need daily assistance from another person to bathe, eat, get dressed, install a prosthesis and/or use the toilet 

• Be restricted to bed rest 

Note that qualifying disabilities for these programs don’t need to be service-related. For more information, contact Pasco County Veterans Services at (727) 834-3282. 

As residents of Pasco County, seniors in Zephyrhills are welcome to participate in recreational, social and leisure activities at any of the county-operated senior centers.

These centers are open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m. and provide seniors with a welcoming environment where they can make new friends, join in fitness classes and take part in organized games and special events. 

Veterans, dependents and survivors can contact Pasco County Veterans Services for help with VA claims and benefit applications, appeals and military records. Outpatient VA health services are available at the Zephyrhills VA Clinic, and the local VFW and American Legion posts provide veterans with information about local programs, social groups and special events. 

Pasco County Veterans Services
8620 Galen Wilson Boulevard, Port Richey, FL 34668
(727) 834-3282

Zephyrhills VA Clinic
6937 Medical View Lane, Zephyrhills, FL 33542-6648
(813) 780-2550

In addition to offering social and recreational programming, all county-operated senior centers offer daily congregate meals for seniors 60 and older. Seniors can also request home meal delivery service and sign up for Cindy’s Pets, a free service that delivers donated pet food to low-income seniors who are pet owners.  Seniors who need door-to-door barrier-free transportation within Zephyrhills and Pasco County can contact Pasco County Public Transit to register for paratransit service.  Pasco County Public Transportation
8620 Galen Wilson Boulevard, Port Richey, FL 34668
(727) 834-3322

Senior Homes has an extensive directory of senior living options, with care and living providers across the United States.