Find Memory Care Communities Near Tampa, FL

The best way to keep memory care affordable is to plan ahead. Most families cover as much of their memory care expenses as they can using health care insurance, like veterans benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare. However, insurance is unlikely to cover the entire cost of memory care, and most families need to use some of their own financial assets.

Read on to learn some smart strategies to make your money go further and to discover how veterans benefits, Medicaid, and Medicare can help cover some of your memory care costs.

In Florida, memory care communities are considered a type of assisted living community. This means memory care facilities and assisted living facilities in Tampa are regulated under the same type of license.

The Bureau of Health Facilities Regulation licenses and regulates assisted living communities that offer memory care. According to Florida’s Residential Care and Assisted Living Policy, Tampa memory care communities need to maintain the following standards in order to stay licensed:

• Facilities must provide regular meals that accommodate residents’ dietary restrictions.
• Facilities must be kept clean and hygienic.
• Facilities must allow residents to keep their personal belongings in their rooms.
• Residents should be allowed to live in the same room as their spouse.
• Facilities must communicate directly with family members or guardians at least every 30 days.

After their initial inspection, Tampa facilities go through additional inspections every two years. Inspection results are public, and you can find them on the Agency for Health Care Administration’s website. Go to the “Statement of Deficiencies” tab, and in the drop-down menu for “Provider type” select “Assisted Living Facility.” You can search for specific facilities by name, or you can search for all communities in Hillsborough County.

How does Florida regulate memory care?

The Bureau doesn’t require additional or special licenses for memory care providers, but it does have some specific requirements for communities offering memory care. According to Florida’s assisted living policy, senior living communities offering memory care services need to follow these guidelines:

• Staff members with regular contact with residents with memory loss need at least 4 hours of memory care-specific training within nine months of their employment.
• Staff members must go through a minimum of 4 more hours of memory care training every year.
• The memory care training programs and courses must be approved by the Bureau.
• Facilities that offer memory care should have specialized activities appropriate for people with memory loss.
• Facilities should have security systems that allow for wandering.
• Facilities must have staff on-site 24 hours a day.
• Facilities with over 17 residents must have an awake staff member on-site 24 hours a day.

Florida Department of Health contact information

Agency for Health Care Administration — Assisted Living Facility Unit

Bureau of Health Facility Regulation
2727 Mahan Drive, MS #30
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Phone: 850-412-4304
Email: assistedliving@ahca.myflorida.com

COVID-19 regulations for Tampa memory care facilities

Florida doesn’t mandate any COVID-19 policies for memory care communities, but it does have guidelines set for COVID-19 and nursing homes. The Florida COVID-19 Response team’s checklist includes recommendations for masking and quarantining in the case of an outbreak. Hillsborough County also publishes weekly data on its COVID-19 dashboard. You can find weekly cases per 100,000 people, and the percentage of hospital beds in use. Be sure to check with your prospective community on their specific COVID-19 practices.

In Tampa, Florida, families can find a range of memory care options for their loved ones — communities that offer compassionate care, person-centered activities, and security. Most senior living communities in Tampa also offer Spanish-speaking services and great international food options.

For decades, Tampa has been a popular retirement destination. And with an aging population comes a growing portion of seniors who need memory care. According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2018 Florida statistics, by 2025 Florida will have over 720,000 seniors with Alzheimer’s disease. Many of these seniors choose to live in Tampa. To meet this growing demand for top-rated memory care, A Place for Mom partners with 35 top-rated memory care communities in Tampa.

Memory care within assisted living communities

In Florida, memory care is considered a type of assisted living community, and because of this, memory care is often paired with assisted living. Thirteen of our partnering memory care communities in Tampa are inside assisted living communities. These dual communities provide personalized care and oversight and are the most common places to receive memory care in Tampa. Often, these large, apartment-like facilities have over 50 residents and can sometimes have more than 200.

Many of these communities were built in the last 15 years and offer exceptional amenities, like stylish dining rooms, craft centers, pools, game rooms, libraries, and gyms. Weekly housekeeping, daily activities, therapies, and on-site medical directors keep everyone happy and healthy.

Services in Tampa’s memory care wings

Memory care tends to have its own wing within these assisted living communities, and these memory care wings are usually designed specifically for people with memory loss. Circular hallways with clear signage prevent residents from getting lost. And many of these communities use nostalgic decor to keep residents comfortable and collected. Security in these communities is very important and is even mandated by the Florida Bureau of Health Facilities Regulation, so you can rest assured that your loved one will be kept safe with oversight for potential wandering behaviors.

Some of these communities offer tiered-care programs depending on the severity of a resident’s memory loss or other health conditions. Wellness coordinators and staff caregivers get to know each resident’s history, personality, and health care needs to give them the best possible experience. While these communities are often very large, the memory care wings tend to be smaller and more intimate. Residents usually have their own room, but in some communities shared rooms are available for a lower cost.

Memory care-only communities in Tampa

While not the most common, A Place for Mom partners with a few memory-care-only communities in Tampa. These communities are often much smaller than the combined communities, with between 20 and 50 residents. The smaller size can be less intimidating for some, and you can expect these communities to provide the same types of services and care as larger ones.

Residents live in their own or in shared rooms, take their meals in communal dining areas, and participate in scheduled group activities. Like larger communities, these smaller homes offer housekeeping and laundry services, daily schedules, person-centered oversight, and security systems.

Tampa’s senior appeal

Tampa’s weather is its first appealing factor. Year-round sunshine, warm temperatures, and that beautiful ocean air make Tampa easy to enjoy. Family members don’t have to worry about their loved ones’ health or safety during the winter months, and even summer temperatures rarely exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

But for many families, the biggest reason why they choose Tampa is the cost. In Tampa, memory care costs are below other top markets like Phoenix and Denver, while still maintaining a high standard of living and care. And families appreciate the fact that when their loved one begins to need skilled nursing care, they’ll have access to some of the best nursing homes in the nation.

Health care for seniors in Tampa

Transportation for seniors in Tampa

Seniors living in Tampa’s memory care communities don’t need to worry about transportation, as almost every one of our partner memory care facilities in Tampa offers transportation services — either at no cost or for a small fee. However, visiting family members should be aware that Tampa has a reputation for having busy traffic, especially during rush hours.

For visitors who don’t have immediate access to transportation, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) offers a public bus system. It’s affordable and somewhat reliable, although some people may prefer to use private ride companies, such as Uber or Lyft.

Senior visitors may want to consider using The Sunshine Line, which is Tampa’s door-to-door transportation option for the disabled or the elderly. Seniors have to enroll in the program before using it by calling the enrollment number, 813-272-7272.