Find Nursing Homes Communities Near Tampa, FL

Most families use a mix of private funds and public assistance to pay for their nursing home or skilled nursing services. Medicaid and Medicare can both be used to cover some skilled nursing care services. Veterans benefits may also be used to cover skilled nursing care costs. Planning how you will pay for nursing home or skilled nursing care is key to avoiding additional stress. Read on to explore how to use private and public funds to pay for your Tampa senior living and care.

Florida has some of the most rigorous requirements for nursing homes or skilled nursing units in the nation. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report in 2018, Florida is one of only five states in the country that exceeds the ideal number of nurses on staff at nursing facilities. Florida also requires more hours of care per day for each nursing home resident than any other state. This means residents of Floridian nursing homes, on average, receive more attention and care than they would in almost any other state. As a result, Florida nursing homes or skilled nursing units have above-average outcomes in nearly every aspect of patient care. According to a study by U.S. News and World Report, nursing home residents in Florida are less likely to be given antipsychotics. They also have fewer rehospitalizations and falls than nursing home residents in other states.

Federal regulations for nursing homes

Because many skilled nursing services for seniors are funded by the federal government through Medicaid and Medicare, nursing homes or skilled nursing units are more regulated by the federal government than other senior care types. According to the Code of Federal Regulations for long-term care facilities, nursing homes or skilled nursing units are required to do the following:

• Respect resident rights
• Provide person-centered care planning
• Maintain quality of life and care of residents

In fact, Medicare.gov has a public report card for every skilled nursing home and rehabilitation center in the United States. Use Medicare’s provider search tool to find and compare senior care facilities near you.

Florida state regulations for nursing homes

In Florida, nursing homes are also regulated and licensed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (also known as the AHCA) — Long Term Care Services Unit. The AHCA’s Bureau of Health Facility Regulation outlines the resident’s rights and requirements that nursing homes must follow, including the following:

• Nursing homes need to protect the rights of the residents to dignity, self-determination, and communication, as well as provide residents access to people and services outside the facility. This includes the resident’s right to choose their own physician and clothing, as well as maintain their privacy.
• Florida nursing homes must provide an average of at least 3.6 care hours a day for each resident. A minimum of two of these hours must be from a nursing assistant, and a minimum of one of these hours must be from a licensed nurse.
• Nursing homes in Florida must undergo at least one unannounced evaluation every 15 months.

You can find a list of every nursing home in Florida with their contact information on the FloridaHealthFinder.gov website. To find information about nursing homes, select “Locate a Facility or Provider.” You can then search for all long-term care facilities in Florida, including skilled nursing homes, assisted living, and memory care. When you click on a facility, it will show information about the capacity, license, history, and location, as well as a list of violations.

Florida’s regulations for other senior care facilities

Assisted living and memory care facilities in Florida are also licensed through the AHCA’s Long Term Care Services Unit, Bureau of Health Facility Regulation. To keep their licensure, assisted living communities need to follow specific guidelines:

• Residents of assisted living facilities must be able to complete their daily activities with caregiver assistance and cannot require 24-hour medical care.
• Facilities must be kept in a clean and livable condition.
• Residents must be given regular, nutritious meals that accommodate their dietary needs.
• Spouses should be allowed to share a room if they both reside in the same community.
• Family members and guardians should be contacted at least every 30 days for updates about the resident.

All employees of Florida assisted living communities need to go through a background check. Site administrators must also complete 26 hours of initial training and 12 hours of continuing education every two years. Caregiving staff needs to also complete an infectious disease and care needs training within a month of being hired.

Florida Department of Health contact information

Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) — Long Term Care Services Unit

Brian O. Smith
Manager, Long Term Care Services Unit

2727 Mahan Drive, MS#33
Tallahassee, FL 32308
Phone: 805-412-4303
Email: LTCStaff@ahca.myflorida.com

COVID-19 regulations for Tampa nursing homes

Florida’s state government does not have any COVID-19 mandates specific to nursing homes or skilled nursing units in assisted living facilities. Instead, the Florida COVID-19 Response department offers suggestions about how to identify and manage ill residents, and how to slow the spread of COVID-19 from staff members and visitors. On the Florida COVID-19 Response website, vaccination, testing, and treatment site maps are available. The site also has data about the spread of COVID-19 in Florida, which is updated every two weeks.

Tampa has exceptionally high-quality nursing home care. But, if you’re looking for other senior care options, like assisted living or memory care, Tampa has those, too. In Tampa and the greater Tampa Bay area, there are senior care options to meet almost any need — and some of the wants, too. In this section, you’ll get an overview of what it’s like to live in a Tampa senior community. You’ll find insights into nursing homes or skilled nursing care and other senior care types.

Nursing home or skilled nursing care

Generally, people tend to refer to all senior living communities as nursing homes. However, nursing homes are technically a senior living facility that exclusively provides 24/7 skilled nursing services for medical conditions. Whether it’s a stand-alone nursing home or a skilled nursing wing in a larger senior living community, the available on-site medical care services are the same. Nursing homes or skilled nursing units differ from other senior living types in that they are institutional-like, medical units similar to hospitals.

Most seniors only need skilled nursing services temporarily — either for hospice or to recover from a medical procedure, injury, or illness. And, many assisted living and memory care communities have these skilled nursing wings on-site or offer skilled nursing services to residents in the comfort of their own rooms. A Place for Mom’s Tampa partner senior care communities offer these kinds of skilled nursing services on-site, so the resident doesn’t need to move if their care needs ever evolve to require skilled nursing care.

Tampa is a diverse senior playground

Explaining Tampa’s perennial appeal to seniors is like pointing to a beach speckled with hundreds of different kinds of shells after a storm. You’ll find a little bit of everything, but it’s all grouped together under the tag “senior-friendly.” The comfortable weather is often the first draw for many seniors. Tampa’s average low temperature in January is 53 degrees, which makes it safe for most seniors to spend time outside at any time of the year.

One of the biggest perks to seniors in Tampa is the seniors themselves. While people between the ages of 25 and 39 make up the biggest percentage of Tampa’s population, people 65+ are the second most populous demographic in the Floridian city. In Tampa, finding like-minded senior friends is as easy as going outside and enjoying the sunshine.

Tampa senior living serves up options

A Place for Mom alone partners with 47 assisted living and memory care communities, many with on-site skilled nursing care, within 10 miles of downtown Tampa alone. But, including all assisted living, memory care, senior apartments, and independent living communities, A Place for Mom’s partnerships bump up to a total of 67 senior living communities within a 10-mile radius from Tampa’s city center. At 20 miles, the number of senior living communities nearly triples! In Tampa, seniors can expect to find low-budget or luxury options for any care type — and A Place for Mom can help them find the perfect fit for their needs.

Traditional, stand-alone nursing homes in Tampa

Traditional, stand-alone nursing homes in Tampa are some of the best in the nation. Due to Florida’s high nursing care standards, residents of Tampa nursing homes tend to have better health outcomes and faster recoveries than they would in other states. Medicaid is also automatically granted for eligible residents of Medicaid-approved nursing homes or skilled nursing units, making Tampa an excellent place for seniors who need skilled nursing care.

Assisted living and memory care in Tampa

In the city of Tampa, assisted living and memory care communities provide exceptional care, often in buildings built about 30 to 40 years ago. Tampa’s assisted living and memory care communities are often found together in the same community or on the same campus. This makes transitions easier for seniors as their care needs shift. Many of these communities also have independent living and skilled nursing wings, making them a useful one-stop shop for local seniors looking to age in place.

The neighboring communities in the wider Tampa Bay area offer the same types of care but tend to be newer facilities with more amenities. For example, Wesley Chapel is a quiet, family-forward suburb north of Tampa with plenty of assisted living and memory care communities. The city of Clearwater, about 30 minutes from Tampa, has the highest concentration of all senior living care types. In Clearwater, assisted living and memory care facilities range from being affordable and a little older to luxurious and brand new. All of these Clearwater communities are usually more spacious and are often right on the water — with easy beach access and scenic views.

Health care for seniors in Tampa, Florida

Tampa has a reputable health care system, and many of the hospitals are nationally recognized for their geriatric and cancer care.

Transportation for seniors in Tampa, Florida

Many seniors in Tampa have access to transportation from their senior living communities. In Tampa, almost 78% of our partnering assisted living communities and 50% of our memory care communities offer complimentary transportation to their residents.

The city of Tampa also has one of the only door-to-door transportation systems for the elderly or disabled, called The Sunshine Line. To use it, seniors need to enroll by calling their enrollment number, 813-272-7272.

While being outside is a state-wide pastime in Florida, Tampa is not the most walkable city. Tampa residents usually drive instead of using public transportation, but there is a local bus system. The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) is affordable and somewhat reliable, although most residents find it faster to drive.