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Short answer: yes, it can, for people who qualify. Florida’s Medicaid long-term care program can help pay for care at home, adult day care and assisted living, including some memory care. There is usually a waitlist, so apply early.

The program: SMMC Long-Term Care

Florida runs this through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) Long-Term Care program. It covers around two dozen home and community services, such as in-home help, adult day care, respite care, assisted living services, caregiver support and transportation, plus nursing home and hospice care.

Who can qualify

• Adults 18 and older who need long-term care
• A medical review must find that your parent needs a nursing-home level of care
• Your parent must also meet Medicaid’s financial rules, checked by the Florida Department of Children and Families

How to apply, step by step

• 1. Call for a screening. In Sarasota County, call the Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida Elder Helpline at 1-866-413-5337. Anywhere in Florida, you can also call the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337.
• 2. Get on the waitlist. Your screening score sets your priority. Higher-need people are placed on the list.
• 3. Wait for release. When a spot opens, the state reviews medical eligibility and you choose a managed care plan.
• 4. Choose providers in the plan. Not every assisted living or home care agency takes Medicaid, so ask each one.

Tips from families

• Apply as soon as you think you may need help. The wait can be long.
• Call back if your parent’s health changes. A new screening can raise their priority.
• An elder law attorney can help with the financial rules. Find one near you.

Source: Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, SMMC Long-Term Care FAQs. General information, not legal or financial advice. Rules change, so confirm with the state.

Short answer: memory care usually costs more than regular assisted living, because it includes 24-hour supervision, secure buildings and staff trained in dementia. Prices in Sarasota vary a lot by community and by how much help your parent needs, so the only way to get a real number is to call.

National averages to start from

These are the 2025 national medians from the CareScout Cost of Care Survey. Florida and Sarasota prices can be higher or lower.

• Assisted living: about $6,200 a month
• Memory care: typically more than assisted living, often an extra monthly fee for the memory care unit
• In-home caregiver: about $35 an hour
• Adult day health care: about $95 a day
• Nursing home, private room: about $10,798 a month

What changes the price in Sarasota

• Level of care. Many communities add fees as needs increase, such as help with bathing, medications or incontinence.
• Room type. Private rooms cost more than shared rooms.
• Location and age of the building. Newer communities near downtown or Lakewood Ranch often charge more.
• Hours of home care. Most agencies have a minimum number of hours per visit.

Questions to ask every community

• What is the base monthly rate for memory care, and what does it include?
• How are care levels priced, and how often are they reassessed?
• Is there a one-time community or move-in fee?
• How much have rates gone up in each of the last two years?
• Do you accept Medicaid long-term care or VA benefits?

Ways families pay

• Savings, income and the sale of a home
• Long-term care insurance
• Florida Medicaid long-term care program, for people who qualify
• VA Aid and Attendance, for some wartime veterans and surviving spouses

Sources: CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025. General information only. Always confirm current prices directly with each provider.