How Florida's main public long-term-care program works, who qualifies, and how Central Florida families apply through the Senior Resource Alliance.
By Orlando Senior Advisor Care Team · June 22, 2026
Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care (SMMC LTC) program is the main public pathway for long-term care. It covers personal care, attendant care, adult day care, and many home- and community-based services, and it can help with the care portion of assisted living for those who qualify. It does not pay assisted-living room and board directly.
Eligibility is based on both medical need and finances, and because demand is high, there is frequently a wait list.
Apply for financial eligibility through the Florida Department of Children and Families (ACCESS Florida), and request a CARES assessment through the Senior Resource Alliance, the Area Agency on Aging for Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Brevard. The Villages and Sumter County are served by Elder Options. The Elder Helpline can screen you for this and other programs in one call.
Families often wait too long to apply, or stumble on the asset rules. A senior-care advisor or elder-law attorney can help structure the application and time it correctly. Starting early matters because the assessment and wait list add time you may not have during a crisis.
A free advisor can also tell you which Orlando-area communities accept SMMC waiver residents.
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