Florida's Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program (SMMC LTC) is the state's main Medicaid pathway for paying for long-term senior care — including services in assisted living and at home.
What SMMC LTC covers
Through managed-care plans, SMMC LTC can cover personal care, attendant care, adult day health, homemaker services, home-delivered meals, case management, and care in assisted living facilities that accept the program. It does not pay for room and board in assisted living, but it covers much of the care portion.
In nursing homes, Florida Medicaid covers the full institutional benefit for those who qualify.
Who qualifies
Eligibility is based on a medical level-of-care determination (done through CARES, the state's Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services) plus financial limits on income and assets. In 2026 the income cap for institutional Medicaid is tied to a multiple of the federal benefit rate, and countable assets are sharply limited — though a home, a car, and certain assets are excluded.
Because the program has a waitlist for community (non-nursing-home) services, applying early matters.
How to apply in Central Florida
Apply for financial eligibility through the Florida Department of Children and Families (ACCESS Florida), and request a CARES assessment through your local Area Agency on Aging. Greater Orlando is served by the Senior Resource Alliance (the Area Agency on Aging for Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Brevard).
A senior-care advisor or elder-law attorney can help structure assets and avoid common application mistakes.
How Orlando Senior Advisor can help
We're a free, local senior-care advisory service for Central Florida families. There's never a charge to you — a community only pays us a referral fee if you decide to move in. If all of this feels like a lot, just tell us what's going on; we'll point you toward the right next step, whether or not it ever involves a paid placement.
Common questions
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Getting senior-care help in Central Florida
If you're starting a senior-care search in Central Florida, the process is simpler than it looks. It begins with an honest assessment of what your parent actually needs day to day, followed by a realistic budget and a look at how to fund it — savings, long-term-care insurance, VA Aid & Attendance, or Florida's SMMC Long-Term Care Medicaid waiver. Only then does it make sense to tour communities, because the care level determines which licensed options can legally serve your parent.
Central Florida families also have free public resources. The Senior Resource Alliance — the Area Agency on Aging for Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Brevard — runs an Elder Helpline that screens seniors for meals, in-home support, caregiver respite, and benefits counseling; The Villages and Sumter County are served by Elder Options. Much of it is free or sliding-scale and doesn't require Medicaid. A single call can unlock several programs at once.
Florida programs worth knowing about
In Florida, senior-care facilities are licensed and inspected by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) — verify any license and inspection history free at quality.healthfinder.fl.gov. Service funding flows through the Department of Elder Affairs and the local Area Agency on Aging; Central Florida's is the Senior Resource Alliance (Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard), with Elder Options serving The Villages and Sumter County. Long-term-care help runs through SMMC Long-Term Care Medicaid, and the Long-Term Care Ombudsman plus the Florida Abuse Hotline protect residents. Our advisors help families use all of these at no cost.
Why families choose a local Central Florida advisor
National senior-living websites are essentially lead brokers: enter your information and a dozen communities call you within minutes, whether they fit or not. A local advisor works differently. We focus only on Greater Orlando — Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Sumter counties — so we know the buildings, the directors, and which communities are genuinely strong for memory care versus assisted living versus rehab. We shortlist two or three real fits instead of selling your contact details to the highest bidder.
Both models are free to families, because communities pay a referral fee only when someone moves in. The difference is depth and trust: we verify every option against the Florida AHCA license database, we tell you about good communities that don't pay us, and we stay reachable after the move. That local, lighter-touch approach is why families across Central Florida start with us rather than a national 800 number.
How Orlando Senior Advisor can help
We're a free, local senior-care advisory service for Central Florida families. There's never a charge to you — a community only pays us a referral fee if you decide to move in. If all of this feels like a lot, just tell us what's going on; we'll point you toward the right next step, whether or not it ever involves a paid placement.
What to do next in Central Florida
Senior-care decisions rarely improve by waiting, but they don't have to be made in a panic either. The most useful first step is a short, no-pressure conversation that turns a vague worry into a concrete plan: what level of care fits, what it will realistically cost in Central Florida, and which licensed communities or services are genuine candidates right now. From there, touring two or three real fits beats wading through dozens of listings.
- Free assessment. A 15-minute call to pin down care needs, budget, and timeline.
- A real shortlist. Two or three AHCA-licensed options that actually fit — not a dozen sales calls.
- Hands-on help. We help you tour, compare itemized pricing, and coordinate the move.
- Always free to families. We're paid by the community only if you choose to move in.
Whether you need help this week or are planning months ahead, a free Central Florida advisor can save you days of research and a costly mismatch. Tell us what's going on — there's no obligation.