104 Assisted Living Communities near Tampa
Inn at University Village
Hudson Manor
Brookdale Bayshore
Palm Avenue Baptist Tower Alf
Allegro at Hyde Park
The Estate At Hyde Park
Alimar Assisted Living
Angels Senior Living At South Tampa
Canterbury Towers
Shady Palms Retirement Homes
Brookdale Carrollwood
Rocky Creek Village
Angels Senior Living At New Tampa
Brookdale Northdale
Inspired Living At Tampa
What is Assisted Living?
Assisted living is a residential level of care that many seniors choose to help them with the activities of daily living (ADLs) that have become burdensome for them. This includes cooking, cleaning, grooming and other daily chores that take physical effort to do. In an assisted living community, aging citizens have the help they need for these things, plus 24-hour help on call from staff in the facility. Many assisted living communities also offer help with medication and other medical needs, though this is not their primary area of expertise, as it is with skilled nursing or hospice care.
What Services are Available in Assisted Living in Tampa?
Services available in assisted living communities in Tampa can vary in details related to size and location; however, here are some general services in assisted living near you may offer:
- Community activities, like game nights and in-home concerts or plays
- Day trips to nearby attractions, especially to the theme parks an hour north in the Orlando area
- Physical therapy
- Medication assistance
- Adult education classes, from cooking to crafts
Every facility is unique, so it helps to ask about these extras when you’re visiting a potential community for yourself or the senior you love.
Getting Ready to Move to Assisted Living in Tampa
If you live in Tampa and are thinking about assisted living for yourself or for a senior family member, there are some steps to go through before committing to a decision. First, almost everybody who opts for assisted living gets a medical examination from their primary care doctor. This is to make sure they’re healthy enough for assisted living and that they don’t need a higher level of care, as often happens for people with Alzheimer’s or other conditions.
After the doctor endorses assisted living as an option, you can start touring assisted living communities in the area. Tampa has a lot of places to choose from, so budget extra time for facility tours and time interviewing residents about what their community is like.
In the month or two before the move, try to shed as many unnecessary pieces of furniture and other items as possible. Space is often limited in an assisted living community, and you can always bring things from home after settling in. This is also a good time to look at your finances and make sure you’re set up to pay the monthly cost of rent and other services that come with assisted living.
How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Tampa?
The average monthly cost of assisted living in Tampa is $3,150 according to the Genworth Cost of Care survey 2017.
Typical assisted living costs nationwide hover around $3,750 a month for basic care, which usually means room and board. Be sure to ask on your visit what else is included; some communities include laundry, transportation and room cleanup service in the monthly bill, while others charge extra. The median cost per month of assisted living in Tampa is $3,150. This is not only lower than the national figure, it’s also much lower than the $4,100 a month many people pay in the newer neighborhoods in nearby Orlando.
Our local Seniorly Partner Agents often have the ability to negotiate monthly rent and fees on your behalf at many of the communities you might be interested in. This is a free service to you. To connect to a Seniorly Partner Agent email us now at ask@seniorly.com or call (855) 866-4515.
What’s the Difference Between Assisted Living vs. Other Senior Care Types?
Assisted living is just one level of care that sits between independent living and skilled nursing facilities, also referred to as nursing homes.
- In-home care is a step down from assisted living, requiring regular in-home visits from a caregiver.
- Independent living communities, for those who want to downsize but don't need help with ADLs.
- Hospice care is tended to caring for the critically ill.
- Memory care is another level some aging citizens come to need, though this form of residential care is mainly for those with Alzheimer's or dementia, and sometimes other chronic neurological conditions.
Unlike the other care options, assisted living is for aging citizens who can still live more or less independently, with perhaps a daily check-in by staff for safety and medications, and with personalized help managing ADLs, while still preserving as much privacy and independence as possible.
Helpful Apps and Websites for Assisted Living in Tampa
One of the best things about the modern age is how much technology contributes to living a more convenient lifestyle. Seniors are especially likely to find a use for apps that can bring service to their homes, whether they live independently or in assisted living. Seniorly has a list of local apps for seniors in the Tampa region. This helpful list was developed by Seniorly over a period of 6 months and can be handy for aging citizens just settling in. Here are just three of the 17 apps and websites we feature:
- Lab Florida – It can be difficult and time-consuming for some aging citizens to go to a hospital or doctor’s office for needed lab tests. Lab Florida solves that problem by bringing the lab to your private room. Certified techs can draw the labs your doctor orders in the privacy and comfort of your home or assisted living community.
- Maid to Order – Maid to Order fills the gap some seniors have between the personal help their caregivers can render for their ADLs and the home cleaning service many communities charge extra for. If your assisted living community doesn’t include deep cleaning of your room in the monthly service, Maid to Order can have somebody out on request to handle everything from a bit of clutter to sanitizing a restroom.
- Groomobile – Your pets need to be well-groomed to be as healthy and happy as they can be. Groomobile helps you see to that when you schedule pet grooming service in their mobile van, which can meet you at your home anywhere in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.
To see our full list of apps and websites for seniors in Tampa-St. Petersburg, click here.
Resources for Caregivers in Tampa
Caregivers do a lot for the seniors they look after, and they deserve support too. These resources, from a list Seniorly developed over six months, are available to caregivers in Tampa, and they can make a world of difference for those who make a difference for others. Here are three of the 13 organization we recommend:
- Department of Elder Affairs – The State of Florida’s Department of Elder Affairs operates an Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative that’s aimed at training caregivers to spot the early signs of the disease in the seniors they care for. The program also coordinates in-home and community-based respite care for stretches from a few hours up to 30 days for caregivers who need a break for whatever reason.
- Senior Connection Center – This program helps caregivers and seniors alike find the help they need with community connections, finding the programs and services seniors are entitled to but may not know about, and assistance with the complicated minutiae of Medicare regulations.
- Affinity – The Pasadena Community Church recognizes the bond that inevitably grows up between caregivers and the seniors who are special to them. When the person you’ve cared for passes on, you can feel a special grief as their former caregiver. Affinity offers bereavement services specifically tailored to caregivers who’ve suffered loss, with support groups, meetings and sponsors who can check in to see how you’re doing when you need it most.
To see our full list of resources for caregivers in Tampa-St. Petersburg, click here.
Government Resources for Seniors in Tampa
The State of Florida has made a special effort to encourage seniors to move in and make themselves at home. Some of this has just been a word-of-mouth campaign about how great the state is for seniors, while some of it has been paid advertising in other states. To back up the PR effort, Florida has also set up some agencies to help seniors adjust to life in the state. Non-government agencies have done likewise. These partners operate locally in Tampa to serve Bay Area seniors:
- Office On Aging – This office, operated by the state Parks and Recreation Department, looks after seniors with public and political advocacy. It also operates two multi-service centers that offer adult programs for aging citizens.
- AARP Senior Employment Service – This service offers help for seniors who would like to keep working or would like to get back into the job market. This service connects senior job seekers with employers and offers help with resumes and references.
- Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas – Operates the Aging and Disability Resource Center helpline, which aging citizens can call for help and advice for navigating the services and programs available in the Tampa-St. Petersburg region.
Neighborhood Information
The Tampa-St. Petersburg Metro Bay Area doesn’t have very distinct borders, so it can be hard to give specific numbers and figures for the region. The built-up parts of this area gradually feed out into the suburbs of Orlando to the northeast and Sarasota to the south. Within that region, however, some three million people live in a pleasant mix of dense urban and loose suburban housing, plus a few more rural properties on the fringes of Central Florida’s many wetland preserves. Crime in most categories is average for the nation, though it sometimes happens that a gator appears on the local golf course and has to be shooed away by staff. A lot of the local economy is geared toward tourism, which continues year-round thanks to Tampa-St. Petersburg’s amazingly level and steady summertime climate, which draws millions of visitors from the snowier parts of the country.
Tampa Demographics
The median age in Tampa is 36.2 years. This is significantly lower than the Florida median of 42.1. The state number is high, relative to the national median of 37.8, because of Florida’s unrivaled reputation as the place to retire for seniors from all over the country.
Tampa Weather
Tampa and St. Petersburg occupy the coast around Tampa Bay, a large natural harbor that helps keep temperatures steady through the year. Daily highs here average 81.7°F, while the annual low temperature average is 65°F.
Transportation in and Around Tampa
The Tampa area is served by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), which operates dozens of bus routes around the bay. PSTA also operates four trolleys that tour various parts of the coast. Connections are available between services for travelers on their way to Orlando or Palm Harbor. Seniors get a discount, and many choose to get transit IDs for daily unlimited travel.
Fun Facts About Tampa
- Babe Ruth hit the longest home run of his career (587 feet!) during an exhibition game in Tampa.
- Florida can be a hot place inland, but thanks to the nearby bay, temperatures in Tampa have never reached triple digits.
Tampa Hospital Information
Tampa has centrally located general hospitals, as well as several major and minor facilities located in outlying areas. St. Joseph’s Hospital South, for example, is located between I-75 and Highway 301, where it offers regular inpatient care, 24-hour emergency care, and regular classes for caregivers and lifesaving professionals.
Assisted Living Community Ratings, Inspection Reports and User Reviews for Tampa
Rules and regulations: Assisted living communities in Florida are regulated by the Florida Agency for Health Care Licensing, which imposes minimum standards for hygiene and health in all facilities. As a rule, all licensed communities (and all must be licensed with the state) must submit to regular inspections of residential areas, food preparation areas and common rooms on the property. Inspectors may also show up unannounced to ensure continuous compliance. The state operates a hotline for reporting suspected violations that anyone can call. Regulations specifically cite the desire to ensure all aging citizens can live in good health and with dignity in licensed communities.
BBB Information: Florida’s Better Business Bureau lists hundreds of assisted living communities in a searchable online database. Of the scores of properties in the Tampa area, prospective residents can browse any and all complaints filed against a site, as well as the status of the case.
Customer reviews: Many aging citizens who are looking for assisted living, or the families who care for seniors at the beginning of the process, find the user reviews on Yelp to be a good starting point. Here, the unvarnished accounts of others can be compared to see which local assisted living communities get the best reviews, which helps narrow the list for the final selection and may guide the kinds of questions you ask when you visit.
What Questions Should I Ask When Touring Assisted Living Facilities in Tampa?
Here are the top 10 questions one should ask while visiting assisted living facilities in Tampa:
- What is the ratio of staff to residents?
- What is the staff turnover rate?
- What types of training do the staff members have?
- What furnishings are provided?
- Does each room have a private bathroom, or are the bathrooms shared?
- Are bathrooms designed to accommodate wheelchairs and walkers?
- Do rooms come equipped with 24-hour emergency response systems?
- Is it possible to view all of the types of rooms available?
- What types of activities are available to residents, and how often do they occur?
- What is your medication management policy?
To read the full, detailed FAQ, click here for more information. If you are an aging citizen who could use some help with ADLs, or if you're the family member of someone who's looking into assisted living, it's important to find a good match with a community you'll love. Seniorly works to help you find what you need in Tampa, and to connect you with the resources to help you live a long, independent life. The Suncoast area is a great choice for an active senior, whether you're native to the area or you're just moving in for the first time, the west coast of Central Florida offers an almost unmatched experience for seniors looking for a new place to call home.