Florida Senior Health Care - What You Need to Know

Florida seniors have limited access to any alternatives to a nursing home and when they are able to live independently, they need help with their care. Florida Senior Care is a pilot program to provide comprehensive health and long term care for Medicaid seniors age 60 and older. All Medicaid services are available, including long term care services.

Florida Senior Care provides care earlier and expands the benefits of other programs to a larger group of seniors. When services are more easily accessed, Medicaid costs are reduced and Florida’s resources aren’t overburdened.

When older people need supportive services, they often delay seeking care until there is a major decline in their medical condition. Having someone to help with their care could keep a crisis in their health from happening.

Studies have shown that seniors are more likely to have acute and chronic health conditions that cause them to need the care of more than one specialist or facility. To alleviate the problem, every Florida Senior Care enrollee will have a care coordinator, who will guide the senior through the health care system and will act as a contact person to coordinate their care with doctors, hospitals, specialists, and long-term care facilities.

Doctors appreciate dealing with care coordinators because they help monitor any changes in the senior’s health needs and make sure any medical treatments or referrals are followed up. Care Coordinators help with communication when an older person sees multiple specialists. For example, each doctor may prescribe different medications, which the pharmacist may not always know about. Routine visits by a care coordinator will also note any problems, such as falling, so a solution can be quickly implemented. The Florida Senior Care plan will then pay to install grab bars in the bathroom, remove any loose rugs, and provide any other care needed.

Managed care charges a per member monthly payment, so the senior always knows how much is being deducted and can budget accordingly. Members can choose any provider in the Florida Senior Care plan’s network, although they must be located within a certain distance from the senior’s home.

Sometimes, the elderly are placed in nursing homes when it isn’t necessary. A care coordinator is a more efficient way to care for older people and allows them to remain in the comfort of their own homes.

Some seniors have health care needs that make it necessary to live with family. In those cases, Florida has Adult Day Care Centers that provide services on a daily basis to frail elders and disabled adults who cannot stay alone during the day, but who don’t need round the clock care. Nursing care, recreational activities, medication administration and well-balanced meals, as well as transportation to and from the facility are all provided. These centers provide a needed break to the family members who care for them on a full-time basis.