Program Description
Florida Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) provides assistance to seniors who are at risk for nursing home placement and who are not qualified to receive services from Medicaid. The goal of this program is to enable qualified seniors who require medical and / or personal care to remain living at home or in the community instead of receiving care in more expensive, Medicaid-funded nursing home residences.
Approximately 44,000 Florida seniors receive assistance under this program annually with services ranging from non-medical transportation assistance to personal care to adult day health care. Each approved service is intended specifically to allow the elderly to age safely in their homes.
Eligibility Guidelines
General Requirements
To be eligible, individuals must be a resident of Florida and be at least 60 years of age.
There are also functional requirements. An individual muast have a functional impairment with which they need assistance. This includes the Activities of Daily Living, such as bathing, grooming, mobility, and toileting. This need for assistance is determined by an initial assessment during the application process, as well as a reassessment on an annual basis.
Financial Requirements
While there is no income limit for CCE, if the individual is eligible for Medicaid, they are not eligible for CCE. Florida’s Medicaid eligibility limits are available here.
Program participants are required to pay a co-payment for the services they receive. Co-payments are based on a sliding scale. In past years, these fees have been from 1% to 3% of the senior’s income.
Special provisions of Florida laws prioritize this program for individuals who have been or are suspected of being the victims of financial, psychological, or physical elder abuse.
Benefits and Services
Under the CCE Program, a very wide variety of services and supports are available to the elderly. Note that program participants are asked to pay a co-payment for the assistance they receive. Assistance may include, but is not limited to, any of the following:
- Adult Day Care / Adult Day Health Care
- Case Management
- Chore Services
- Companionship
- Disposable Medical Supplies
- Emergency Alert Response
- Emergency Home Repair
- Home-Delivered Meals
- Home and Personal Care
- Home Nursing Care
- Information And Referral
- Legal Assistance
- Medication Management
- Respite Care (In home and out of home)
- Shopping Assistance
- Transportation
- Counseling
How to Apply / Learn More
The Community Care for the Elderly program is mostly administered by the 11 Florida Area Agencies on Aging. However, services are provided by 49 lead agencies and their subcontractors. A complete contact list is available here. Contact the agency in your area to apply. One can also contact the Elder Helpline for assistance at 1-800-963-5337.
There is also some limited additional information about the program on the Florida Department of Elder Affairs website. Please note that there may be a wait list for services, as CCE is not an entitlement program.
