The department's activities include the following.

• The Comprehensive Assessment and Review for Long-Term Care Services (CARES) Program is Florida's federally mandated program that assesses or reviews each individual who requests Medicaid reimbursement for nursing facility placement or home and community-based services. A CARES registered nurse or assessor completes no-cost assessments for Medicaid applicants and a CARES physician or registered nurse reviews each application to determine the most appropriate level of care for the applicant. The purpose of the assessment is to identify long-term care needs and recommend the least restrictive but most appropriate placement. The program and assessment process explore all available options to nursing home placement and recommends, and may facilitate, alternative placements for individuals who are determined able to remain in the community.
• Community and Support Services provides non-Medicaid community-based programs and oversight functions to help elders remain in their own homes and avoid institutional care. This includes services funded through Florida's federal Older Americans Act Program allotment such as adult daycare, caregiver training and support, home-delivered meals, information and referral assistance, medical transportation, shopping assistance, preventive health services, senior community service employment, and elder abuse prevention. The department also provides the Respite for Elders Living in Everyday Families Program to increase the ability of a family unit to continue to care for a homebound elderly individual by providing in-home respite care. Department staff also administer federally funded programs including the Adult Care Food Program to assist eligible adult care centers and mental health day centers in providing meals to elders and the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program to improve the nutritional health of low-income elders by providing coupons that can be redeemed for locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Additional Community and Support Services include the Home Care for the Elderly (HCE) Program and the Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) Program. HCE provides resources, such as a basic subsidy for all program participants age 60 and older in family-type living arrangements within private homes. CCE provides community-based services, such as medical supplies, emergency alert response, and therapeutic services, organized in a continuum of care to help functionally impaired elders live in the least restrictive yet most cost-effective environment suitable to their needs.
• Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias programs support research, services, and care for people living with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers. The Alzheimer's Disease Initiative provides direct support services and coordinates research efforts. Support services include caregiver training, counseling, medical supplies, and caregiver respite. Research efforts include memory disorder clinics, which offer comprehensive diagnostic and referral services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and the Florida Brain Bank, which provides education and research on Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.

The department administers services through a network of 11 nonprofit area agencies on aging (AAA). These agencies advocate, plan, coordinate, and fund a system of elder support services within regions known as planning and service areas. Each AAA is designated as an Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) and is managed at the local level. AAAs are responsible for providing community-based care by selecting the services and providers to assist elders within each county. Through partnerships with AAAs, the department provides care to help seniors safely age with dignity, purpose, and independence.In addition, ADRCs are designed to streamline access to long-term care to make it easier for older adults and individuals with disabilities to learn about and quickly access the long-term services that best meet their needs.

The funding information listed below is provided by Transparency Florida. Please contact the department for more information on its funding. Additional information about department funding and activities is available on the State of Florida Fiscal Portal.

OPPAGA Reports and Presentations
A complete list of OPPAGA reports and presentations is available on our website.

Other Reports
Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Budgetary and Legislative Reports
Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Publications and Reports
2024 Department Overview, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2024
2023 Programs and Services Handbook, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2023
A complete list of Florida Auditor General reports is available on its website.

Websites of Interest
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Programs for Older Adults
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Resources for Caregivers
U.S. National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging

Florida Department of Elder Affairs Contact Website
Florida Department of Elder Affairs
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-7000
(850) 414-2000
Website