I. What You Should Know About Home Care in Cape Coral, FL
Situated along Florida’s sunny Gulf Coast about 130 miles south of Tampa, Cape Coral offers beautiful canals, public parks and fishing piers. The city is home to just under 195,000 people, and 22.7% of residents are aged 65 and older. Comprehensive emergency, acute and outpatient medical services are available at the 291-bed Cape Coral Hospital, and VA healthcare is provided at the Lee County VA Clinic.
Cape Coral sees an average of 265 sunny days each year, 60 greater than the national average, making this a great place to enjoy outdoor activities such as golfing and walking. As with most places in Florida, rain is common here, but there are plenty of air-conditioned shopping malls, plazas and cinemas to explore on less-than-perfect days.
If you’re a history buff, you’ll love exploring the many museums and historical sites in Cape Coral and the surrounding area. The Cape Coral Historical Museum has artifacts and photos documenting the history of Southwest Florida, and annual memberships are just $25 per person, or $30 per couple. At the Railroad Museum of South Florida in nearby Fort Myers, you can ride a one-mile loop through model villages, scenes and lakes on the 1/8th scale railroad.
II. What You Should Expect to Pay for Home Care in Cape Coral, FL
Home care services, which include nonmedical assistance with day-to-day tasks, cost an average of $4,576 per month in Cape Coral. Home health care, which adds limited medical care to home care services, costs around $4,767 per month.
These rates are based on 44 hours of service per week, and that works out to an hourly rate of $24. If you don’t require about six hours of in-home help every day, your actual home care costs will be less than the rates listed in Genworth Financial’s 2020 Cost of Care Survey.
The Cost of Home Care & Home Health Care in Nearby Cities
Home care and home health care rates in Cape Coral are above the state averages of $4,195 and $4,290, and the nationwide medians of $4,481 and $4,576. In neighboring Naples, home care runs about $4,767 per month, while home health care averages $4,957. Just north of Cape Coral in Punta Gorda, the average is $4,576 per month for either type of in-home care. Rates are much lower in Miami, where home care averages $3,623, and home health care costs $3,813 per month.
The Cost of Home Care Compared to Other Senior Living Options
Cape Coral’s home care and home health care costs of $4,576 and $4,767 are just slightly higher than the average cost of assisted living in the area, which is $4,500 per month. Adult day health care is the least expensive senior care service at $1,625, while nursing home care with a semiprivate room costs an average of $8,730 per month.
III. How to Find Home Care in Cape Coral, FL
Finding a home care provider for yourself or a loved one can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. Below, we explain the process of how to find a home care provider in 5 simple steps. Use the infographic below to help guide your search for in-home care in Cape Coral, FL.
Remember that there’s not necessarily a right or wrong choice – it comes down to choosing a provider that you feel comfortable with and who’s capable of meeting your specific needs. No matter which provider you choose, you should always have a formal arrangement with your expectations and the payment rate in writing. Doing so will prevent confusion or potential disagreements down the line so that the focus remains on helping the person receiving care.
IV. Home Care Resources for Seniors in Cape Coral, FL
Lake Kennedy Senior Center
What You Should Know
The Lake Kennedy Senior Center is a city-run multipurpose community center geared toward adults aged 50 and older. You can take part in a wide variety of social and recreational programs and events at the Center, including escorted day trips, ballroom dancing lessons, organized board and card games, and fitness classes.
You can also take advantage of the Center’s daily hot lunch program, the Friendship Center Dining Program, which is offered Monday through Friday. The program is open to anyone aged 60 and older, and the suggested donation is $3 per meal, although no one is turned away due to an inability or unwillingness to pay.
Who Is Eligible?
As a Cape Coral resident aged 50 and older, you can purchase an annual games pass for the Lake Kennedy Senior Center that gives you unlimited access to billiards and pool games, mahjong tournaments and drop-in games. You can also participate in classes, trips and special events at the Center.
How to Get Started
For membership information, you can call the Center at (239) 574-0575.
Meals on Wheels of Lee County
What You Should Know
Meals on Wheels can help ensure you have access to healthy, nutritious meals if you’re housebound or you’re unable to grocery shop or prepare your own food because you’re ill, disabled or recovering from surgery.
This service gives you a hot, home-delivered meal every weekday, and the Meals on Wheels volunteers will also take a moment to chat with you while they drop off your meal. If you have a pet, you can also request home-delivered cat or dog food through the program.
Who Is Eligible?
If you’re a senior aged 60 or older who needs in-home nutritional support, you can apply to the Meals on Wheels program. There’s no income criteria, but if you’re able, you’re asked to make a small financial contribution toward your meal costs.
How to Get Started
To apply for home-delivered meals through Meals on Wheels, call (239) 337-1055.
Cape Coral Mini-Bus
What You Should Know
The Cape Coral Mini-Bus program provides on-demand, door-to-door transportation throughout Cape Coral to seniors and adults living with disabilities. The goal of the program is to ensure those who don’t drive and are unable to use public transit have a safe, reliable way to travel to local medical appointments and shopping areas.
The Cape Coral Mini-Bus fleet includes lift-equipped vehicles that can accommodate mobility devices such as wheelchairs and walkers, and all drivers are professional operators with current CPR certification. Rides can be booked up to 72 hours in advance, and low-income riders may qualify for discounted fares.
Who Is Eligible?
If you’re a senior or an adult living with a qualifying disability, you can apply to use the Cape Coral Mini Bus service, regardless of your income.
How to Get Started
Before booking a ride, you need to complete an application and emergency information form and submit it to the Mini-Bus Administrative Office located inside the Lake Kennedy Center. If you need help completing your application, you can call (239) 574-0573.
Lee County Veteran Services
What You Should Know
Lee County Veteran Services provides free assistance to veterans, survivors and dependents who need help applying for benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans service officers can prepare applications and appeals for Aid and Attendance and Housebound, the two VA pension programs that give beneficiaries monthly benefits that can be used toward home care costs.
VSOs can also obtain service records, arrange for transportation to VA healthcare clinics and hospitals, and facilitate burial benefits for eligible vets and their family members.
Who Is Eligible?
If you’re a veteran, a dependent or survivor, you qualify for free help through the Lee County Veteran Services office.
How to Get Started
To book an appointment with a VSO, call (239) 533-8381. Usually, appointments are conducted at the Veteran Services office in Fort Myers, but if you’re unable to travel, you can request a home visit from a VSO.
Area Agency on Aging for Southwest Florida
What You Should Know
The Area Agency on Aging is a nonprofit organization that works to ensure older adults have access to community-based services and supports, such as case management, transportation, adult day care, home care and legal information.
You can contact the AAASWFL for a referral to a local SHINE Medicare counselor, sign up for elder abuse prevention workshops, learn about financial aid programs and get help with finding safe, secure housing. The AASWFL can also help you connect with nutritional support programs, volunteer opportunities and extra assistance for those living with temporary or permanent disabilities.
Who Is Eligible?
Seniors aged 60 and older who live in Cape Coral, Lee and six surrounding counties can use the services offered through the AASWFL.
How to Get Started
To contact the AAASWFL, call the Agency’s toll-free elder helpline at (866) 413-5337.