Top Assisted Living Facilities In Orlando, FL (2024)

Orlando has a population of roughly 310,000 people, 10% of which are over the age of 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau^[2]Quick Facts: Orlando City, Florida . U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 10/14/2022. . Orange County, which includes Orlando, features 119 assisted living facilities. These communities are licensed to house a total of 4,100 residents. Nearby Seminole County, where most new communities are developing, has 56 assisted living facilities licensed to house 2,900 residents. Many of these communities are single-owner and private home-based facilities with no more than six beds, according to Beau Herman, owner and certified senior advisor at Assisted Living Locators of Northeast Orlando.

Assisted Living Regulations in Orlando

Florida has four types of licenses for assisted living facilities, which can house anywhere from one resident to hundreds of residents, according to the Florida Bureau of Health Facility Regulation.

• Standard: These communities are licensed to provide personal care and assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), such as helping residents organize their daily medications (though the residents at this level of care are able to take their medications on their own).
• Limited Nursing Services: These communities are licensed to provide medical services ordered by a medical provider, including catheter assistance, wound care and urine analysis.
• Extended Congregate Care (ECC): These communities can provide advanced medical care and assistance for residents with diabetes, fractures and other conditions, allowing a person with changing medical needs to age in place.
• Limited Mental Health (LMH): Florida assisted living communities with this license can care for residents with mental health conditions, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cognitive decline, who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income benefits.

All assisted living facilities in Orlando are required to provide meals that can be adapted to meet residents’ therapeutic needs and preferences, and menus are reviewed every year by licensed nutritionists or registered dieticians to ensure they meet adequate nutritional standards.

The average cost of assisted living in the Orlando area is around $4,000 per month, says Herman. The lowest monthly cost available is about $2,800, and prices can go as high as $6,000 per month. Meanwhile, memory care starts around $3,600 per month and can go up to $8,000 per month, he adds.

How To Pay For Assisted Living in Orlando

Assisted living costs vary significantly from one locale to another, but regardless of where you live, it’s best to plan ahead for the expense. Medicare only helps pay for the medical costs a person incurs while living in an assisted living community, which leaves room, board and personal care costs to the individual. Private health insurance providers often have similar limitations.

However, long-term care insurance can help cover the daunting costs associated with assisted living. Specific benefits vary depending on the policy and policyholder, so if you already have long-term care insurance, review your benefits carefully before attempting to apply them to assisted living costs. If you don’t already have a plan, compare how coverage differs from one provider to another as you shop around.

Veterans should connect with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to see if they’re eligible for Aid & Attendance (A&A) benefits. This monthly stipend can be used toward the cost of a long-term care or assisted living facility.

For those who qualify, Medicaid can also help cover some costs associated with residing in an assisted living community.

Not sure where to start your search? Here are five facilities in the Orlando area with a wide range of amenities and services to consider.

Note: This snapshot is just a starting point and by no means represents all options worth considering in Orlando. Anyone interested in exploring their assisted living options should also call and visit the facilities to get the best feel for which would fit your needs and preferences.

Watercrest Winter Park

• Assisted living apartments start at $4,675 per month
• All-inclusive memory care rates start at $6,485 per month
• One-time community fee of $3,500
• Residence consists of 75 assisted living apartments and 32 private memory care studios

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Watercrest Winter Park is a luxury residence with unique resort-style services. It offers high-end dining options, such as monthly brunches and wine tastings, cooking and art classes, a spa and a massage room. It also features spacious common and living areas, and the water features outside are unique to Watercrest. With a smaller number of residents relative to some other local facilities, the Watercrest staff can get to know the residents on a more personal level. The community comes with a promenade, pool, fireplace, signature water wall, multiple dining venues, children’s play space, balconies and Southern-style outdoor living spaces.

The Mayflower at Winter Park

• Assisted living units for new residents start at $8,310 per month, with no community fee
• Assisted living units for former independent living residents start at $5,431 per month, with no community fee
• Independent living units start at $2,848 per month, with a one-time buy-in fee of $187,000
• Residence consists of 30 assisted living units

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Located in historic Winter Park, which sits just a few miles north of downtown Orlando, the luxury apartments and villas of the Mayflower offer a choice of floor plans and a range of amenities, including a heated pool, wellness activities like tai chi, a game room, a library and guest suites for visitors.

Furthermore, the Mayflower recently reinvested into the community with an expansion project called Bristol Landing. This project increases the number of available memory care and skilled nursing units and adds a new green space, ponds, walking trails and spacious two- and three-bedroom waterfront residences featuring open living spaces and high ceilings. Monthly fees at Bristol Landing range from $5,194 to $6,494, with entrance fees ranging from $535,900 to $775,000.

The Rose Garden of Orlando

• Private assisted living studios start at $2,950 per month
• Shared assisted living studios start at $2,750 per month
• One-time community fee of $2,500
• Residence consists of 48 units

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For those looking for a slightly more affordable option, the Rose Garden of Orlando offers assisted living at the new Twelve Oaks building. Opened in August 2022, Twelve Oaks combines housing, personalized support care and socialization to keep residents happy and enriched. Residents can enjoy weekly shopping outings, musical events, happy hours, education lectures, bingo nights and ice cream socials. Amenities include weekly housekeeping and laundry services, chef-prepared meals, an on-site rehabilitation gym, premium views and motion sensor lighting in the residents’ unit.

HarborChase of Dr. Phillips

• Assisted living units start at $5,695 per month
• Independent living units start at $4,795 per month
• Memory care units start at $6,395 per month
• One-time community fee starts at $5,995
• Residence consists of 186 apartments (80 for independent living, 72 for assisted living and 34 for memory care)

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HarborChase is a luxurious community that provides customized programs to enhance the health and independence of assisted living residents. HarborChase emphasizes community and encourages social interaction with consistent engagement through group activities and day excursions. Amenities and services include fine dining experiences, guided fitness classes, cooking classes, art classes, all-day room service and spiritual services.

Grand Palms Assisted Living Memory Care

• Semi-private assisted living rooms start at $3,060 per month
• Private assisted living rooms with a shared bathroom start at $3,825 per month
• Fully private assisted living rooms start at $4,845 per month
• One-time community fee of $1,500
• Residence consists of 55 units

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Grand Palms in Orlando is a welcoming community for assisted living and memory care. It offers private and semi-private units with shared accommodations separated into three cheerful and intimate neighborhoods. Grand Palms employs professionally trained caregivers around the clock who take the time to get to know each resident for a more personalized care approach. Amenities include chef-prepared meals three times a day, transportation to off-site medical appointments, a library with computer access, salon services, a greenhouse with resident grown-produce, porches and a bistro.

If you’re considering assisted living for yourself or a loved one in the Orlando area, the following resources may help you get started:

Florida Health Finder, a service provided by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, makes it easy for older adults and their families to locate assisted living facilities throughout Florida based on their preferred type of community and location.

The Florida Department of Elder Affairs aims to promote the safety and wellbeing of older adults and caregivers by providing resources and information for finding assisted living communities, as well as offering caregiver assistance services.

Senior Resource Alliance, the central Florida area agency on aging, offers a host of resources for older individuals and their families to find assisted living facilities in the Orlando area, with the option to explore communities based on an individual’s specific needs or conditions.

“With the growing population in the Orlando area comes growth for assisted living communities,” says Herman. “Although COVID-19 slowed the planned development of some communities, as soon as restrictions were lifted, several projects moved forward at full speed.”

“The newer communities in Orlando are definitely catering to the baby boomers’ attitude of ‘We’re doing things our way.’ Most new communities are upscale and are in an amenity race to see who can offer something newer or nicer than their competitors, which only benefits the residents,” adds Herman. “Almost all new communities offer independent living, assisted living and memory care options to help seniors age in place, reducing stress caused by additional moves. With the influx of people moving to the Orlando area, we can expect corresponding growth in the assisted living space for years to come,” he says.

There are several ways to find the best assisted living community to meet your needs, but most experts suggest prioritizing high-quality care, budget limitations, accessible community design and engaging community life. Assess these elements personally and directly by scheduling in-person tours or visits. Some communities allow for brief overnight stays as well to help prospective residents determine if a community is a good fit for them.

During such visits, ask lots of questions to residents, visiting family members and staffers alike. Dig into the extent of medical care the community offers onsite, as it can vary significantly across the industry. Check out the amenities of the rented rooms or suites, as well as those present in common areas. Get a feel for how easy it is to navigate the community physically and what challenges might arise should you choose to live there. Speak with current residents to learn about how they like their home and what struggles they face.

No place or space is perfect, but it’s always wise to get a clear feel for a community before signing on the dotted line.