The Best Memory Care Communities in Polk County, FL

Polk County is located east of Tampa and south of Orlando. It has a population of 686,543, and 20.1 percent of those residents, or about 137,000, are aged 65 or older, which is the primary age bracket for Alzheimer's disease.

It's estimated that more than 17,000 seniors in Polk County have dementia. They may benefit from supervision in one of the nine extended congregate care facilities (ECC) that are licensed and regulated by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

• Due to its southern location, Polk County never has snowfall. It receives 13 inches of rainfall more per year than an average U.S. city. The national average is 205 sunny days per year, but Polk County has 238. Seniors with respiratory disease or joint pain can appreciate the temperate climate, where winter lows only drop to 49 degrees, and summer highs stay below 93. Polk County received a 78 out of 100 in Sperling's Comfort Index.
• Polk County's violent crime rate is 51.7 compared to the national average of 31.1, which is based on a scale with one being the safest area and 100 being least safe. The U.S. average for property crime is 38.1, while Polk County's is 51.8. Families should check into the kinds of security measures an ECC has taken to protect the residents, such as cameras, guards, and self-locking doors.
• There's no state income tax in Florida, so seniors and family members on a fixed income may find that their budgets stretch farther in Polk County. The extra money can be put toward healthcare costs in an ECC.
• Cost of living estimates use 100 as the national median expense across all categories. Polk County's overall cost of living is 97, with a housing expense of 89 and healthcare at 94. Families should consider that when searching for an ECC in Polk County.

Memory Care costs in Polk County start around $5,201 per month on average, while the nationwide average cost of memory care is $5,743 per month.

It’s important to note that memory care rates in Polk County and the surrounding suburbs can vary widely based on factors such as location, the level of care needed, apartment size and the types of amenities offered at each community.

Learn more about these programs, plus who’s eligible, on our Memory Care in Florida page.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in Florida page.

Polk County-area memory care communities must adhere to the comprehensive set of state laws and regulations that all memory care communities in Florida are required to follow. Visit our Memory Care in Florida page for more information about these laws.