Located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, the sunny, nature-filled city of Port St Lucie is considered home by around 41,378 Floridians over the age of 65. With a total estimated population of 201,846, seniors make up 20.5% of the city’s residents, relatively high compared to the national figure of 17.6%. When it comes to emergency medical care, seniors have several options, including St Lucie Medical Center and Cleveland Clinic Tradition Hospital. In nearby Fort Pierce, seniors can visit the Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute, which specializes in heart and stroke care.
After hospitals, nursing homes offer the largest range of health care, with physicians and nurses remaining on-site 24/7 at most facilities. Diabetes and vital signs monitoring, wound care and rehabilitative services are common. While Port St Lucie’s seniors spend less on nursing home care than most older Floridians, the city’s $8,341 median monthly cost of care is $585 more than the national average, providing a moderate financial incentive for seniors who don’t require constant medical supervision to consider home health care or assisted living.
In this guide, we cover care costs and resources that may help seniors delay care, pay for care and reduce expenses.