Home Care for the Elderly (HCE) provides a financial subsidy for families to provide care for low-income frail elders who would be eligible for nursing home care. It encourages the provision of care for elders in their own homes or the home of a family member or caregiver.

Who should be referred?
To be eligible for HCE, one must be aged 60 or older, at risk of nursing home placement, and have a 24-hour caregiver. The caregiver must be 18 years or older (relative or friend) and physically present in the home. Clients must be financially eligible according to the guidelines established by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. All initial referrals are handled through the Elder Help line at 1-866-413-5337.

Services provided include:
Case Management - A case manager is assigned to every client to assess the problems that the individual is experiencing and to work with the client and caregiver to determine what services can best resolve those problems.

Base Subsidy - Based on a sliding income scale, a monthly stipend (the average stipend is $106) is provided to the full-time caregiver to offset the caregiver's cost of providing care to an elderly individual.

Funding
Funding is made available through the Area Agency on Aging, State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Collier County Board of County Commissioners.