Central Florida Retirement Communities
Central Florida retirement communities are known for a country lifestyle. An active lifestyle for baby boomers can be enjoyed at the many horse farms, lakes, boating and fishing facilities, and walking trails. Some communities offer a small town atmosphere.
Depending on what part you are in, it is generally about 90 minutes to the Atlantic Ocean beaches and 40 minutes to the golf. The great theme parks are also in this area. Some people feel it offers a lower cost of living than other areas of Florida.
The only way to know if it is right for you is to visit. There are many visitor programs at the retirement communities here so you can get to know the area.
Central Florida Retirement Communities in Ocala
Ocala is 90 minutes to the Atlantic Ocean beaches and 40 minutes to the Gulf beaches. Also, it is 90 minutes to the theme parks. Ocala has 4 area hospitals and nearby Gainesville has a regional VA hospital. A sportsman's paradise with lake fishing and boating. This is also horse farm country.
On Top of the World Communities at Ocala - One of the oldest builders in Florida specializing in active adult communities. Four new neighborhoods are currently under development. Radio controlled flying at the community field. 3 golf courses - Villas, single-family and estate homes. Fitness center and spa, indoor heated therapy pool, restaurants, hair salon, yoga and tai chi classes, tennis and more. See their website for details on their Visitors Program.
Home prices starting as low as $157,680's which includes standard features.
On Top of the World Communities
Stone Creek by Del Webb - Ocala - resort-style amenities for retirees - one of largest Del Webb active adult communities in Ocala. Not only does it have a golf course it allows golf cart accessibility throughout this gated community. Single-family or attached. Pedestrian trails and 4000 senior residences planned. Duplex and single family homes. Duplex price starts $169,900.
Stone Creek by Del Webb
The Villages of Lady Lake Lady Lake - Large and well-known community. Patio homes, villas, single family ranch and premier homestyles. Lifestyle Preview Visit Program - 24 miles to Ocala. Prices start affordable. The Villages of Lady Lake
Summer Glen Golf Club 15 minutes to Ocala - affordably priced Central Forida retirement communities by Florida Leisure Communities. 18-hole championship golf course (open to public-please verify this information.) Prices start mid $180's for cottage series (some discount pricing now offered--see builder's website for details). Summerglen
Oak Run Country Club Ocala - by Decca Gated luxury resort living - 2 golf courses and clubhouses with dining. Pro shops. Bocce ball, pools, fitness, activities and more. Some home prices do not include home sites pricing--please verify pricing. Oak Run Country Club
Hardwood Trails - Ocala. Wooded homesites. Only 65 homes. Concrete and block construction with many options included in price. Clubhouse and heated pool. Gated in country setting. Prices affordable. Website states 2 model homes left at special prices. (may be sold by now) See builder for details. Hardwood Trails
Ocala Palms Golf and Country Club - Ocala - Next phase of construction features Palm Isle Townhomes. Lots of amenities. By Venture Associates Corp. Gated active adult golf community. Prices affordable Ocala Palms Golf and Country Club
Central Florida Retirement Communities in Gainesville
Oak Hammock Retirement Community Affiliated with the University of Florida. Lifecare program available but emphasis on an active lifestyle as we age. Entrance fee and a monthly fee. Physical and financial assessments before entrance.
University environment accessible to lifelong learning. Upscale lifestyle with many amenities. You do not have to be an alumni of U of Florida. 29 residences of apartments, free-standing homes and villas. Pet friendly. Please verify all information. Oak Hammock
Central Florida Retirement Communities in Winterhaven
Traditions Cottage Collection by Lennar - From $160's - Other collections are Homestead start $194's and Plantation start $213's. Gated. 60 minutes to Orlando. Boat launch and slips on Lake Ruby. Landscaped homes, clubhouse, walking trails, pool and more. Resort-style. Traditions Cottage Collection by Lennar
Central Florida Retirement Communities in Mount Dora -a charming town worth investigating for a slower pace and 90 minutes to Coast:
The Lakes at Mount Dora In Mount Dora by Pringle
The Lakes at Mount Dora
Central Florida Retirement Communities in Sebring
Highlands Ridge Retirement Community - Sebring - Preview to Purchase Program - Fishing lake and golf - 1 hr to Tampa, Orlando, Palm Beach. Heartland Medical wellness programs. Priced affordably. Highlands Ridge Retirement Community
Other Central Florida Retirement Communities
Cascades at Groveland at Groveland - Levitt and Sons has filed Chapter 11. Please call them for more information. 30 minutes to Orlando. Cascades at Groveland
Near Orlando The Plantation at Leesburg Leesburg - Visit Program - Purchase plus monthly fee - minutes north of Orlando The Plantation at Leesburg
Arlington Ridge Leesburg. 30 minutes to Mount Dora, quaint town known for antiques, quaint cafes. Single family retirement homes. Village Green concept is desirable feature. Arlington Ridge
Cottages of the Heritage by Pringle near Leesburg - old Florida style - charming quaint cottage style homes and protected wetlands distinguish this community.
Also see by Pringle in Leesburg: Legacy of Leesburg Gated community features town center. Historic downtown with shopping. 7 miles of nature trails. A nature theme and bordering conservation areas makes this community unique. The Pringle family of developers has been in Lake County for more than 80 years. They specialize in Florida and active adult communities. They offer a free book entitled Florida Living. Pringle's website shows a 2-year deferred home construction program and other creative programs. Pricing from $100's to $500's. They also have a Lifestyle Preview program (to visit) for some communities. See their website for details. Pringle Developers
Solivita at Poinciana near Orlando. Gated. Village center. Also offering a Discovery Experience for visits. They have a pickle ball court which is becoming very popular. Large variety of price ranges starting low $100's and up. Solivita over 55 Community
La Cresta Davenport near Orlando. Del Webb quality and amenities. Located within the master planned community of Ridgewood Lakes. Indoor walking track, golf, fitness, 3 pools and spa. Prices from mid $209,900. La Cresta at Ridgewood Lakes
Heritage Hills By Lennar coming to Clermont near Orlando.
Mt. Olive Shores CRF Community between Tampa and Orlando. This over-55 central Florida retirement community is a deeded lot development not rentals. RV enthusiasts community. An RV community is where a place is provided to store your RV. Currently they are offering a visitor package to stay in a motorcoach for 3 days to "try-out" the community. This gated senior community is lakefront offering freshwater fishing. Prices start mid $100's. Mt. Olive Shores
Vienna Square - Another CRF community combines "elegance and affordability." Start upper $100's. Vienna Square Community
Lake Ashton by CRF Communities - Lake Wales - Premier community on 1200 acres of ranch land fronting waters of Lake Ashton. Gated and many amenities. Some homes have garages for motor coach. Priced from $200's. Lake Ashton by CRF
Note: Prices and terms of Central Florida Retirement Communities are subject to change without notice. Any prices or information given need to be personally verified by you as these can change frequently. Many price adjustments are occurring in the current market.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Caring for those elderly that need public assistance
By TRAVIS REED
Associated Press Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Caring for the elderly is one of Florida's growth industries -- nearly a quarter of the state's population is over 60 and almost 10 percent is at least 75. But caring for the poor among them is a different story -- particularly when a patient becomes unable to make his or her own decisions.
To take care of them, Florida, like many states, has a public guardianship system -- a government entity that works through the courts to appoint guardians for those without the means to pay for their own. But it's a skeleton entity, and only about half of Florida's 67 counties are covered. And even in those, there's a waiting list -- 254 people, according to the most recent figures from the Statewide Public Guardianship Office. That was up from 225 in the office's 2007 annual report and 132 people waiting in 2006. Even then, that might just be a fraction of the problem -- the state public guardian estimated in 2004 that 5,000 to 10,000 people who needed its services weren't getting them.
That population of endangered adults is expected to rise as more Baby Boomers age and head here for retirement. A guardian is essentially a surrogate decision-maker, appointed by a judge after someone is found incompetent to care for him or herself. To qualify for public help, a person must have limited means and no willing or able familyor friends. "It's really the office of last resort for the most vulnerable of the vulnerable," said Michelle Hollister, executive director of the SPGO. "They're incapacitated, they have no money and they're basically alone." There are success stories. In 2006, a 69-year-old from Immokalee was suffering potentially fatal septic shock while his wife was out of the country. An emergency guardian was appointed, approved treatment and the man recovered. A 63-year-old woman with dementia and mild retardation was saved from an abusive caregiver after an Adult Protective Services investigator found her hiding in some bushes. She was appointed a public caregiver and placed in a safe home. But cases have to be referred into the system, and that only happens if someone thinks an individual is exhibiting signs of incapacity. Because the state's wards are by definition alone, the first call often isn't made.
Florida's public guardian system is also chronically underfunded, relying on a county-by-county melange of charities, partnerships and sheer good will. Some, like the Guardianship Program of Dade County, are almost entirely funded by the county. Others, like the Fifth Circuit Public Guardian Corp., which serves Marion County, rely heavily on the United Way, despite being a "public" agency. The localities with waiting lists can't simply accept an additional ward or two, because state law limits how many people each guardian can have. The SPGO is asking for a $1.3 million increase over its roughly $2.3 million budget this year, which would enable it to care for an extra 150 people. It isn't even trying to get the estimated $24 million it would annually take to serve everyone who needs help. The most severe cases can be taken on by Adult Protective Services, but there are real effects of the waiting list limbo. Perhaps the most tangible is higher public health care costs, because hospitals must keep some patients until the system can accept them. "As long as we know that they're taken care of," said Andrea Wolfkill, a case manager in Marion County. "If they're in a facility, I don't move as quickly -- if they're in a hospital. They've had people two or three months because they don't have a guardian."
That problem -- and expense -- prompted Martin Memorial Health Systems in Stuart to initiate its own public guardian program for Martin County. Linda Hake, a senior attorney for the hospital who now oversees it, said she had been trying since 1999 so start a public entity. It opened in 2006, with no county funding. "Trying to find guardians for people who have no money is impossible," Hake said. "And those are the people that need them, because they're the ones typically that don't have the family resources. They're estranged from their family, they're alcoholics."
Terry Hammond, a Texas attorney who also serves as executive director of the Pennsylvania-based National Guardianship Association, said Florida was ahead of states that had no program at all. But without legislative support, Hammond said it amounted to an unfunded mandate that raised equal protection concerns. Hammond said he knew of only one other state, New Mexico, with a waiting list for public guardians. "The question ultimately is, 'What are we willing to pay in human cost to save money for the budget?"' Hammond said. "And if the government isn't willing to spend money on people who need assistance, what is the purpose of that government?"
Associated Press Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Caring for the elderly is one of Florida's growth industries -- nearly a quarter of the state's population is over 60 and almost 10 percent is at least 75. But caring for the poor among them is a different story -- particularly when a patient becomes unable to make his or her own decisions.
To take care of them, Florida, like many states, has a public guardianship system -- a government entity that works through the courts to appoint guardians for those without the means to pay for their own. But it's a skeleton entity, and only about half of Florida's 67 counties are covered. And even in those, there's a waiting list -- 254 people, according to the most recent figures from the Statewide Public Guardianship Office. That was up from 225 in the office's 2007 annual report and 132 people waiting in 2006. Even then, that might just be a fraction of the problem -- the state public guardian estimated in 2004 that 5,000 to 10,000 people who needed its services weren't getting them.
That population of endangered adults is expected to rise as more Baby Boomers age and head here for retirement. A guardian is essentially a surrogate decision-maker, appointed by a judge after someone is found incompetent to care for him or herself. To qualify for public help, a person must have limited means and no willing or able familyor friends. "It's really the office of last resort for the most vulnerable of the vulnerable," said Michelle Hollister, executive director of the SPGO. "They're incapacitated, they have no money and they're basically alone." There are success stories. In 2006, a 69-year-old from Immokalee was suffering potentially fatal septic shock while his wife was out of the country. An emergency guardian was appointed, approved treatment and the man recovered. A 63-year-old woman with dementia and mild retardation was saved from an abusive caregiver after an Adult Protective Services investigator found her hiding in some bushes. She was appointed a public caregiver and placed in a safe home. But cases have to be referred into the system, and that only happens if someone thinks an individual is exhibiting signs of incapacity. Because the state's wards are by definition alone, the first call often isn't made.
Florida's public guardian system is also chronically underfunded, relying on a county-by-county melange of charities, partnerships and sheer good will. Some, like the Guardianship Program of Dade County, are almost entirely funded by the county. Others, like the Fifth Circuit Public Guardian Corp., which serves Marion County, rely heavily on the United Way, despite being a "public" agency. The localities with waiting lists can't simply accept an additional ward or two, because state law limits how many people each guardian can have. The SPGO is asking for a $1.3 million increase over its roughly $2.3 million budget this year, which would enable it to care for an extra 150 people. It isn't even trying to get the estimated $24 million it would annually take to serve everyone who needs help. The most severe cases can be taken on by Adult Protective Services, but there are real effects of the waiting list limbo. Perhaps the most tangible is higher public health care costs, because hospitals must keep some patients until the system can accept them. "As long as we know that they're taken care of," said Andrea Wolfkill, a case manager in Marion County. "If they're in a facility, I don't move as quickly -- if they're in a hospital. They've had people two or three months because they don't have a guardian."
That problem -- and expense -- prompted Martin Memorial Health Systems in Stuart to initiate its own public guardian program for Martin County. Linda Hake, a senior attorney for the hospital who now oversees it, said she had been trying since 1999 so start a public entity. It opened in 2006, with no county funding. "Trying to find guardians for people who have no money is impossible," Hake said. "And those are the people that need them, because they're the ones typically that don't have the family resources. They're estranged from their family, they're alcoholics."
Terry Hammond, a Texas attorney who also serves as executive director of the Pennsylvania-based National Guardianship Association, said Florida was ahead of states that had no program at all. But without legislative support, Hammond said it amounted to an unfunded mandate that raised equal protection concerns. Hammond said he knew of only one other state, New Mexico, with a waiting list for public guardians. "The question ultimately is, 'What are we willing to pay in human cost to save money for the budget?"' Hammond said. "And if the government isn't willing to spend money on people who need assistance, what is the purpose of that government?"
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