Apollo Beach has active adult neighborhoods but almost no licensed care beds. Here is what state records show, what makes a community 55+, and where families turn for memory care.
By Tampa Senior Advisor Care Team · October 24, 2026
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Listen to this guide as a 5-minute podcast episode, or read on. Hosts Marcus and Dana are AI-generated voices.
Marcus: Welcome to the Tampa Senior Advisor podcast. I'm Marcus.
Dana: And I'm Dana. Today we're on the South Shore of Hillsborough County, in Apollo Beach.
Marcus: This one's personal for a lot of families. Mom and Dad retired to the water in Apollo Beach, and now one of them needs more help.
Dana: And the first surprise is how little licensed care is actually in Apollo Beach itself.
Marcus: So let's start there. What licensed senior care is located in Apollo Beach?
Dana: Very little. Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration lists two licensed assisted living homes in Apollo Beach, with eleven beds between them.
Marcus: Eleven beds. For the whole community?
Dana: For the whole community. There's also one adult family-care home with five beds, and three home health agencies. No nursing home, no hospice, and no adult day care.
Marcus: And memory care?
Dana: Neither assisted living home reports a memory care program. Both are small. Person to Person Care Center is licensed for six beds and Shekinah Glory for five.
Marcus: What's an adult family-care home, exactly?
Dana: Under Florida law it's a family-type arrangement in a private home, for no more than five disabled adults or frail elders who aren't relatives.
Marcus: So where do Apollo Beach families actually look?
Dana: A few miles south or north. State records list seven assisted living facilities with 707 beds in Sun City Center, twelve with 365 beds in Riverview, and three with 291 beds in Ruskin.
Marcus: And nursing homes?
Dana: The area's three nursing homes are in Sun City Center, with 375 beds.
Marcus: Let's talk about the neighborhoods. What makes an Apollo Beach community legally 55-plus?
Dana: It's a fair-housing status, not a care license. Under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, at least 80 percent of the occupied units need at least one resident who's 55 or older, and the community has to verify ages under HUD's rules.
Marcus: And "active adult"? I see that on every sign.
Dana: That's a marketing term. Some places use it for true 55-plus communities, and some use it for all-ages neighborhoods with amenities aimed at retirees.
Marcus: So how do you know which one you're looking at?
Dana: Ask the homeowners' association for its written age policy and how it verifies ages, before you buy.
Marcus: Okay, the big one. Active adult community versus assisted living in Apollo Beach. What's the difference?
Dana: Whether care is part of what you're paying for. An active adult home is a house or condo with HOA rules and amenities. There's no hands-on care.
Marcus: And assisted living?
Dana: It's a licensed residence, regulated by the state under Chapter 429, with help with daily activities and medications. And in Apollo Beach that's eleven beds.
Marcus: So a lot of families do both, one after the other.
Dana: Right. A parent lives in an active adult home with help coming in, then moves to assisted living when nights or safety become the problem.
Marcus: Where do Apollo Beach families find memory care?
Dana: Mostly outside Apollo Beach. Florida has no separate memory care license. A facility that advertises Alzheimer's care has to meet extra rules, like activities for people with cognitive impairment, dementia training, and an awake staff member at all hours if it has seventeen or more residents.
Marcus: And the nearby options?
Dana: State profiles list a memory care program at five of the seven assisted living facilities in Sun City Center, four of the twelve in Riverview, and two of the three in Ruskin.
Marcus: What about dementia help at home?
Dana: Be careful about who does what. The state says a homemaker and companion registration doesn't allow hands-on care like bathing or feeding. For that, use a provider licensed for personal care, like a licensed home health agency.
Marcus: And if there's a hospital stay?
Dana: The two closest hospitals are HCA Florida South Shore Hospital in Sun City Center and BayCare St. Joseph's Hospital-South in Riverview.
Marcus: How do Apollo Beach families get help paying for care?
Dana: Start with the Elder Helpline, 1-800-963-5337. In Hillsborough County it connects you to Senior Connection Center, the local Area Agency on Aging.
Marcus: And Medicaid?
Dana: Florida's Medicaid long-term care program needs financial approval from the Department of Children and Families and a medical assessment from the state's CARES program. There's a wait list, and when you're released, you'll get a form for your doctor to complete.
Marcus: The full guide, with the comparison table and the facility counts, is in the description.
Dana: And if you'd like help building a shortlist, a Tampa Senior Advisor is free. See you next time.
Very little. Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) lists two licensed assisted living facilities in Apollo Beach, with 11 beds between them, plus one adult family-care home with 5 beds and three home health agencies. There is no licensed nursing home, hospice, or adult day care in Apollo Beach itself, and neither assisted living home reports a memory care program.
Both assisted living homes are small. Person to Person Care Center is licensed for 6 beds and Shekinah Glory for 5; Shekinah Glory, first licensed in June 2025, also holds Limited Nursing Services and Limited Mental Health designations. An adult family-care home is a different license again: under Florida law it is a family-type arrangement in a private home for no more than five disabled adults or frail elders who are not relatives.
So most Apollo Beach families end up looking a few miles south or north. AHCA records list 7 assisted living facilities with 707 beds in Sun City Center, 12 with 365 beds in Riverview, and 3 with 291 beds in Ruskin. Sun City Center also has the area's 3 nursing homes, with 375 beds. Our Apollo Beach senior care page and the Sun City Center guide list options on both sides of that drive.
A 55+ label is a fair-housing status, not a care license. Under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, a community can restrict ages only if at least 80% of its occupied units have at least one resident who is 55 or older, and it must follow HUD's rules for verifying residents' ages. The Florida Commission on Human Relations cites the same 80% rule, along with the federal regulations and Florida's Fair Housing Act.
"Active adult" is a marketing term. Some neighborhoods use it for communities that meet the 55+ rules, and some use it for all-ages developments with amenities aimed at retirees. If an age restriction matters to your family, ask the homeowners' association for its written age policy and how it verifies ages before you buy. You can browse the area on our Apollo Beach 55+ communities page.
What none of these neighborhoods provides is care. A 55+ community is housing. If a parent needs help with bathing, medications, or supervision, that help has to come from a licensed provider, either brought into the home or found in a licensed residence.
The difference is whether care is part of what you are paying for. An active adult home in Apollo Beach is a house or condo with HOA rules and amenities. Assisted living is a licensed residence where staff provide personal care, and the nearest larger communities are in Sun City Center, Riverview, and Ruskin.
| Question | Active adult or 55+ community | Licensed assisted living |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Housing, usually owned, with HOA fees | A licensed residence with personal care, meals and supervision |
| Who regulates it? | Fair-housing law (the 80% rule) and the HOA documents | AHCA, under Chapter 429 of the Florida Statutes |
| Hands-on care included? | None; families bring in outside help | Yes, help with daily activities and medications |
| Licensed beds in Apollo Beach | Not applicable | 11, across two small homes |
| Where to check it | The HOA's written age policy | FloridaHealthFinder license and inspection records |
Many families use both in sequence: a parent lives in an active adult home with help coming in, then moves to assisted living when nights or safety become the problem.
Mostly outside Apollo Beach. Florida has no separate memory care license; instead, an assisted living facility that advertises special care for Alzheimer's or related disorders must meet extra rules in section 429.178 of the Florida Statutes. Those include activities designed for people with cognitive impairment, dementia training for staff, and, in a facility with 17 or more residents, an awake staff member on duty at all hours.
AHCA profiles list a memory care program at 5 of the 7 assisted living facilities in Sun City Center, 4 of the 12 in Riverview, and 2 of the 3 in Ruskin. Our Tampa Bay memory care directory shows them with their license details.
For dementia care at home in Apollo Beach, be careful about who does what. AHCA says a homemaker and companion registration does not allow hands-on personal care such as bathing or feeding. For that, use a provider licensed for personal care, such as a licensed home health agency. The two closest hospitals are HCA Florida South Shore Hospital on Sun City Center Boulevard and BayCare St. Joseph's Hospital-South in Riverview, which is where many South Shore hospital discharges start.
Start with the Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337. In Hillsborough County it connects to Senior Connection Center, the local Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center. Hillsborough County Aging Services, at (813) 272-5250, offers in-home services, meals, and referrals for adults 50 and older.
Florida Medicaid's long-term care program, Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care, requires both financial eligibility, decided by the Department of Children and Families, and medical eligibility, decided by the CARES program at the Department of Elder Affairs. The program uses a wait list. When a person is released from it, the Aging and Disability Resource Center sends Form 3008 for a doctor to complete, and CARES staff then do an in-person assessment.
Before you sign with any home or agency, look up its license and inspection history on FloridaHealthFinder. If you would like a shortlist that fits a South Shore budget, our advisors can help for free.
Last verified: October 2026.
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