Nursing homes in Florida

Florida has 694 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes in 64 counties, with 84,537 certified beds in total. The state average CMS overall rating is 3.3 of 5 against a national average of 3.0, and homes report 3.82 nurse staffing hours per resident per day against 3.86 nationally.

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Florida against the national average

Measure	Florida	United States
Overall rating (1 to 5)	3.3	3.0
Health inspection rating	2.9	2.8
Staffing rating	3.3	2.9
Nurse staffing hours per resident per day	3.82	3.86
Registered nurse hours per resident per day	0.73	0.69
Nursing staff turnover	41.4%	45.8%
Health deficiencies in the latest inspection	7.1	9.2
Fines per home, past three years	0.8	0.9

Averages are published by CMS. Health inspection ratings are set within each state, so compare them across states with care.

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Cities with at least 3 homes, by the city in each home's CMS address. Every home is also listed by county below.

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Nursing home rules and contacts in Florida

Federal rules on residents' rights, discharge notices and Medicare coverage are the same in every state. These are the offices to call in Florida, and the rules the state sets for itself.

Long-term care ombudsman Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program Florida Department of Elder Affairs1-888-831-0404 A statewide program of local volunteer ombudsmen who advocate for residents of long-term care facilities.
File a complaint about a nursing home Complaint Administration Unit Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA)1-888-419-3456 Complaints can also be filed online through AHCA's health care facility complaint form.
Apply for Medicaid nursing home coverage ACCESS Florida (MyACCESS) Florida Department of Children and Families850-300-4323 On the online application, check the box for "HCBS/Waivers or Nursing Home". DCF decides financial eligibility; the CARES program decides medical eligibility.

Minimum staffing: Licensed nursing homes must provide a weekly average of at least 3.6 hours of direct care per resident per day. They must also provide at least 2.0 hours of direct care per resident per day by certified nursing assistants and at least 1.0 hour by licensed nurses, and may never staff below 1 certified nursing assistant per 20 residents or 1 licensed nurse per 40 residents. Homes must post the names of the nurses and nursing assistants on duty each day. Source: Fla. Stat. § 400.23(3)
Personal needs allowance (Medicaid): A nursing home resident on Medicaid keeps $160 a month of income for personal needs. The state budget for 2023-24 raised the amount from $130; the state's administrative rule (65A-1.7141) has not been updated and still shows $130. Source: Florida DCF ESS Program Policy Manual, § 2640.0118; 2023-24 General Appropriations Act (ch. 2023-239)
Holding a bed during a hospital stay or leave: Florida Medicaid pays to hold a bed only when the resident is expected to return: up to 8 days for each medically necessary hospital stay, and up to 16 days of therapeutic leave per state fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Leave must be in the plan of care and approved by a physician. Medicaid does not pay for leave days once the home is told the resident will not return, and the coverage policy also limits payment based on how many of the home's Medicaid-certified beds were filled in the previous quarter. Separately, state law says a home must tell a Medicaid resident, within 24 hours of a hospitalization, that the bed will be reserved for a single hospital stay for as long as Medicaid pays, up to 15 days, unless the state determines the resident will not need the bed or cannot return, or that the home's occupancy rate ensures a bed will be available. Source: Florida Medicaid Nursing Facility Services Coverage Policy (Rule 59G-4.200); Florida Medicaid State Plan, Attachment 4.19-C; Fla. Stat. § 400.022(1)(u)
Visiting: Each home must have visitation policies, must allow consensual physical contact between a resident and a visitor, and may not require visitors to show proof of vaccination. A resident may name an essential caregiver, whom the home must allow to visit in person for at least 2 hours a day in addition to other visits. Unless the resident objects, in-person visits must be allowed in listed situations, including end of life. Homes must make their visitation policies easy to find from the home page of their website. Source: Fla. Stat. § 408.823
Discharge notice: A home must give at least 30 days' notice of a transfer or discharge. Notice may come later, as soon as practicable, when the move is necessary for the resident's welfare and the home cannot meet the resident's needs, or when the health or safety of other residents or staff would be endangered, and a physician documents this in the medical record. The notice uses a state form describing appeal rights, and a copy goes to the resident's guardian or representative and to the local ombudsman council within 5 business days of signature. A resident of a Medicaid- or Medicare-certified home may ask for a hearing with the Department of Children and Families within 90 days of the notice; asking within 10 days stops the transfer or discharge until the hearing decision. Source: Fla. Stat. § 400.0255
When private funds run out: A home certified for Medicaid may not transfer or discharge a resident only because the source of payment for their care changes. A discharge for not paying a bill requires 30 days' notice. Source: Fla. Stat. § 400.022(1)(p)

Checked against Florida state sources on Oct 9, 2026. Rules and phone numbers change, so confirm with the office listed. For the rules that apply in every state, see residents' rights, how to file a complaint and how Medicaid pays for a nursing home.