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Get paid to care for family in Hernando County

Most of the 57,000 people in Hernando County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. Florida Medicaid can pay you for that work.

Hernando County at a glance

Aged 65+
57,000

26% of residents

Aged 85+
5,980

when daily help usually starts

Rank in FL
27th

of 67 counties, by residents 65+

Median age
46.7

older than the country

The front porch of an ordinary home, typical of Hernando County

U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Hernando County is a metro county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 1).

50 + DC
states covered
3,144
counties with local data
$0
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Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program

Care in Hernando

What being a paid caregiver looks like here

About 57,000 people in Hernando County are 65 or older — 26% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than Florida overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 5,980 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Hernando County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.

Statewide, 5.1 million people in Florida are 65 or older — 22% of the state, across 67 counties.

What Florida pays family caregivers

$15–$25/hr

Rates vary — check with the program.

Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.

Source: Florida Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026

Florida's programs at a glance

  • SMMC-LTC Participant Directed Option
  • CDC+
  • Family Home Health Aide (children)
Spouse paid?
Sometimes
Parent paid for a child?
Yes
Waitlist
Waitlists can be long — apply early.

These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Florida guide →

How families in Hernando apply

You do not need a county office to start. Families in Hernando County start with Florida's program:

Call the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337) for the phone screening that sets the priority score; CARES assessment + Medicaid application follow when a slot opens. For children/FHHA contact a participating home health agency; for CDC+ go through APD.

Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Florida program fits your family, then we help with the forms.

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Hernando questions, answered honestly

Can I get paid to care for a family member in Hernando County?

Yes. Florida runs real Medicaid programs — like SMMC-LTC Participant Directed Option — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Hernando County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.

How much do family caregivers earn in Hernando County?

Reported figures in Florida are around $15–$25/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.

Where do families in Hernando County apply?

Families in Hernando County start with the state, not the county. Call the local Aging & Disability Resource Center (Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337) for the phone screening that sets the priority score; CARES assessment + Medicaid application follow when a slot opens. For children/FHHA contact a participating home health agency; for CDC+ go through APD.

Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Hernando County?

Sometimes — it depends on the program. The fine print for Florida: limited — yes under SMMC-LTC PDO (must be 'extraordinary care' beyond normal spousal duties, background screening required); no under CDC+

How many people in Hernando County might need this?

57,000 residents of Hernando County are 65 or older and about 5,980 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Florida's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.

Program facts come from Florida's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.

Nearby

Counties next to Hernando

The counties Hernando touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.

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