Sumter County, FL Senior Help Directory: The Villages, Wildwood and Bushnell Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Sumter County, FL. Education, not advice. Verify before you rely on it.

Start here (works anywhere)

• 211 (dial 2-1-1), Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, BenefitsCheckUp.org, Medicare 1-800-633-4227, Social Security 1-800-772-1213, VA 1-800-827-1000, Alzheimer's 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900, National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311, Crisis Lifeline 988

Three local front doors: Elder Options, the Area Agency on Aging for this region, 100 SW 75th Street, Suite 301, Gainesville, FL 32607, whose Elder Helpline is 1-800-262-2243, options@agingresources.org | You Thrive Florida, the agency that delivers senior services on the ground here, Sumter County Senior Services 352-326-3540, main office 820 Kennedy Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601, 1-888-802-7483 | 2-1-1, plus United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties directly at 352-787-7530, 32644 Blossom Lane, Leesburg, FL 34788. Sumter County's own Citizens' Information Line is 352-689-4400.

Start with the fact that makes this county different from every other county page on this site. The Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate puts Sumter County at 157,772 people, and 57.6 percent of them are 65 or older. Only 7.6 percent are under 18. There is no other county in the United States built like this. The Villages, which drives almost all of it, is a census-designated place that spans three counties: Sumter, Lake and Marion. That last sentence is the single most useful thing on this page, because nearly every program below is administered county by county. Two neighbors on the same street can be routed to two different offices, two different memory clinics and two different tax bills depending on which county line their house sits behind. Before you make any call, know which county the property is actually in. The Property Appraiser can tell you in thirty seconds.

The second thing to understand is that Sumter County has very little senior-services infrastructure of its own, and that is not a criticism, it is a routing problem. For a county this old, the aging network here is run from outside it. Elder Options, formally the Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging, is headquartered in Gainesville, about an hour and a half north, and covers sixteen counties: Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee and Union. It is the state's designated Aging and Disability Resource Center for the region. That one number, 1-800-262-2243, is where eligibility gets determined for home delivered meals, where SHINE Medicare counseling is scheduled, where the caregiver programs live, where the elder energy crisis program is run, and where the Medicaid long-term care process begins.

You Thrive Florida is the other half of the answer. Until recently it was called Mid Florida Community Services, and you will still see the old name on directories, referral sheets and the door of more than one office. It is the community action agency for this area, headquartered in Brooksville, and it serves Hernando, Sumter, Pasco, Lake, Volusia, Citrus, Polk and Hillsborough counties. It delivers the meals, the in-home respite, the homemaker and personal care services, the energy assistance and the weatherization. Its Sumter County lines are direct and worth writing down separately, because the main switchboard will only slow you down: Senior Services 352-326-3540, Energy Assistance 352-796-1425, Weatherization 352-796-1427.

Two more numbers belong on the refrigerator. The Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 takes reports of known or suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-888-831-0404 is who you call about a nursing home, assisted living facility, adult family care home or continuing care retirement community, rather than the facility's own management.

Before hurricane season, do this one thing, and do it early. Sumter County Emergency Management is required by state law to maintain a registry of people who need extra help evacuating, and the registry is operated by the Florida Department of Health in Sumter County. You register two ways: print the Special Needs Registry Form and mail it to ATTN: Special Needs Registry Coordinator, P.O. Box 98, Bushnell, FL 33513, addressed to "Emergency Management," or register online through the Florida Special Needs Registry. If you meet the criteria you are assigned to the Special Needs Shelter at the Gloria Rowe Hayward complex, 227 Gloria Rowe Hayward Way, Sumterville, FL 33585, and if your needs exceed what a shelter can handle, the health department identifies a temporary healthcare facility instead. Here is the detail worth reading twice, especially for anyone who has stopped driving: when an evacuation is called, the health department notifies you, asks whether you want to evacuate, and a transportation representative picks you up and takes you to the shelter. That is a door-to-door ride out of a storm, and it only works if you registered in advance. The county states plainly that it reserves the right to cease application processing during an emergency or disaster, so a form filed the week the cone appears on the news is a form filed too late. Questions go to the Citizens' Information Center at 352-689-4400.

Property tax relief (apply with the Sumter County Property Appraiser, 352-569-6800, 218 E McCollum Avenue, Bushnell)

Florida seniors apply for property tax relief through the county Property Appraiser, not the Tax Collector. In Sumter County the main office is at 218 E McCollum Avenue, Bushnell, FL 33513, phone 352-569-6800, open 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a branch office at 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785, same phone, same hours, except that it closes for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30, which is exactly when a lot of people drive over. Plan around it.

Standard Homestead Exemption (statewide): you must be a Florida resident who owns and occupies the property as a permanent residence on January 1 of the year you are claiming, and the filing deadline is March 1. The exemption is up to $50,000, of which the first $25,000 applies to all property taxes and the second $25,000 applies to non-school taxes on assessed value above $50,000. After the first year the annual increase in assessed value is capped, and that cap is Save Our Homes, which over a decade is usually worth more than any exemption below.

Now the senior exemption, and this is where Sumter County is genuinely worse than most of Florida, so set expectations before you spend a day on paperwork. Florida law lets each county and each city decide, by local ordinance, whether to grant one or both additional homestead exemptions to low-income seniors, and each one applies only to the millage of the government that adopted it, never to school taxes. The first can go up to $50,000. The second is the long-term residency exemption, worth the entire assessed value of a home under $250,000 for an owner who has lived there 25 years or more.

Sumter County adopted only the first, and it set the amount at $15,000. Section 14-6(b) of the Sumter County Code reads, in the county's own words, "There is hereby authorized an additional homestead exemption of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000.00) for any person who has the legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of the owner, who has attained age sixty-five (65), and whose household income does not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00)." That $20,000 is the year-2001 base figure written into the ordinance, and subsection (c) indexes it to the cost-of-living index every January 1. The Florida Department of Revenue publishes the current adjusted number, and for 2026 it is $38,686. It was $37,694 for 2025 and $36,614 for 2024.

Two limits on that $15,000 that decide whether it is worth anything to you. First, subsection (d) says the exemption "applies only to taxes levied by the board of county commissioners," which the county has confirmed means all commission-levied taxes including dependent districts and municipal service taxing units, but not city taxes and not school taxes. Second, the county's own January 2025 workshop item put the county's budgeted millage at 4.8900 mills. Do that arithmetic and a $15,000 exemption removes roughly $73 a year from the county's share of the bill, somewhat more if you also sit inside a county MSTU. It is real money on a fixed income and it is worth filing for. It is not the transformation that families who moved here from a county with a $50,000 exemption are expecting.

The county has looked at raising it, and you should ask whether it did. In July 2024 a commissioner formally asked the board to raise the cap from $15,000 toward the state maximum of $50,000. The county attorney supplied the statutory procedure in August 2024, and the board took it up as a workshop, report only, on January 21, 2025. The staff summary estimated roughly 1,778 parcels could qualify and put the revenue impact of the increase at about $289,090. The version of the county code published online is codified through Ordinance No. 2025-25, adopted July 22, 2025, and it still reads $15,000. Under Florida law a change has to reach the Property Appraiser by December 1 to take effect the following tax year, so call 352-569-6800 and ask what the exemption amount is for the current year before you assume it is still $15,000. That is a thirty-second call that could be worth several hundred dollars.

Ask the same office about your city, separately. Wildwood, Bushnell, Center Hill, Webster and Coleman each have their own authority to adopt a senior exemption against their own millage, and a city ordinance is a different question from the county's. We could not verify from a current official source which Sumter municipalities have adopted one, so rather than guess, do this: give the Property Appraiser your exact street address and ask which taxing authorities appear on that specific bill and which of them granted a senior exemption. If your house is inside The Villages, ask in the same breath whether the parcel is in Sumter, Lake or Marion County, because the answer changes everything above.

The paperwork, and the deadline people miss is the second one. The form is DR-501SC, the Sworn Statement of Adjusted Gross Income of Household, and the Property Appraiser lists it on the March 1 deadline list along with the standard homestead exemption, the widow's and widower's exemptions, the disabled veteran exemption and the deployed military exemption. Then, separately, the office lists a June 1 deadline for the financial information that backs it up. The ordinance spells out what that means: copies of the prior year's federal income tax returns, the W-2 forms, and any other documents the Property Appraiser needs, for each member of the household, submitted by June 1. The county code states flatly that the property appraiser may not grant the exemption without the required documentation. Clearing March and missing June is a real way to lose the whole thing.

Do not overlook the other exemptions on the same counter, because several of them are worth far more than $15,000. The Property Appraiser publishes the full list. A $5,000 widow's or widower's exemption, lost on remarriage. A $5,000 exemption for a Florida resident who is totally and permanently disabled, and another $5,000 for legal blindness at 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting glasses. A $5,000 disabled veteran exemption for a permanent resident disabled at least 10 percent in war or by service-connected misfortune. For veterans 65 and older with a permanent combat-related disability, a homestead discount equal to the disability percentage. And a full exemption from taxation for an honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected total and permanent disability, which also passes to a surviving spouse, and to the spouse of a veteran who died from service-connected causes on active duty. In a county with 18,301 veterans, those last three deserve a phone call more than the $15,000 senior exemption does.

One more that almost nobody knows about, and it is aimed squarely at multigenerational families. Section 14-8 of the Sumter County Code provides a reduction in the assessed value of homestead property for construction or reconstruction that creates living quarters for a parent or grandparent of the owner or the owner's spouse, when at least one of those parents or grandparents is 62 or older. The value excluded is the lesser of the increase in assessed value from the construction or 20 percent of the total assessed value of the property as improved. It applies only while that parent or grandparent actually lives there, the work has to be consistent with local land development regulations, and it must be applied for annually before March 1. If you are building a mother-in-law suite so a parent can move in, ask the Property Appraiser about this before the permit, not after.

A separate office handles the bill. The Sumter County Tax Collector, Randy Mask, has four locations: Bushnell, 220 E. McCollum Avenue, 352-569-6740; Wildwood, 7375 Powell Road, Suite 135, 352-689-4540, with a drive-thru; The Villages, 8033 E CR 466, 352-689-4645, with a drive-thru; and Sumterville, 2722 E C 470, 352-689-4630. All are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office cannot grant exemptions, but it controls two things that help on a fixed income. First, the early payment discounts: 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January, 1 percent in February, gross amount due in March, and taxes become delinquent April 1 with a 3 percent penalty added. Second, the installment plan, available when estimated taxes exceed $100, which requires an application returned to the Tax Collector before May 1 with the first payment made no later than June 30. Call 352-569-6740 and ask them to walk you through the four due dates and the discount on each before you commit.

Food

• You Thrive Florida is the front door for senior nutrition in Sumter County, and its senior services line is 352-326-3540. Eligibility is 60 years of age and older, with additional requirements varying by program based on household income, functioning level and medical diagnosis. The program provides home-delivered meals, congregate meals with nutrition education, transportation to the meal sites, in-home respite care, homemaker and personal care services, telephone reassurance, an emergency alert response program, and information and referral. Case-managed clients may have co-payments based on ability to pay. Funding comes through the Older Americans Act, Community Care for the Elderly, the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agencies on Aging, which is another way of saying the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243 can also start the assessment.
• The four congregate meal sites, and the geography lesson inside them. They are at 407 E. Belt Avenue, Bushnell; 52 CR 572N, Lake Panasoffkee; 98 S Warfield Avenue, Wildwood; and the MLK Community Center, 101 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Wildwood. Look at that list against a map. All four sit in the older, western half of the county, and none of them is inside The Villages. In the oldest county in America, the congregate dining program is built around the towns that were here before the retirement community was. If your parent lives in The Villages, do not assume there is a lunch site down the road. Ask about home delivery or about the transportation to a site, both of which the agency provides.
• Feeding Tampa Bay is the regional food bank serving Sumter County, at 3624 Causeway Blvd., Tampa, FL 33619. It is the Feeding Florida member whose service area includes Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter. In practice you will not drive to Tampa. You will use one of its partner pantries, which is what the next entry is for.
• The local pantries, from the list United Way of Lake and Sumter published in October 2025. Caring Hands, 307 Hall St., Wildwood, 352-748-2553, every Tuesday 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wildwood Food Bank, 300 Mason St., Wildwood, 352-748-1275, Sumter residents only, the 1st and 3rd of every month 9 a.m. to noon. St. Vincent de Paul Our Mother of Mercy Food Pantry, 201 Barwick St., Wildwood, 352-748-0778, every other Friday and Monday, Sumter residents only. Wildwood Soup Kitchen, 203 Barwick St., Wildwood, 352-299-6494. Cross Connection Food Outreach, 1451 CR West 476, Bushnell, 352-793-2240. Lake Panasoffkee UMC Food Pantry, 589 NCR 470, Lake Panasoffkee. Two of those are restricted to Sumter County residents, which matters if the address in question is on the Lake or Marion side of The Villages.
• The Salvation Army Sumter County Service Center, 352-568-2284, and a caution about its address. The Salvation Army's own location listing puts it at 100 E Dade Ave, Bushnell. Third-party directories and the United Way's own web listing show 870 N. Main St., Bushnell. The phone number is consistent across every source. Call before you drive. The center provides emergency food, and the county's own housing pages name it for one-time financial assistance as well.
• A dead link worth naming so you do not chase it. The Wildwood Food Pantry's former web address no longer belongs to the pantry, and now redirects to an unrelated commercial site. Search results still surface it. Use the phone numbers above instead.
• SNAP (food stamps) is based on income, not age. Apply any time through Florida's MyACCESS portal at myaccess.myflfamilies.com or call the ACCESS customer call center at 850-300-4323, Florida Relay 711. Florida uses one application for SNAP, Medicaid and Temporary Cash Assistance, so you are not filing three times.

Energy and utility help

Before anything else, find out which electric company serves the house, because Sumter County has four and the answer decides who you call. The county's own economic development office lists all of them: SECO Energy, Duke Energy, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative, which serves south Sumter along with Pasco, Hernando and Citrus, and the City of Bushnell, which runs its own municipal electric service inside the city. Pull out the bill and look at the top of it before you make a single call.

• SECO Energy is the big one here, and its headquarters is inside Sumter County, at 330 South U.S. Highway 301, Sumterville, FL 33585. Member services is 352-793-3801, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. SECO is a not-for-profit cooperative serving Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Pasco and Sumter counties. It runs the Angel Fund, its humanitarian program, but the money is administered through area social service agencies rather than paid by SECO directly, so the co-op's instruction is to call, email or text Florida 2-1-1 to find the agency that has funds now, or use the interactive agency map on its Angel Fund page. Ask about budget billing in the same call: it levels your bill by averaging the most recent 12 months of use, which is the single most underused tool for a fixed-income household on summer air conditioning.
• EHEAP is the 60 and older crisis program, and Sumter County is unusual: there is no local EHEAP office. The Florida Department of Elder Affairs 2025-2026 provider list shows Elder Options running EHEAP directly for Hernando, Lake and Sumter counties, out of 100 SW 75 Street, Suite 301, Gainesville, contact EHEAEP@agingresources.org, phone the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243. Most Florida counties have a hometown agency for this. Here you are calling Gainesville. EHEAP requires at least one person 60 or older in the household, household income at or below 60 percent of State Median Income, and a documented heating or cooling emergency, meaning a delinquent bill, a shut-off notice, or lack of fuel or wood. Payment goes directly to the utility, not to you, and eligible households may receive more than one crisis benefit per program year up to a cap set by FloridaCommerce.
• Do not put a dollar figure for EHEAP in your plan. No reliable current per-county benefit amount is published anywhere, and the figures that circulate are years out of date. Ask the office what the cap is this program year.
• LIHEAP is the general electric bill program, and in Sumter County it runs through You Thrive Florida Energy Assistance at 352-796-1425. Florida's rules, published by FloridaCommerce, require total income no more than 60 percent of the Florida State Median Income or 150 percent of the federal poverty level, that you be responsible for paying the home heating or cooling bill, that you be a Florida resident, and that you be a U.S. citizen, qualified alien or permanent resident. The published household income limits are $32,155 for one person, $42,049 for two, $51,943 for three and $61,837 for four, rising to $85,335 for eight.
• Three LIHEAP rules that catch people. The local provider pays your utility company directly. The program cannot pay for water, sewer or telephone service. And LIHEAP may help with a natural gas or propane bill only in the winter, and only if gas or propane is your primary source of heat: if you use it only for hot water or cooking, the program cannot pay that bill. Depending on funds available in your county you may be able to apply more than once a year, but not every month.
• What to bring when you apply for LIHEAP: your most recent home energy bill, any final utility termination notice, proof of income for every household member, photo identification, Social Security numbers for all household members, and proof of citizenship or permanent residence. The state also warns that local agency phone lines run heavy and asks callers to keep trying, so call early in the day.
• Weatherization is the permanent fix and it is a different phone number: 352-796-1427. You Thrive Florida is the Weatherization Assistance Program provider here. FloridaCommerce sets the eligibility: total household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, published as $30,120 a year for one person, $40,880 for two, $51,640 for three and $62,400 for four, adding $10,760 for each person beyond eight. Preference is given to residents 60 and older, people with disabilities, families with children, and households with a high energy burden. Renters qualify with landlord authorization. There is no cost to the household.
• What weatherization actually installs, and what it does not. Based on an energy audit: air sealing with weather stripping, caulking and thresholds, window and door replacement, attic insulation, duct sealing and repair, HVAC repairs or replacement when justified, attic ventilation, solar reflective coating on manufactured homes, solar screens, water heater repair or replacement, and refrigerator replacement when it is cost-effective. It is not a home repair program. For a failing roof, see the home repair section below. Bring photo ID, proof of income for all household members, Social Security cards, a recent utility bill, proof of homeownership or landlord authorization, and documentation of age, disability or a child in the home.
• If the power is about to be shut off and someone in the home is a senior or has a disability, the state's own instruction is to call 2-1-1 for agencies that can help, and 9-1-1 if it is genuinely life threatening. 211 keeps the current list of church ministries and local funds that still have utility money this month, and in this county that list changes weekly.

Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions

• Florida's SHIP, the free Medicare counseling program, is SHINE, and in this region Elder Options delivers it. Counseling is free, personalized, unbiased and confidential. The counselors are specially trained volunteers who are not affiliated with any insurance companies or agencies and who neither sell nor recommend insurance of any type. They handle Medicare options, supplement plans, Medicare Advantage plans, prescription drug coverage, financial assistance programs, appeals, fraud concerns and long-term care planning. Call 1-800-262-2243 or email shine@agingresources.org. Counseling is available in person, by phone and by Zoom.
• Sumter County has one of the densest sets of in-person SHINE sites in Florida, and four of the five are inside The Villages. Florida's state SHINE counseling site list shows: Chula Vista Recreation Center, 1011 Rio Grande Avenue, The Villages, 1st and 3rd Friday, 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. Eisenhower Recreation Center, 3560 Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages, 1st and 3rd Wednesday, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. Ezell Recreation Center, 769 Marilee Place, The Villages, 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Miona Recreation Center, 1526 Buena Vista Blvd., Defender Room, The Villages, 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. And the Lady Lake Public Library, 225 W Guava Street, Lady Lake, 2nd and 4th Wednesday, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., which is just over the line in Lake County but is listed on Sumter's page because it serves the same families.
• Call 1-800-262-2243 before you drive to any of them. Two of those listings carry a schedule note ending on a date that has already passed, which is a sign the state's page has not been refreshed for every site. The program is real and the locations are real. The calendar is the part to confirm.
• Use SHINE before Fall Open Enrollment, not during the panic. Around September you will start receiving notices about changes to your coverage for the coming year. Read those, then call SHINE, rather than letting a mailer from a plan make the decision for you.
• Medicaid in Florida, including long-term care coverage and the programs that help pay Medicare costs, is applied for through the Department of Children and Families at myaccess.myflfamilies.com or 850-300-4323. The same single application covers SNAP and Temporary Cash Assistance.
• Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help, the Low-Income Subsidy that lowers Part D drug costs, are screened through SHINE (1-800-262-2243), Social Security (1-800-772-1213) and MyACCESS. Florida does not run a general statewide senior drug program, so ask SHINE about Extra Help and use BenefitsCheckUp.org to find manufacturer and nonprofit patient-assistance programs for specific medications.
• The Florida Department of Health in Sumter County has three locations, and the county publishes the numbers: Bushnell 352-569-3102, Wildwood 352-689-6520, and The Villages 352-689-4675.
• To report suspected Medicare fraud, errors or abuse, use the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337, which is 1-800-96-ELDER, and reaches the Senior Medicare Patrol.

Home repair and safety

Sumter County runs its own repair programs out of one small office, and the terms are the part to read before you get your hopes up. The Sumter County Housing Division is at 404 East Anderson Avenue, Bushnell, FL 33513, phone 352-689-4400, and the Housing Coordinator is Denna Lafferty. Note the hours, which are earlier than most county offices: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Emergency Home Repair Assistance is the one most families need. Eligible repairs are septic system repair or replacement, roof replacement, well repair or replacement including necessary wiring and plumbing, and HVAC system repair or replacement. The maximum award is $15,000.

Read this sentence carefully, because it is the difference between this program and the equivalent program in most Florida counties. The county states that "assistance shall be in the form of a zero percent interest loan secured by a recorded mortgage and promissory note with monthly payments required." Not a grant. Not a deferred mortgage forgiven if you stay in the home. A recorded lien with a monthly payment attached. For a 78-year-old on Social Security whose roof is failing, that is a genuine trade and it deserves a real conversation with the family before anyone signs. It may still be the right answer at zero percent. It is not free money, and a lot of people assume it is.

The eligibility requirements are specific. The home must be owner-occupied and used as a primary residence. Proof of Homestead Exemption is required, and all property taxes must be current. The house must be in good condition other than the emergency repair needs, which means a home that needs six things is likely to be routed elsewhere. Mortgage restrictions apply. Applications are picked up in person at 404 E Anderson Avenue, Bushnell, or call 352-689-4400 and ask for Housing Services to schedule an appointment.

The income limits are unusually generous, and this is the good news on this page. The county's own Housing Repair page publishes the figures: one person $87,480, two persons $99,960, three persons $112,440, four persons $124,960, rising to $165,000 for eight. Compare that to the $38,686 ceiling on the senior property tax exemption and you can see how differently these two programs are built. Sumter County's median household income is $76,508. A great many households that are far over the line for the tax exemption are comfortably under the line for home repair. If you were told no on the tax side, that tells you nothing about this side. Apply.

The county runs two more housing programs worth asking about in the same call: Home Replacement Assistance for homes past repairing, and Disaster Mitigation Assistance. Both go through the same office at 352-689-4400.

Two things that apply no matter what. You Thrive Florida's weatherization program at 352-796-1427 can install insulation, duct sealing, air sealing, window and door replacement and HVAC work at no cost, on its own timeline, entirely independent of the county's repair program, and it gives preference to applicants 60 and older. And 2-1-1 can find a faith-based or volunteer group that does small safety work such as grab bars and ramps when no government program is open.

Rent, housing, emergency cash

Start with the redirect that has been catching Sumter County families for more than a decade. The county states it plainly: the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher rental assistance program was transferred to Citrus County Housing Services effective October 1, 2011, because of declining funding and a reorganization of the Sumter County Housing Department. All administrative responsibility sits with Citrus County. If someone told you to apply to Sumter County for a voucher, that is why nothing is happening.

• Where to actually call: Citrus County Housing Services, 1-352-527-7520, main office 2804 W. Marc Knighton Court, Key #12, Lecanto, FL 34461. Citrus County staff perform the inspections and recertifications, and they are available by appointment in Sumter County, sharing office space with Sumter County Housing Services. So you can be seen locally, but the program is not local.
• The rule that matters most for anyone on the waiting list. The county states that eligible waiting list applicants will be offered vouchers to live in Citrus County as they become available, and if the applicant is next in line and chooses not to live in Citrus County, or is not eligible, the voucher goes to the next family on the list. Existing voucher holders may keep living in Sumter County for the duration of their voucher. That is a hard fact to learn at the top of the list rather than at the bottom.
• Subsidized apartment communities, from Sumter County's own published list. Bushnell Garden Apartments 352-793-4838, Lake Panasoffkee Apartments 352-793-2288, Misty Wood Apartments 352-793-8211, Webster Apartments 352-793-4060, Wildwood Commons 352-748-0047, Wildwood Terrace 352-748-0013, and Wildwood Townhomes 352-748-5677. Waiting lists at properties like these open and close without much notice, so call each one and ask rather than reading a status posted on a third-party site.
• For one-time emergency help, the county names two doors: The Salvation Army at 352-568-2284 and United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties at 352-787-7530. 2-1-1 is the third and it is the fastest, because it keeps the current list of which local funds still have money this month.
• For Medicaid, SNAP and Temporary Cash Assistance, apply through MyACCESS at myaccess.myflfamilies.com or 850-300-4323.
• If a housing problem is really a legal problem, such as an eviction notice, a foreclosure filing or a deed someone was pressured into signing, stop and read the legal section below before you call another housing office. Those have deadlines that a waiting list does not.

Transportation

Sumter County Transit charges some of the lowest senior fares in Florida, and the discount starts at 60 rather than 65. The catch is entirely in the process: you have to be approved before you ride, and the reservation window is narrow.

The office is at 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations are taken at 352-568-6683 or toll-free 1-866-568-6606, but only between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The system asks for at least 48 hours notice and states that voicemail reservations are not accepted. If you call at 2 p.m. you have missed the window for the day.

The fare table is short and the senior column is the whole point:

• Shuttle route, regular fare age 16 and up: 50 cents
• Shuttle route, senior 60 and older: 25 cents
• Shuttle route deviation surcharge: $1.00 regular, 50 cents senior
• Door-to-door inside the service area: $1.00 regular, 50 cents senior
• Door-to-door out of county: $4.00 regular, $2.00 senior
• Children riding with a parent: free

How the shuttles actually work. Two routes run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays: the Orange / South Sumter Route and the Wildwood Circulator, which has a morning and an afternoon version. The shuttles can deviate off the route up to three quarters of a mile to pick you up or drop you off, which is the feature that makes them usable for someone who cannot walk to a stop. Deviations require a reservation, and the county recommends at least three days notice for those. Door-to-door trips run Monday through Friday.

Getting approved is the first step, not the second. Anyone who wants to use the door-to-door or route deviation service must complete an eligibility application, evaluated under Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, which is the state's Transportation Disadvantaged law. Applications are available online or by calling for a paper form. The program is funded through the Florida Department of Transportation, the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and the county commission, and the county states that all trips are subject to funding as well as vehicle and driver availability.

Know the trip priority order before you book, because it explains the answers you get. The county ranks trips: medical first, employment second, nutritional third, education fourth, then everything else. A dialysis appointment and a trip to the grocery store are not competing on equal terms. If a parent needs standing rides to treatment, say the word "medical" in the first sentence of the call.

Legal help

• Florida's Senior Legal Helpline is the fastest door for anyone 60 or older, and there is no local intake queue to sit in. Call 1-888-895-7873, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays. It provides free legal advice and brief services by telephone appointment to eligible Florida residents 60 and older on civil matters, and it makes referrals to state and local regulatory agencies. It covers consumer issues, housing, family law, probate, advance directives, Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security and SSI, elder abuse, and relative caregiver matters. It does not handle criminal, traffic or personal injury issues. The program is provided by the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and Bay Area Legal Services.
• Community Legal Services is the local legal aid organization, and it is the one Elder Options names as its legal provider for this region. You will still see the older name, Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, on a lot of paperwork. The helpline is 800-405-1417, open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There is no office inside Sumter County, but four of its offices ring the county: Tavares, 226 W. Main Street, 352-343-0815; Inverness, 106 N. Osceola Avenue, 352-726-8512; Ocala, 1610 S.E. 36th Avenue, 352-629-0105; and Spring Hill, 463 Mariner Boulevard, 407-841-7777. Start with the helpline rather than picking an office, because intake decides where your case goes.
• What legal aid handles that a private attorney will not take on a fixed income: debt and creditor harassment, disaster relief, housing and eviction, public benefits denials and appeals, guardian advocacy, and fair housing complaints. It does not handle criminal or traffic matters.
• To report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or self-neglect of a vulnerable adult, call the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873, which takes reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For a problem inside a nursing home, assisted living facility, adult family care home or continuing care retirement community, call the Long-Term Care Ombudsman at 1-888-831-0404, whose job is to advocate for the resident's health, safety, welfare and rights. Residents have a protected right to reach the ombudsman without restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination or reprisal.

Caregiver support

• The most valuable thing on this page for a dementia caregiver is a Medicare program most people have never heard of, and it comes with real money for respite. GUIDE, the dementia care model Elder Options delivers, is available at no cost and provides a 24/7 helpline for caregivers at any hour, care coordination including home safety assessments and transportation help, individualized caregiver support with regular check-ins, and, the part that changes lives, a $2,500 annual respite allowance for trained professionals to care for your loved one at home or in a facility.
• Read the eligibility carefully, because the exclusion list is where Villages families get caught. GUIDE requires Traditional Medicare, Part A or Part B, a confirmed dementia diagnosis such as Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia or vascular dementia, and that the person be living at home or in the community. It excludes people with mild cognitive impairment, anyone enrolled in Medicare Advantage, skilled nursing facility residents, and hospice or PACE participants. In a county where a great many people are enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, that one line decides whether this program is available to your family. Find out which kind of Medicare your parent actually has before you get your hopes up, and if you are not sure, that is exactly what a free SHINE appointment is for. Approval takes roughly 30 days after the assessment. Start with the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243.
• Elder Options carries the structured caregiver training, all free, all at 1-800-262-2243 or CaregiverSupport@agingresources.org. Savvy Caregiver is a seven-week course built specifically for people caring for a family member with Alzheimer's or another dementia, covering disease progression, managing behavior and getting the rest of the family involved. Coping with Caregiving I and II are free weekly two-hour programs, the first for caregivers of any adult and the second aimed at dementia caregivers, covering stress management, self-care, communication and behavioral challenges. TCARE, the Tailored Caregiver Assessment and Referral program, pairs you with someone who does a full assessment and builds an actual plan rather than handing you a brochure.
• For in-home respite, the local provider is You Thrive Florida at 352-326-3540, which offers in-home respite care, homemaker services and personal care alongside the meals. Case-managed clients may have a co-payment based on ability to pay.
• For a diagnosis, know which county line you are on, because it changes the clinic. Florida's legislature funds a network of 17 memory disorder clinics operating in 13 service areas, providing comprehensive diagnostic and referral services for Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. Sumter County falls in service area 5, which is served by two Orlando clinics: the Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute's Center for Aging and Memory Disorder Clinic, 76 W. Underwood St., 2nd Floor, Orlando, FL 32806, (321) 841-2800, and the AdventHealth Memory Disorder Clinic, 265 E. Rollins Street, 6th Floor, Orlando, FL 32803, (407) 392-9237. Both are roughly an hour from The Villages. The Marion County portion of The Villages falls in service area 4 instead, served by the University of Florida Memory Disorder Clinic, 3009 SW Williston Rd., Gainesville, FL 32608, (352) 294-5400. Same community, same street grid, different clinic, purely because of a county line.
• For adult day care, use the state's own licensing database rather than a lead-generation site. Adult day care centers in Florida are licensed and surveyed by the state, and the Agency for Health Care Administration publishes every licensed center in its FloridaHealthFinder facility locator, searchable by county. Adult day care basic services include social activities, self-care training, nutritional meals, a place to rest and respite care. The Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243 can also tell you which centers accept the funding streams the agency administers, which is the question that actually determines cost.
• The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900 is staffed at any hour, in over 200 languages, and 211 can point you to local support groups.

Veterans and their families

This section exists on this page and not on most county pages for one reason: the Census Bureau counts 18,301 veterans in Sumter County. In a county of 157,772 people where nearly six in ten residents are over 65, veterans benefits are not a niche topic here, they are one of the largest untapped sources of money for long-term care in the county.

• Sumter County Veteran Services is free by statute and it is in Wildwood. The Villages Sumter County Service Center, 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785, phone 352-689-4400, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., appointments only. The county describes it as an agency created to help former, present and future members of the Armed Forces and their dependents prepare claims for compensation, hospitalization, vocational training and other benefits. All services under Florida Statute 292.05 are provided without charge to the claimant. Anyone charging your parent a fee to file a VA claim is a reason to call this office instead.
• Ask specifically about VA Pension. The county's own page describes it as a needs-based benefit for wartime veterans with limited or no income who are age 65 or older, or who have a permanent and total non-service-connected disability. That is the doorway to Aid and Attendance, which is the benefit most often missed by families paying out of pocket for in-home or assisted living care. Ask about it by name.
• The Villages VA Clinic is at 8900 Southeast 165th Mulberry Lane, The Villages, FL 32162, open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is one of the multi-specialty outpatient clinics of VA North Florida/South Georgia, and it offers primary care, mental health care, social work, pharmacy, physical and occupational therapy, podiatry, audiology, cardiology and more. VA's own facility listing for this clinic does not currently display a direct phone number, so route through the county Veteran Service Office at 352-689-4400 or the VA benefits line at 1-800-827-1000.
• The program almost nobody knows about: Veterans Directed Care. Elder Options administers it, and it is for veterans who need a nursing home level of care, regardless of service connection or wartime era, who receive primary care through the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, which is the system The Villages VA Clinic belongs to. The veteran gets a flexible budget and decides what mix of services meets their needs, including hiring personal care aides, and family members or neighbors can be hired. A person-centered counselor from Elder Options provides monthly support with spending plans, hiring and timecards. To start it, a VA primary care provider identifies that the veteran needs nursing home level care but wants to stay home, or you call the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center at 352-264-7300 and select Option 3. Elder Options is at 1-800-262-2243.

Staying at home instead of a nursing home

• Florida Medicaid pays for care at home through the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care program. Eligibility is age 65 and over and eligible for Medicaid, or age 18 and over and eligible for Medicaid by reason of a disability, plus a determination by the state's CARES unit that the person is at a nursing home level of care and meets the clinical criteria. Plans must cover a minimum of 27 services, including skilled nursing, personal care, assisted living facility services, adult day care, hospice, occupational, physical, respiratory and speech therapy, and medical equipment, all based on medical necessity or on delaying or preventing nursing facility placement.
• Ask about the waitlist on the first call, not the fifth. The state's own program page says the local Aging and Disability Resource Center is where you get waitlist information, and that ADRC is Elder Options, 1-800-262-2243. There is also a statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337 for immediate assistance. Getting on the list early costs nothing and the list is the whole game.
• PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, wraps medical care, therapy, an adult day center, home care and prescriptions into one program for people 55 and older who meet a nursing home level of care but can live at home with help. In Sumter County, PACE exists on paper and not yet in practice, and the numbers say so plainly.
• Florida's Agency for Health Care Administration monthly PACE report for February 2026 lists Sumter County with InnovAge PACE, status Operational, and zero enrollees. The report explains its own notation: for counties that do have PACE coverage, "a 'zero' indicates that there are no participants in the identified PACE organization from that particular county." So the authorization exists and nobody in this county is using it.
• The provider's own page draws a narrower map than the state's. InnovAge's Orlando PACE center, at 8410 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32809, phone 689-284-0896, states that it "serves Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties." Sumter is not on that list, even though AHCA's authorized service area for that organization includes it. That gap between the state's authorization and the provider's published coverage is exactly the thing to resolve on the phone before you plan around it.
• A second organization has applied and has not been approved. AHCA's report shows Hope applying on November 4, 2024 to serve Citrus, Levy and Sumter with 100 slots, status Pending Federal Approval, with the note that CMS found deficiencies and sent a request for additional information on June 25, 2025, and the organization "continues to work with CMS to address their feedback." That is not an available program, and anyone presenting it as one is ahead of the paperwork. Watch for it. Do not wait for it.
• What should a family actually do with this? Call InnovAge at 689-284-0896 and ask directly whether they will enroll someone at a Sumter County address, because the state says the service area covers you and the provider's website does not. Then, in the same week, start the Medicaid long-term care track through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243 and ask about the waitlist. Do both. Do not let one wait on the other.
• Do not confuse this PACE with the other one. Across Florida, Property Assessed Clean Energy is a home improvement financing program for solar, impact windows, roofs and air conditioning, repaid as an assessment on your property tax bill. Same four letters, entirely different thing, and it is sold door to door to older homeowners. If someone knocks talking about PACE, find out which one they mean before anyone signs anything.
• The infrastructure that helps someone stay home without any Medicaid determination at all is the You Thrive Florida side: home delivered meals, homemaker and personal care, in-home respite, telephone reassurance and emergency alert response, all starting at 352-326-3540, and all funded through the Older Americans Act, Community Care for the Elderly and the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative rather than Medicaid.

Frequently asked questions

Mom is 81 and owns her home in The Villages. What is the Sumter County senior property tax exemption actually worth to her? Probably around $73 a year, and it is worth knowing that number before you spend a weekend on the paperwork. Florida law allows a county to grant up to $50,000. Section 14-6 of the Sumter County Code grants $15,000, and subsection (d) limits it to taxes levied by the board of county commissioners, so it never touches school taxes and does not automatically reach city taxes. Against the county's budgeted millage of 4.8900 mills, cited in the county's own January 2025 workshop item, a $15,000 exemption removes roughly $73 from the county's share, a bit more if the property is inside a county MSTU. She also has to be 65 or older and meet the household income limit, which the Florida Department of Revenue set at $38,686 for 2026. File DR-501SC by March 1 with the Property Appraiser at 352-569-6800, then send the tax returns and W-2s for everyone in the household by June 1. And call first to confirm this year's amount, because the commission workshopped raising it to $50,000 in January 2025.

I lived in a Florida county that gave seniors a $50,000 exemption and one that erased the whole bill after 25 years. Why does Sumter not? Because those are local ordinances, not state law, and each county and city chooses for itself. Florida Statute 196.075 allows either or both: an exemption up to $50,000, and a second one equal to the entire assessed value for an owner 65 or older with a just value under $250,000 who has lived there at least 25 years. Sumter County's code contains only the first, set at $15,000, and the county's own workshop documents describe it the same way. There is no long-term residency exemption on the books here. This is not something the Property Appraiser can waive: it takes a vote of the county commission, and under state law any change must reach the Property Appraiser by December 1 to apply the following tax year.

My parents live in The Villages but I keep getting sent to different offices. What is going on? The Villages is a census-designated place that spans Sumter, Lake and Marion counties, and almost every program on this page is administered county by county. Property tax, home repair, transit eligibility, the special needs shelter registry, even which memory disorder clinic is assigned to you all change at the county line. Sumter County falls in memory disorder clinic service area 5, served from Orlando. The Marion County side falls in service area 4, served by the University of Florida clinic in Gainesville. Before you call anything, call the Sumter County Property Appraiser at 352-569-6800 with the exact street address and ask which county the parcel is in. That one answer saves weeks.

Dad is homebound in Wildwood and cannot cook. Who brings him meals? Call You Thrive Florida Senior Services at 352-326-3540. It is the agency formerly known as Mid Florida Community Services, and it delivers meals to homebound adults 60 and older as well as running congregate dining sites. Ask about home delivery specifically, and ask about transportation to a meal site, which the agency also provides. The four Sumter County sites are 407 E. Belt Avenue in Bushnell, 52 CR 572N in Lake Panasoffkee, 98 S Warfield Avenue in Wildwood, and the MLK Community Center at 101 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Wildwood. You can also start the assessment through the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243. For an immediate gap, the Caring Hands pantry at 307 Hall St., Wildwood, 352-748-2553 distributes every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The electric bill is past due and my mother is 84. Who do I call first? Two calls, and start by looking at the bill, because Sumter County has four electric providers: SECO Energy, Duke Energy, Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative in south Sumter, and the City of Bushnell's own municipal system. Because she is over 60, EHEAP is first, and in this county the state's provider list shows Elder Options running it directly, so call 1-800-262-2243 or email EHEAEP@agingresources.org. EHEAP needs a documented crisis such as a shut-off notice, pays the utility directly, and a household can receive more than one crisis benefit in a program year. In parallel apply for LIHEAP through You Thrive Florida at 352-796-1425, where the income limit is $32,155 for one person and $42,049 for two. If she is a SECO member, ask about the Angel Fund and budget billing at 352-793-3801. And do not write any EHEAP dollar figure into your plan, because no current per-county amount is published. Ask what the cap is this year.

My father's roof is failing. He is 79 and owns his home free and clear. Where does he apply? Sumter County Housing Services, 404 East Anderson Avenue, Bushnell, 352-689-4400, open 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Emergency Home Repair Assistance program covers roof replacement, septic, well and HVAC up to $15,000. But read the terms out loud to him before he applies: the county states the assistance is a zero percent interest loan secured by a recorded mortgage and promissory note with monthly payments required. That is a lien and a monthly bill, not a grant. He must show proof of Homestead Exemption, be current on all property taxes, and the house must be in good condition apart from the emergency repair. The income limits are generous, $87,480 for one person, so income is unlikely to be the obstacle. The monthly payment might be. Also call You Thrive Florida weatherization at 352-796-1427, which is free, has no lien, and prioritizes applicants 60 and older, though it handles efficiency work rather than a roof.

Mom needs a Section 8 voucher. I applied to Sumter County and heard nothing. That is because Sumter County does not run the program. The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program was transferred to Citrus County Housing Services effective October 1, 2011. Call Citrus County Housing Services at 1-352-527-7520, main office at 2804 W. Marc Knighton Court, Key #12, Lecanto, FL 34461. Their staff take appointments inside Sumter County, sharing space with Sumter County Housing Services, so you can be seen locally. Understand the rule before you get to the top of the list: the county states that eligible waiting list applicants are offered vouchers to live in Citrus County, and if the applicant declines to live in Citrus County the voucher passes to the next family. In the meantime, ask about the county's list of subsidized apartment communities, including Wildwood Commons at 352-748-0047 and Wildwood Terrace at 352-748-0013, and call 2-1-1 and The Salvation Army at 352-568-2284 for one-time emergency help.

My mother stopped driving. She is 74 and lives in Bushnell. What are her options? Sumter County Transit, and the fares are very low: on the shuttle routes a rider 60 and older pays 25 cents, and door-to-door inside the service area is 50 cents for a senior. But she has to be approved first. The eligibility application is evaluated under Chapter 427, Florida Statutes, and it can be completed online or on a paper form. After that, reservations are taken only between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 352-568-6683 or 1-866-568-6606, with at least 48 hours notice and no voicemail reservations. Shuttles run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and can deviate up to three quarters of a mile off the route with a reservation, which the county suggests booking three days ahead. One more thing to know: trips are prioritized medical first, then employment, then nutritional, then education, so lead with the word "medical" when it applies.

My husband has dementia and I have not had a full day off in a year. What is available in Sumter County? Start with GUIDE, because it is the only program here that comes with money attached. Call the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243 and ask about it. It provides a 24/7 caregiver helpline, care coordination, and a $2,500 annual respite allowance for trained professionals to care for him at home or in a facility, at no cost. The catch is the eligibility: it requires Traditional Medicare Part A or B and a confirmed dementia diagnosis, and it excludes Medicare Advantage enrollees, so find out which he has first. In the same call, ask about Savvy Caregiver, the free seven-week course built for dementia caregivers, and TCARE. For in-home respite outside of GUIDE, call You Thrive Florida at 352-326-3540. For a stalled or unclear diagnosis, Sumter County's assigned memory disorder clinics are in Orlando: Orlando Health at (321) 841-2800 and AdventHealth at (407) 392-9237. And the Alzheimer's Association helpline at 1-800-272-3900 is answered at 3 a.m., which is usually when you need it.

Dad is a Korean War veteran, 88, and we are about to start paying for aides out of pocket. Is there anything? Two things, and both are free to pursue. First, call Sumter County Veteran Services at 352-689-4400 for an appointment, which is free by Florida statute, and ask specifically about VA Pension, described by the county as a needs-based benefit for wartime veterans with limited or no income who are 65 or older. That is the doorway to Aid and Attendance, and it is the most commonly missed benefit for exactly this situation. Second, ask Elder Options at 1-800-262-2243 about Veterans Directed Care, which gives a veteran needing a nursing home level of care a flexible budget he controls, regardless of service connection or wartime era, and which explicitly allows hiring family members or neighbors as paid aides. It requires primary care through VA North Florida/South Georgia, which is the system The Villages VA Clinic belongs to. His VA primary care provider can start the referral, or call Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center at 352-264-7300, Option 3.

Sources

• Sumter County, Florida, Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Sec. 14-6, Additional homestead exemption: "(b) There is hereby authorized an additional homestead exemption of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000.00) for any person who has the legal or equitable title to real estate and maintains thereon the permanent residence of the owner, who has attained age sixty-five (65), and whose household income does not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00)"; "(c) Beginning January 1, 2001, the twenty thousand dollar ($20,000.00) income limitation shall be adjusted annually, on January 1, by the percentage change in the average cost-of-living index"; "(d) This additional exemption applies only to taxes levied by the board of county commissioners"; "(e) Any taxpayer claiming the additional exemption shall annually submit to the county property appraiser, not later than March 1, a sworn statement of household income on a form prescribed by the Department of Revenue. The filing of the statement shall be supported by copies of any federal income tax returns for the prior year, any wage and earnings statements (W-2 forms), and any other documents the property appraiser finds necessary, for each member of the household, to be submitted by June 1 ... The property appraiser may not grant the exemption without the required documentation." Section history: Ord. No. 2002-27, 12-10-02; Ord. No. 2004-23, 8-24-04; Ord. No. 2004-41, 10-26-04. Sec. 14-8, Limited reduction in assessed value of homestead property, provides a reduction for construction or reconstruction providing living quarters for a parent or grandparent of the owner or the owner's spouse where at least one is 62 or older, applied for annually before March 1, with the value excluded not exceeding the lesser of the increase in assessed value or 20 percent of the total assessed value of the property as improved. Code of Ordinances Supplement 112, "Codified through Ordinance No. 2025-25, adopted July 22, 2025," online content updated October 31, 2025: https://library.municode.com/fl/sumter_county/codes/code_of_ordinances . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Board of County Commissioners, Executive Summary, "Additional Homestead Exemption Low Income Seniors," meeting date 1/21/2025, Meeting Type: Workshop (Report Only), prepared by Angela Rex, Office of Management & Budget, budget impact ($289,090): quotes Sec. 14-6(b) at $15,000 and states "Currently Sec 14-6(d) of the Sumter County Code provides that, 'this additional exemption applies to taxes levied by the board of county commissioners.' Which means ALL BOCC levied taxes including dependent districts and MSTU's"; "The current number of parcels that could potentially have this additional exemption are approximately 1,778 parcels for $62,230,000 in exemptions. The current budgeted total assessed value for the county is $21,765,408,745 with Ad Valorem of $103,403,370 and millage rate of 4.8900 mills with a rolled back rate of 4.8935 mills": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/25614?fileID=62873 . Companion county attorney memorandum from Jennifer C. Rey on behalf of the Sumter County Attorney, August 27, 2024, setting out Fla. Stat. 196.075 procedure and noting the exemption authorized by paragraph (2)(b) "must be authorized by a super majority (a majority plus one) vote," and that under Fla. Stat. 196.075(6) an adopted ordinance must reach the property appraiser no later than December 1 of the year prior to the year the exemption takes effect; includes the July 29, 2024 request from Commissioner Oren L. Miller to raise the cap "from the current cap of $15,000" toward "the Florida maximum" of $50,000: https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/25088?fileID=61637 . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Department of Revenue, Two Additional Homestead Exemptions for Persons 65 and Older (Revised January 2026): counties or city governments may adopt local ordinances under Section 6(d) of Article VII of the Florida Constitution and s.196.075, F.S., allowing one or both additional exemptions, which "apply only to the tax millage a county or city levies when it adopts a local ordinance and do not apply to the millage of school districts or other taxing units"; the two are an exemption "not exceeding $50,000" and "an exemption equal to the assessed value of the property to an owner ... with a just value less than $250,000 ... who has maintained permanent residence on the property for at least 25 years"; Senior Homestead Exemption adjusted income limitation $38,686 for 2026 (2.6% change), $37,694 for 2025, $36,614 for 2024: https://floridarevenue.com/property/Documents/AdditionalHomesteadExemptions.pdf . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Property Appraiser: main office 218 E McCollum Avenue, Bushnell, Florida 33513, 352-569-6800, hours 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday; branch office 7375 Powell Rd, Wildwood, Florida 34785, same phone and hours, closed for lunch 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM: https://www.sumterpa.com/ . Important Dates page lists a March 1 application deadline for the $25,000 Homestead Exemption, the $5,000 Disabled Veteran's Exemption, the $5,000 Widow's and Widower's Exemptions, DR-501DV (property tax discount for veterans age 65 and older with a combat-related disability), DR-501M (deployed military exemption) and DR-501SC, Low Income Senior Citizen Exemption, and a June 1 deadline for the financial information supporting the Low Income Senior Citizen Exemption; Tangible Personal Property (DR-405) is due April 1: https://www.sumterpa.com/general-info/important-dates/ . Tax & Exemptions page documents the standard homestead exemption of up to $50,000, the $5,000 widow's/widower's exemption (lost on remarriage, s.196.202 F.S.), the $5,000 disability exemption and $5,000 blindness exemption (central vision acuity 20/200 or less in the better eye with correcting glasses), the $5,000 disabled veteran exemption for a resident disabled at least 10 percent "in war or by service-connected misfortune" (s.196.24 F.S.), the disabled veterans homestead property tax discount for veterans 65+ with a permanent combat-related disability equal to the disability percentage, the service-connected total and permanent disability exemption (full exemption, extending to surviving spouses, ss.196.081 and 196.24 F.S.), and the local option homestead exemption for persons 65 and older under s.196.075(4)(d), F.S. requiring form DR-501SC, noting "Some city or county governments have enacted a local ordinance": https://www.sumterpa.com/tax-and-exemptions/ . The Property Appraiser's published pages do not state the Sumter County exemption amount or list which municipalities adopted one, which is why this article cites the county code for the amount and routes readers to 352-569-6800 for the current year and for their specific city. Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Tax Collector (Randy Mask), office locations: Bushnell, 220 E. McCollum Avenue, Bushnell, FL 33513, (352) 569-6740; Wildwood, 7375 Powell Road, Suite 135, Wildwood, FL 34785, (352) 689-4540, drive-thru; The Villages, 8033 E CR 466, The Villages, FL 32162, (352) 689-4645, drive-thru; Sumterville, 2722 E C 470, Sumterville, FL 33585, (352) 689-4630; all 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday: https://www.sumtertaxcollector.com/ . Real Estate & Tangible Taxes: discounts are "4% if paid in November, 3% if paid in December, 2% if paid in January, 1% if paid in February" with the gross amount due in March; "Taxes become delinquent April 1st of each year, at which time a 3% penalty is added to the bill"; the installment plan is available when estimated tax due is more than $100, "an application must be returned to the tax collectors office prior to May 1st, and the first payment must be made no later than June 30th"; "The office of the Property Appraiser establishes the value of your property": https://www.sumtertaxcollector.com/real.html . Verified August 20, 2026.
• U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, Sumter County, Florida: population estimate July 1, 2025 (V2025) 157,772, up 21.6 percent from the April 1, 2020 census base of 129,752; persons 65 years and over, 57.6 percent; persons under 18 years, 7.6 percent; veterans, 2020-2024: 18,301; owner-occupied housing unit rate 87.6 percent; median value of owner-occupied housing units $385,400; median household income (in 2024 dollars), 2020-2024: $76,508; persons in poverty 8.8 percent; persons per household 1.93; land area 557.13 square miles; FIPS code 12119: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/sumtercountyflorida/PST045224 . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Elder Options (legal name the Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc.), the Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center for this region: serves Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee and Union counties; main office 100 SW 75th Street, Suite 301, Gainesville, FL 32607; Elder Helpline 1-800-262-2243, options@agingresources.org: https://agingresources.org/ and https://agingresources.org/services/elder-helpline/ . Provider and partner agencies for the region include You Thrive Florida (mfcs.us.com) and Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. (clsmf.org): https://agingresources.org/providers-and-partners/ . SHINE: "free, personalized, unbiased, and confidential Medicare counseling," counselors "are not affiliated with any insurance companies or agencies" and "neither sell nor recommend insurance of any type," available in person, by phone and via Zoom; 1-800-262-2243, shine@agingresources.org: https://agingresources.org/services/shine/ . Caregiver Training and Support: Savvy Caregiver, a seven-week free course for those assisting family members with dementia or Alzheimer's; Coping with Caregiving I & II, free weekly two-hour programs, with Coping II targeting dementia caregivers; T-CARE (Tailored Caregiver Assessment and Referral) providing comprehensive assessments and individualized care plans; CaregiverSupport@agingresources.org: https://agingresources.org/services/caregiver-training-and-support/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Elder Options, GUIDE: Dementia Care: eligibility is "Traditional Medicare beneficiaries (Part A or B)" with a confirmed dementia diagnosis including Alzheimer's, Lewy body dementia, frontotemporal dementia or vascular dementia, "Living at home or in the community"; excluded are those with mild cognitive impairment, Medicare Advantage enrollees, skilled nursing facility residents, and hospice or PACE participants; the program provides a 24/7 helpline ("A special helpline that provides support to caregivers any time of day"), respite services described as "a $2,500 annual allowance for trained professionals to care for your loved one at home or in a facility," care coordination including home safety assessments and transportation, and caregiver support with regular check-ins; services are "available at no cost," and Medicare approval takes approximately 30 days after assessment; referral online or via the Elder Helpline at 1-800-262-2243: https://agingresources.org/services/guide/ . Veterans Directed Care: for "Veterans who are in need of nursing home level of care, regardless of service connection or wartime era" who receive primary care through the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System; the veteran uses a flexible budget to hire personal care aides "including family members or neighbors," to "Decide what mix of services will best meet their needs" and to "Buy items and services needed to live independently in the community"; referral through a VA primary care provider or by calling the Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center at 352-264-7300, Option 3: https://agingresources.org/services/veterans/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Department of Elder Affairs, 2025-2026 EHEAP Providers List (October 2025), PSA 3: the Area Agency is Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging, Inc. / dba Elder Options, 100 SW 75 Street, Suite 301, Gainesville, Florida 32607, Phone: 352-692-5237, covering Alachua, Bradford, Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Hernando, Lafayette, Lake, Levy, Marion, Putnam, Sumter, Suwannee and Union counties; the EHEAP provider entry for Elder Options, 100 SW 75 Street, Suite 301, Gainesville, FL 32607, Contact: EHEAEP@agingresources.org, Phone: Elder Helpline 1-800-262-2243 lists "Counties Served: Hernando, Lake, Sumter": https://elderaffairs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2025-2026-EHEAP-Providers-List_October-2025.pdf . EHEAP program rules require at least one individual age 60 or older in the home, income at or below 60% of State Median Income, and a documented heating or cooling emergency such as a delinquent bill, shut-off notice, or lack of fuel or wood; payments are made directly to the vendor, and households may receive more than one crisis benefit per program year up to a maximum set by FloridaCommerce: https://elderaffairs.org/programs-and-services/emergency-home-energy-assistance-for-the-elderly-program/ . This article names EHEAP and routes to the office rather than printing a benefit amount, because no current per-county figure is published. Verified August 20, 2026.
• You Thrive Florida (formerly Mid Florida Community Services, Inc.; mfcs.us.com now redirects to youthrivefl.org), main office 820 Kennedy Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601, 1-888-802-7483; federal grant programs administered include the Community Services Block Grant, Head Start, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Weatherization, and Older Americans Act programs: https://www.youthrivefl.org/ . Senior Services: eligibility is "Persons 60 years of age and older," with additional requirements varying by program based on household income, functioning level and medical diagnosis; counties served are Hernando, Sumter, Pasco, Lake, Volusia, Citrus, Polk and Hillsborough; services include in-home respite care, homemaker and personal care services, nutrition education and congregate meals, "home-delivered meals," transportation to meal sites, telephone reassurance, Emergency Alert Response, and information and referral; case-managed clients may have co-payments based on ability to pay; funding is through the Older Americans Act, Community Care for the Elderly, the Alzheimer's Disease Initiative, the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and the Area Agencies on Aging: https://youthrivefl.org/program/senior-services/ . Sumter County location page lists direct department lines "Energy Assistance - (352)796-1425," "Head Start - (352) 568-0821," "Senior Services - (352) 326-3540," "Weatherization Assistance Program - (352) 796-1427," and four Sumter County meal sites: "407 E. Belt Avenue, Bushnell, FL 33513," "52 CR 572N, Lake Panasoffkee, FL 33538," "98 S Warfield Ave, Wildwood, FL 34785," and "101 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Wildwood, FL 34785": https://youthrivefl.org/location/sumter-county/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• FloridaCommerce (Florida Department of Commerce), Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program: eligibility requires "Have a total income no more than 60% of the Florida State Median Income or 150% of Federal Poverty Level," responsibility for paying the home heating or cooling bill, Florida residency, and U.S. citizenship, qualified alien or permanent resident status; published household income limits are Family of 1 $32,155, Family of 2 $42,049, Family of 3 $51,943, Family of 4 $61,837, Family of 5 $71,730, Family of 6 $81,624, Family of 7 $83,479, Family of 8 $85,335; "Your local LIHEAP provider makes the payments directly to your utility company on your behalf"; "LIHEAP may help pay your natural gas or propane bill only in the winter, if you use gas or propane as your primary source to heat your home. If gas or propane is used only for purposes other than heating, such as hot water or cooking, the program cannot pay the bill"; "The program cannot pay for water, sewer or telephone services"; "Depending on the funds available in your county, you may be able to apply for assistance multiple times a year, but not every month"; required documentation is the most recent home energy bill, any final utility termination notice, proof of income for all household members, photo identification, Social Security cards or numbers for all household members, and proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residence; for an urgent or life-threatening situation the state directs callers to 9-1-1 and to 2-1-1: https://www.floridajobs.org/community-planning-and-development/community-services/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program . Verified August 20, 2026.
• FloridaCommerce, Weatherization Assistance Program: "The total household income must be at or below 200% above the national poverty level. Preference is given to elderly (60 years-plus) or disabled residents, families with children younger than 18 and households with a high energy burden (repeated high utility bills)"; published household income limits are Family of 1 $30,120, Family of 2 $40,880, Family of 3 $51,640, Family of 4 $62,400, Family of 5 $73,160, Family of 6 $83,920, Family of 7 $94,680, Family of 8 $105,440, adding $10,760 for each additional person; allowable services include air sealing (weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor repairs to walls, ceilings and floors, and window and door replacement), attic and floor insulation, duct sealing and repair, HVAC system repairs, improvements or replacement when justified, attic ventilation, solar reflective coating on manufactured homes, solar screens, water heater repairs or replacements, and refrigerator replacement when cost-effective; required application documents are proof of identification, proof of income for all household members, Social Security cards for all household members, a recent utility bill, proof of homeownership or landlord authorization if renting, and documentation of disability, elderly status or a child in the home: https://www.floridajobs.org/community-development/Weatherization-Assistance-Program . Verified August 20, 2026.
• SECO Energy: headquarters 330 South U.S. Highway 301, Sumterville, FL 33585, member service (352) 793-3801, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.: https://secoenergy.com/service-territory . Find Bill Payment Help: "Call, email or text Florida 2-1-1 to inquire about agencies that assist SECO Energy members with bill payment assistance," with an interactive map to find nearby agencies by service address, and the member service line (352) 793-3801: https://secoenergy.com/find-bill-payment-help . The Angel Fund is described as SECO's corporate humanitarian program, administered through area agencies rather than paid directly by the cooperative: https://secoenergy.com/angel-fund/ . Sumter County Economic Development lists four electric providers serving the county: Duke Energy, SECO Energy (Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Levy, Marion, Pasco and Sumter), Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (south Sumter, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus), and the City of Bushnell, plus TECO Peoples Gas for natural gas; Economic Development Office (352) 689-4400: https://sumterbusiness.com/utilities/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Housing Division: 404 East Anderson Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513, Housing Coordinator Denna Lafferty, Phone: 352-689-4400, hours Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; programs are Down Payment and Closing Cost assistance for first time home buyers, Emergency home repair, Home Replacement Assistance, Rental Assistance and Disaster Mitigation Assistance: https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/87/Housing . Emergency Home Repair Assistance: eligible repairs are "Septic system repair or replacement, Roof replacement, Well repair or replacement including necessary wiring and/or plumbing, HVAC system repair or replacement"; "The maximum award for assistance is $15,000"; "Assistance shall be in the form of a zero percent interest loan secured by a recorded mortgage and promissory note with monthly payments required"; "Assistance will only be provided for homes that are owner-occupied and used as a primary residence"; "Proof of Homestead Exemption is required, and all property taxes must be current"; "The house must be in good condition other than the emergency repair needs"; "Applications can be picked up at the Sumter County Housing Services office: 404 E Anderson Avenue, Bushnell, FL. 33513. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 1-352-689-4400 and ask for Housing Services": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/248/Emergency-Home-Repair-Assistance . Housing Repair income guidelines: "If your total annual gross income does not exceed the income listed below, you are income eligible for assistance in Sumter County. One person - $87,480; Two persons - $99,960; Three persons - $112,440; Four persons - $124,960; Five persons - $135.000 [as published]; Six persons - $144,960; Seven persons - $154,920; Eight persons - $165,000": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/247/Housing-Repair . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County, Rental Assistance: "The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Rental Assistance Program has been transferred to Citrus County Housing Services effective October 1, 2011. The transfer is a result of diminishing funding allocations and planned reorganization of the Sumter County Housing Department. All administrative responsibilities of the program will be under the direct control and supervision of Citrus County"; "Existing voucher holders may continue to live in Sumter County for the duration of their voucher"; "Eligible waiting list applicants will be offered vouchers to live in Citrus County as they become available. If the applicant is next in line for a voucher and they choose not to live in Citrus County, or they are not eligible, the next eligible family on the list will be offered the voucher"; "Citrus County staff will be available by appointment in Sumter County. Staff will be sharing office space with the Sumter County Housing Services"; "For rental assistance questions or information, please contact Citrus County Housing Services at 1-352-527-7520. Their main office is located at 2804 W. Marc Knighton Court - Key #12, Lecanto, FL. 34461": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/243/Rental-Assistance . Rental Assistance Resources lists rental assistance providers Bushnell Garden Apartments 352-793-4838, Lake Panasoffkee Apartments 352-793-2288, Misty Wood Apartments 352-793-8211, Webster Apartments 352-793-4060, Wildwood Commons 352-748-0047, Wildwood Terrace 352-748-0013, Wildwood Townhomes 352-748-5677, and for one-time assistance The Salvation Army - 352-568-2284 and United Way of Lake & Sumter Counties - 352-787-7530: https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/246/Rental-Assistance-Resources . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Emergency Management, Special Needs: "Sumter County Emergency Management is required by Florida State Statute to maintain a registry of people that would require additional assistance during an emergency or disaster. This registry is operated and maintained by the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Sumter County"; registration is by mailing a Special Needs Registry Form to "ATTN: Special Needs Registry Coordinator, P.O. Box 98, Bushnell, FL 33513" addressed to "Emergency Management," or online; "If you meet the criteria, you will be able to evacuate to the Special Needs Shelter at the Gloria Rowe Hayward complex, located at 227 Gloria Rowe Hayward Way, Sumterville, FL 33585"; if the applicant exceeds the criteria, "we will identify a temporary healthcare facility for you to evacuate to"; "Do not wait until the last minute to register. Sumter County reserves the right to cease application processing during an emergency or disaster"; "When there is an impending emergency or disaster that requires you to evacuate, FDOH in Sumter County will notify you and ask if you would like to evacuate. A transportation representative will then pick you up and transport you to a shelter facility": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/1106/Special-Needs . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County, Important Phone Numbers: Sumter County Emergency Management and the Citizen's Information Line 352-689-4400; Sumter County Sheriff's Office non-emergency 352-569-1600; Department of Health Main Office - Bushnell 352-569-3102; Department of Health - Wildwood 352-689-6520; Department of Health - The Villages 352-689-4675; United Way Help and Information Line 211: https://sumtercountyfl.gov/1117/Numbers-You-Should-Know . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Transit: fares are, on the shuttle routes, Regular Fare (16+) $0.50 and Senior Fare (60+) $0.25, with a route deviation surcharge of $1.00 for regular riders and $0.50 for seniors; door-to-door inside the service area is Adults (16+) $1.00 and Seniors (60+) $0.50, and out of county Adults $4.00 and Seniors $2.00, with children riding with a parent free; two shuttle routes, the Orange/South Sumter Route and the Wildwood Circulator (A.M. and P.M.), run "on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays"; shuttles "can deviate off the route a short distance (up to 3/4 mile) to pick up or drop off," with reservations required and at least three days notice recommended; "call 352-568-6683 between the hours 8:00 am and 1:00 pm": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/184/Reservations-Shuttle-SchedulesRoutes . Door-to-door trips run Monday through Friday; reservations at (352) 568-6683 or toll-free 1-866-568-6606, reservation hours Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM, minimum 48-hour advance notice recommended, voicemail reservations not accepted; office at 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; applicants must complete an eligibility application evaluated per Florida Statutes Chapter 427; trip priority is medical first, employment second, nutritional third, education fourth, then others; the program is funded through the Florida Department of Transportation, the Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged and the county commission, and "All trips are subject to funding as well as vehicle and driver availability": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/95/Transit/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Sumter County Veteran Services: "Sumter County Veteran Services is a county agency created to assist all former, present and future members of the Armed Forces of the United States and their dependents in preparing claims for and securing compensation, hospitalization, vocational training and other benefits or privileges to which they may be entitled"; "All services rendered under their subsection of Florida Statutes (FS 292.05) shall be without charge to the claimant"; "A VA pension may provide income to make life more secure for Veterans and their loved ones. Pension is a needs-based benefit for wartime Veterans with limited or no income who are age 65 or older or who have a permanent and total non-service-connected disability"; office is The Villages Sumter County Service Center, 7375 Powell Road, Wildwood, FL 34785, Phone: 352-689-4400, hours Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., "Appointments only": https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/96/Veteran-Services . Verified August 20, 2026.
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, The Villages VA Clinic: 8900 Southeast 165th Mulberry Lane, The Villages, FL 32162-5884, hours Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed weekends; services current as of August 20, 2026 include primary care, mental health care, PTSD care, social work, pharmacy, physical therapy and occupational therapy, physical medicine and rehabilitation, podiatry, audiology, cardiology, dermatology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, optometry, radiology, sleep medicine, nutrition and dietary care, patient advocates, homeless Veteran care and women Veteran care; the facility page displays no main phone number, which is why this article routes readers through the county Veteran Service Office and the VA benefits line: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/facility/vha_573GI and https://www.va.gov/north-florida-health-care/locations/the-villages-va-clinic/ . The clinic is one of the multi-specialty outpatient clinics operated by VA North Florida/South Georgia health care: https://www.va.gov/north-florida-health-care/about-us/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly Monthly Report, February 2026: the PACE Organization Data by County table lists Sumter County with InnovAge PACE, status Operational, 0 enrollees, and Hope PACE, status Application at CMS; the report states that "for counties that do have PACE coverage, a 'zero' indicates that there are no participants in the identified PACE organization from that particular county"; the operational table lists InnovAge with service area "Orange, Osceola, Lake, Sumter, and Seminole," Operational, initial approval 6/14/2021, 300 slots approved and 250 funded, 136 enrollees; the pending table lists Hope, service area "Citrus, Levy, Sumter," application received 11/4/2024, status Pending Federal Approval, 100 slots requested, with the note "CMS found deficiencies and sent a request for additional information on June 25, 2025; the PACE organization continues to work with CMS to address their feedback"; the report states PACE eligibility requires being 55 years of age or older, meeting the nursing facility level of care, residing in a designated service area, and being able to be safely served in the community: https://ahca.myflorida.com/content/download/28770/file/February%202026%20PACE%20Report.pdf . Verified August 20, 2026.
• InnovAge, Orlando PACE center: 8410 S Orange Blossom Trl, Orlando, FL 32809, phone 689-284-0896 (current participants 689-610-4800); the page states "The Orlando PACE center serves Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties," and does not list Sumter County: https://www.innovage.com/locations/florida/orlando . This article reports the gap between AHCA's authorized service area and the provider's published coverage rather than resolving it, and routes readers to call. Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Memory Disorder Clinic Location Map (2025): the legislature has authorized 17 memory disorder clinics operating in 13 distinct service areas providing comprehensive diagnostic and referral services for persons with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia; the map's note states "County coloring represents area served by the corresponding Memory Disorder Clinic"; Sumter County is shaded as service area 5, along with Lake, Hernando, Orange, Seminole and Polk, which is served by the Orlando Health Neuroscience Institute's Center for Aging and Memory Disorder Clinic, 76 W. Underwood St. 2nd Floor, Orlando, FL 32806, (321) 841-2800 and the AdventHealth Memory Disorder Clinic, 265 E. Rollins Street, 6th Floor, Orlando, FL 32803, (407) 392-9237; Marion and Citrus counties are shaded as service area 4, served by the University of Florida Memory Disorder Clinic, 3009 SW Williston Rd., Gainesville, FL 32608, (352) 294-5400: https://elderaffairs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-MDC-Map.pdf . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida SHINE, Counseling Sites, Sumter County: Chula Vista Recreation Center, 1011 Rio Grande Avenue, The Villages, "1st & 3rd Friday of each month," 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Eisenhower Recreation Center, 3560 Buena Vista Blvd., The Villages, "1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month," 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Ezell Recreation Center, 769 Marilee Place, The Villages, "1st & 3rd Tuesday of each month," 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Lake Miona Recreation Center, 1526 Buena Vista Blvd. (Defender Room), The Villages, "2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month," 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM; Lady Lake Public Library, 225 W Guava Street, Lady Lake, "2nd & 4th Wednesday of each month," 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; all listed with 1-800-96-ELDER or 1-800-262-2243: http://floridashine.org/Counseling-Sites/Sumter.aspx . Two of those listings carry a schedule note ending "through October 14th," which is why this article tells readers to call and confirm the current calendar. Verified August 20, 2026.
• Community Legal Services (formerly Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida): Helpline (800) 405-1417, hours Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; offices nearest Sumter County are Tavares, 226 W. Main Street, Tavares, FL 32778, (352) 343-0815; Inverness, 106 N. Osceola Avenue, Inverness, FL 34450, (352) 726-8512; Ocala, 1610 S.E. 36th Avenue, Ocala, FL 34471, (352) 629-0105; and Spring Hill, 463 Mariner Boulevard, Spring Hill, FL 34609, (407) 841-7777: https://www.legalaccessforall.org/contact-us/ . Elder Options lists Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida, Inc. among the provider agencies for its sixteen-county planning and service area, which includes Sumter County: https://agingresources.org/providers-and-partners/ . This article routes readers to the helpline rather than naming a single office, because intake determines which office handles a case. Verified August 20, 2026.
• Bay Area Legal Services and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Florida Senior Legal Helpline: 1-888-895-7873, hours "9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays)," for Florida residents "60 years and older," covering consumer issues, housing, family law, probate, advance directives, Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security and SSI, elder abuse and relative caregiver matters, and excluding "criminal, traffic, or personal injury issues"; "PROVIDED BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF ELDER AFFAIRS AND BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES, INC.": https://elderaffairs.org/programs-and-services/florida-senior-legal-helpline/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, toll-free 1-888-831-0404: the program works "to improve the quality of life for all Florida long-term care residents by advocating for and protecting their health, safety, welfare and rights," serving residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family care homes and continuing care retirement communities, and residents have the right to "have access to the ombudsmen and other advocacy groups" without "restraint, interference, coercion, discrimination, or reprisal": https://elderaffairs.org/programs-and-services/long-term-care-ombudsman-program/ . Statewide Medicaid Managed Care Long-Term Care Program: eligibility is "Age 65 and over and eligible for Medicaid," "Age 18 and over and eligible for Medicaid by reason of a disability," plus a CARES determination of nursing home level of care meeting established clinical criteria; plans must cover a minimum of 27 services including skilled nursing, personal care, assisted living facility services, adult day care, hospice, therapy services and medical equipment, "based on medical necessity, or they must be necessary in order to delay or prevent nursing facility placement"; the page directs applicants to their local Aging and Disability Resource Center for waitlist information or to the statewide Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER: https://elderaffairs.org/programs-and-services/statewide-medicaid-managed-care-long-term-care-program/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Department of Children and Families: the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-962-2873 accepts reports of "known or suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment and reports of known or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult," 24 hours a day and 7 days a week: https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/abuse/abuse-hotline . Public assistance: "Florida uses one application for all assistance programs," covering SNAP, Temporary Cash Assistance, Medicaid and Refugee Assistance, through the MyACCESS portal at https://myaccess.myflfamilies.com, with the Office of Economic Self Sufficiency Customer Call Center at (850) 300-4323 and Florida Relay at 711 or TTY 1-800-955-8771: https://www.myflfamilies.com/services/public-assistance . Verified August 20, 2026.
• Feeding Florida, Florida Food Bank Counties and Map: the member food bank serving Sumter County is Feeding Tampa Bay, whose service area is listed as "Citrus County, Hardee County, Hernando County, Highlands County, Hillsborough County, Manatee County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, Polk County, Sumter County," at 3624 Causeway Blvd, Tampa, FL 33619: https://www.feedingflorida.org/our-network/florida-food-bank-counties-map/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties, Sumter County Food Pantry list (published October 2025): Caring Hands, 307 Hall St, Wildwood FL, 352.748.2553, "EVERY Tues -9:30am-2:30pm"; Salvation Army Bushnell, 352.568.2284; Wildwood Food Bank, 300 Mason St Wildwood FL, 352.748.1275, "Sumter Resident only, 1st & 3rd of every month 9am-12pm"; Cross Connection Food Outreach, 1451 CR West 476 Bushnell Fl, 352.793.2240; Wildwood Soup Kitchen, 203 Barwick St Wildwood FL, 352.299.6494; SvdP Our Mother of Mercy Food Pantry, 201 Barwick St Wildwood FL, 352.748.0778, "Every other Fri & Mon Only Sumter Resident"; Lake Panosoffkee UMC Food Pantry, 589 NCR 470 Lake Panasoffkee Fl: https://www.uwls.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sumter-County-Food-PANTRY-INFO.pdf . United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties main office 32644 Blossom Lane, Leesburg, FL 34788, (352) 787-7530, and its Sumter County resource page lists Sumter County Transit 352-568-6683, Sumter County Veterans Services 352-689-4400, Elder Options 800-262-2243, and the Florida Department of Health in Sumter County 352-569-3102: https://www.uwls.org/help-in-sumter-county-florida/ . Verified August 20, 2026.
• The Salvation Army, Sumter County FL Service Center, 100 E Dade Ave, Bushnell, phone +1 (352)568-2284: https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/fl/bushnell/e-dade-ave/ . Note: Sumter County's own rental assistance resources page and United Way's county listing give a different street address for the same phone number, which is why this article publishes the phone and tells readers to call before driving. Verified August 20, 2026.
• Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, Adult Day Care Center licensure: adult day care centers "provide programs and services for adults who need a protective setting during the day," with basic services that "include, but are not limited to: social activities, self-care training, nutritional meals, a place to rest, and respite care," and centers are "licensed and surveyed by the State of Florida": https://ahca.myflorida.com/health-quality-assurance/bureau-of-health-facility-regulation/assisted-living-unit/adult-day-care-center.html . Licensed centers are searchable by county through the FloridaHealthFinder facility locator: https://quality.healthfinder.fl.gov/Facility-Search/FacilityLocateSearch . Verified August 20, 2026.
• National anchor lines used in the "Start here" section, all of which work from anywhere: Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging connecting older adults and caregivers to local services: https://eldercare.acl.gov/ . Medicare 1-800-633-4227 (1-800-MEDICARE), TTY 1-877-486-2048, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: https://www.medicare.gov/talk-to-someone . Social Security 1-800-772-1213: https://www.ssa.gov/agency/contact/ . VA 1-800-827-1000, the VA benefits hotline: https://www.va.gov/resources/helpful-va-phone-numbers/ . Alzheimer's Association Helpline 800.272.3900, a free service available 24/7, 365 days a year offering information, local resources, crisis assistance and emotional support, with TRS access by dialing 711 and support in over 200 languages: https://www.alz.org/help-support/resources/helpline . National Elder Fraud Hotline 833-372-8311 (833-FRAUD-11), a free resource created by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, for reporting fraud targeting people age 60 and older: https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope . 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/ . Statewide Florida Elder Helpline 1-800-963-5337 (1-800-96-ELDER): https://elderaffairs.org/programs-and-services/elder-helpline/ . Verified August 20, 2026.

Verified August 20, 2026. Program names, phone numbers, income limits, and deadlines change. Confirm directly with each program before you rely on it.

Ryan Riggins, NC Real Estate License #361546, eXp Realty. Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. Not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. Programs and contacts change, confirm directly before relying on them.