Florida’s state veterans homes are an often-overlooked option for older veterans. Run by the state and supported by VA, they offer skilled nursing, memory care and assisted living.
Here’s a full list of the homes, who qualifies, how admission priority works and how VA support lowers costs.
What a state veterans home is
State veterans homes are owned and run by states, not by VA, but VA certifies and inspects them and pays a daily amount toward each eligible veteran’s care12. In Florida, the homes are operated by the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs (FDVA), and each is licensed by the state Agency for Health Care Administration3.
Florida runs nine homes: eight skilled nursing homes and one assisted living domiciliary3. A tenth, a 120-bed nursing home in Collier County, has been approved, with groundbreaking planned later in 20263. To compare other options, see VA long-term care.
Florida's state veterans homes
| Home | Location | Type | Memory care beds | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Veterans' Domiciliary Home | Lake City (Columbia County) | Assisted living, 150 beds | — | (386) 758-0600 |
| Emory L. Bennett | Daytona Beach (Volusia) | Nursing home, 120 beds | — | (386) 274-3460 |
| Baldomero Lopez | Land O' Lakes (Pasco) | Nursing home, 120 beds | 60 | (813) 558-5000 |
| Alexander "Sandy" Nininger | Pembroke Pines (Broward) | Nursing home, 120 beds | 60 | (954) 985-4824 |
| Clifford C. Sims | Panama City (Bay) | Nursing home, 120 beds | 60 | (850) 747-5401 |
| Douglas T. Jacobson | Port Charlotte (Charlotte) | Nursing home, 120 beds | 60 | (941) 613-0919 |
| Clyde E. Lassen | St. Augustine (St. Johns) | Nursing home, 120 beds | 60 | (904) 940-2193 |
| Ardie R. Copas | Port St. Lucie (St. Lucie) | Nursing home, 120 beds | 60 | (772) 241-6132 |
| Alwyn C. Cashe | Orlando (Orange) | Nursing home, 112 beds | 32 | (407) 741-4614 |
— means FDVA doesn't list a memory care unit.
Source: Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, State Veterans’ Homes Program3.
Most of the homes have 120 beds. Seven of the eight nursing homes include a secured memory care section, helpful for veterans living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias3; see memory care and Aid and Attendance in Florida.
Who can live in a Florida state veterans home
Admission rules are set by Florida law and FDVA43:
- Veteran status. FDVA requires an honorable discharge3.
- Florida residency. The applicant must be a Florida resident at the time of application. Florida dropped its former one-year residency requirement in 2014; there's a waiver for veterans displaced by certain disasters4.
- Medical need. A VA physician must certify the need for nursing home care, and VA must approve the veteran for care43.
- Financial aid applications. Applicants must apply for all governmental financial help they may qualify for, such as VA pension or Medicaid4.
Spouses and surviving spouses may be admitted on a space-available basis34. The domiciliary home in Lake City has its own eligibility rules in a separate section of Florida law5.
Who gets priority when beds are full
When there’s a waiting list, Florida law ranks applicants in this order4:
- First, Florida resident veterans.
- Within that group, veterans with service-connected disabilities come first, then those without service-connected disabilities who can't pay for care.
- Then, spouses and surviving spouses.
What it costs
FDVA doesn’t publish one statewide price, and we don’t quote any home’s rates. What we can explain is how VA support lowers the bill:
- VA per diem. For fiscal year 2027 (October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027), VA pays the home up to $153.47 a day for each eligible veteran in nursing home care and $66.24 a day in domiciliary care, but never more than half the cost of care26.
- Full payment for some veterans. For a veteran with a 70% or higher service-connected rating, or a total rating based on unemployability, who needs nursing home care, VA pays the home's full prevailing rate under contract7.
- Pension and Medicaid. Many residents use VA pension with Aid and Attendance or Florida Medicaid for their share4. A Medicaid resident in a state veterans home keeps the $90 VA pension and Florida's $160 personal needs allowance8.
Ask each home’s admissions office for a written estimate. For context, Florida Medicaid’s average private-pay nursing home rate is $10,645 a month9.
How to apply
- Enroll in VA health care. VA approval is part of admission10.
- Call the home you prefer. Admissions staff send the application packet and explain the medical forms3.
- Gather documents. DD214, proof of Florida residency, income and insurance information, and medical records.
- Apply for financial help. File for VA pension, Aid and Attendance or Medicaid as needed; Florida law requires it4.
- Ask for free help. County veteran service officers and FDVA service officers can help with VA paperwork; Florida Veterans Support Line 1-844-693-58381112.
If there's a waitlist
Enrolled veterans can ask a VA social worker about Community Living Centers at Florida’s VA medical centers and community nursing homes that contract with VA1415. Families can also browse Florida nursing homes and Florida assisted living, and use Aid and Attendance toward private care: see Aid and Attendance for Florida nursing homes. For all state programs, read VA senior care benefits in Florida.