How to Put a Loved One on the Medicaid Waitlist

 Effective August 2013, the CARES department within the Department of Elder Affairs is no longer accepting referral calls to place a loved one on the long term care Medicaid programs for those at home or in an assisted living facility.

The procedure now requires you to contact your local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) to place the referral call. For Sarasota County, contact Senior Choices at 239-652-6900 or 800-963-5337. For Manatee County, contact 800-336-2226.

The Area Agency on Aging is taking approximately 3-5 weeks to respond to the referrals and conduct telephone interviews to assess the applicant. We offer our clients advice on this process to facilitate their obtaining a fair rating and scoring for the waitlist.

 If you need legal advice for estate planning, probate and trust administration, Medicaid planning, or VA benefits, please contact our office at (941) 906-1231 for an initial consultation.