Union County Senior Services & Resources
Small rural county with state prison and natural areas. If you or a family member in Union County needs help at home, meals, caregiver support or help with Medicare, these are the people to call.
Start Here: Your Aging and Disability Resource Center
Every Florida county is served by an Area Agency on Aging that also works as an Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC). For Union County, that is Elder Options, which serves Planning and Service Area 3. Call it to be screened for in-home services, home-delivered meals, caregiver support and the Medicaid long-term care waitlist, or to find local programs.
You can also reach it through the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-96-ELDER (1-800-963-5337), which routes calls by county. (Source: Florida Department of Elder Affairs.)
Local Senior Services Provider in Union County
Florida's Community Care for the Elderly (CCE) program pays for help at home for people 60 and older, such as case management, homemaking, personal care, respite and meals. In Union County, the program is run by:
Most services start with a screening through the ADRC above, and there may be a waitlist. (Source: Elder Affairs list of CCE lead agencies, updated April 2024.)
Medicaid, PACE and Guardianship in Union County
- Medicaid managed care: Union County is in Medicaid Region B. Plans that include long-term care here: Florida Community Care, Humana, Simply, Sunshine, UnitedHealthcare. See Florida Medicaid managed care. (Source: AHCA.)
- PACE: no PACE program was operating in Union County as of AHCA's August 2026 report. See PACE in Florida for programs coming soon. (Source: AHCA.)
- CARES assessment: the Alachua CARES office, (386) 418-6430, decides whether someone needs nursing-home level care for Medicaid long-term care or PACE. See the CARES assessment. (Source: Elder Affairs.)
- Public guardian: Eighth Circuit Public Guardian, 386-438-8236, serves people who cannot afford a private guardian. See public guardianship in Florida. (Source: Elder Affairs.)
Complaints and Legal Help in Union County
- Long-Term Care Ombudsman, North Central district: (352) 620-3088. Free, confidential help for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. See the Ombudsman Program. (Source: Elder Affairs.)
- Local legal aid for people 60 and older: Three Rivers Legal Services, 1-866-256-8091. See free legal help for seniors. (Source: Elder Affairs.)
Food Help for Seniors in Union County
- Meals: home-delivered and group meals for people 60 and older are arranged through the resource center above.
- SNAP: see Florida SNAP for seniors for income limits and how to apply.
- Senior food boxes (CSFP): Farm Share, (904) 328-6158, gives a free monthly box of food to people 60 and older with limited income in Union County. (Source: FDACS.)
Statewide Help Lines for Union County Residents
- Free Medicare counseling (SHINE): 1-800-963-5337. Trained volunteers who do not sell plans. FloridaSHINE.org
- Florida Abuse Hotline: 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873) to report abuse, neglect or exploitation of an older adult.
- Florida Senior Legal Helpline: 1-888-895-7873 for free legal advice for people 60 and older.
- 211: dial 2-1-1 for food, rent, utility and other local help.
- Special Needs Registry: if you would need help evacuating during a hurricane, sign up with Union County emergency management through the Florida Special Needs Registry.
Guides for Union County Seniors and Families
- In-home care for seniors in Florida: costs, types of care and help paying
- Florida senior assistance programs for food, housing, health and transportation
- Senior citizen benefits in Florida and how to apply
- Subsidized senior housing: Section 202, vouchers and how to apply
- Transportation for seniors, including Medicaid rides and paratransit
- Senior and disabled services in Florida: who to call and how to apply
- Florida Medicaid long-term care: 2026 limits and the waitlist
- Family caregiver support: respite and ways to get paid
- How to report elder abuse
- Medicare Open Enrollment 2027: October 15 to December 7
Questions About Senior Services in Union County
Who do I call for senior services in Union County?
Start with Elder Options, the Aging and Disability Resource Center for Union County, at 352-378-6649, or call the Florida Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337. They screen for in-home help, meals, caregiver support and Medicaid long-term care, and connect you to local providers.
Who provides in-home help for seniors in Union County?
The state's Community Care for the Elderly program in Union County is run locally by Suwannee River Economic Council (386-362-4115). Services such as case management, homemaking, personal care and home-delivered meals usually start with a screening through the Aging and Disability Resource Center.
Where can Union County seniors get free Medicare help?
Florida SHINE offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling from trained volunteers. Call 1-800-963-5337 to reach the SHINE program for Union County through your Aging and Disability Resource Center.