Florida’s Community Care for the Elderly Act (CCE) is set to see a $1 million increase in state funding for its program, but it could only be enough to increase services to 200 of 26,000 people on CCE’s waiting list, according to state officials. 

The CCE program was started in 1973 and provides home care, legal assistance, adult day care, and other community-based services to Florida seniors aged 60 and older who need a more cost-effective program of care, and desire to remain in their own homes. 

Overall funding for CCE has seen a decrease since 2001 when state funds were at  $48.2 million. The state’s spending on Medicaid’s Aged and Disabled Waiver, however, received a near-$20 million increase between 2010 and 2011, leaving seniors who cannot afford health care, but whose income is too high to qualify for Medicaid, in the dust. 

With the increased funding, CCE will receive a total of $41.5 million from the state in the next fiscal, and funds are expected to be directed toward seniors who need the most immediate home care services. 

Florida’s planning and service area (PSA) 11, which encompasses Monroe and Dade Counties will receive the largest portion of the increased funding at a total of $357,935. 

Written by Erin Hegarty