Benefits · Nutrition

How to apply for ElderCare of Alachua County — Meals on Wheels + 5 Congregate Sites (Shands HealthCare program)

ElderCare of Alachua County — operated under the Shands HealthCare / UF Health umbrella; contracted local AAA delivery partner under Elder Options (Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging, PSA 3) for OAA Title III nutrition in Alachua County; distinctive STRUCTURAL FEATURE: the AAA delivery partner is a hospital-system-operated program rather than a standalone Council on Aging nonprofit

Who it's for

ElderCare of Alachua County is a STRUCTURALLY DISTINCTIVE AAA delivery partner — it operates under the Shands HealthCare / UF Health umbrella rather than as a standalone Council on Aging 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This integration between the academic medical center and the local AAA delivery partner is uncommon in the FL catalog — most peer FL counties have independent Council on Aging organizations contracted by the regional AAA. ElderCare of Alachua County serves as the contracted local AAA delivery partner under Elder Options (Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging, PSA 3) for OAA Title III nutrition. Services include: (1) Meals on Wheels — home-delivered hot meals for homebound seniors age 60+; (2) Congregate Meals — hot lunches at FIVE congregate meal sites distributed across Alachua County; (3) RTS Plus — a specialized senior-rider service in partnership with the Regional Transit System (RTS) providing supplemental transportation; (4) Comprehensive senior services including case management coordinated with UF Health's broader patient care infrastructure. The hospital-system-operated model means seniors discharged from UF Health Shands can be referred directly to ElderCare for follow-up nutrition and care coordination — a meaningful continuity-of-care advantage. Eligibility for the senior pathway is age 60+ and Alachua County residency. Apply via Elder Options' helpline 1-800-262-2243 (the statewide PSA 3 helpline) or directly to ElderCare of Alachua County.

ElderCare of Alachua County's integration with UF Health is genuinely distinctive — seniors discharged from UF Health Shands can be referred directly to ElderCare for post-discharge nutrition and care coordination. This continuity-of-care model is operationally uncommon in peer FL counties where the AAA delivery partner is structurally separate from the hospital system. Five geographically-distributed congregate meal sites provide meaningful coverage across Alachua County — for seniors in High Springs, Newberry, Hawthorne, Waldo, or other rural areas, coordinate RTS Plus transportation or MV Transportation paratransit. Home-delivered Meals on Wheels requires homebound status documented through case manager assessment. The Elder Options helpline (1-800-262-2243) routes to the local ElderCare program for Alachua residents.

What you'll need

Proof of age 60+ (Florida driver's license, Florida ID, or birth certificate)
Proof of Alachua County residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
For home-delivered Meals on Wheels: documentation of homebound status (illness, disability, or isolation)
For congregate meals at one of 5 ElderCare meal sites: ambulatory mobility to attend
For RTS Plus transportation: registration with the program

Where to apply

Apply online: official application

By phone: 1-800-262-2243

Renewals

annual reassessment by ElderCare case manager; meals continue without interruption pending recertification

Official source →Last verified · June 3, 2026

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Not legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.