Benefits · Elder Services
How to apply for Council on Aging of West Florida — Adult Day Health Care + Respite + Case Management (Santa Rosa County)
Council on Aging of West Florida, Inc. (COAWFL) — 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties since 1972; licensed Adult Day Health Care + respite care + case management for Santa Rosa County residents; main office at 875 Royce Street, Pensacola FL serving both counties
Who it's for
Beyond Meals on Wheels and senior dining sites, COAWFL operates substantial caregiver-respite and care-coordination services for Santa Rosa County: (1) Adult Day Health Care — licensed structured day-program providing supervision, meals, activities, personal care, and medical monitoring with licensed nursing supervision on-site (the 'Health Care' designation distinguishes ADHC from social-model Adult Day Care). (2) Respite Care — both in-home and facility-based respite to give family caregivers planned breaks, hours to days at a time. (3) Case Management — a COAWFL care coordinator helps Santa Rosa families assemble a care plan spanning meals, transportation, ADHC, respite, and medical referrals; the case manager can coordinate across both Escambia AND Santa Rosa for clients who use services in both counties. (4) Transportation Referral — linking seniors to Tri-County Community Council paratransit (fl.santa_rosa.santa_rosa_transit) and other community transit. COAWFL also operates Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP volunteer programs serving Santa Rosa. Sponsorship is a mix of Florida CCE, HCE, ADI, and private-pay. Eligibility is age 60+ and Santa Rosa County residency; ADHC additionally requires physician referral or COAWFL case manager assessment. Apply by calling COAWFL at 850-432-1475.
COAWFL's Adult Day Health Care and Respite services in Santa Rosa County are delivered from COAWFL facilities; Santa Rosa residents in Milton, Pace, Navarre, and Gulf Breeze may face longer travel times to reach the COAWFL Pensacola ADHC site compared to Escambia residents. The 'Health Care' designation in ADHC means licensed nursing supervision is on-site — appropriate for seniors with significant medical complexity (dialysis, complex medication regimens, post-stroke recovery, post-surgical needs, advanced dementia). Sponsorship-funded slots typically have 1-3 month waitlists; private-pay is faster but at full cost. The cross-county COAWFL case management is genuinely distinctive — a Santa Rosa family with a senior who later transitions to assisted living in Pensacola can keep the same COAWFL case manager during the move. The Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs pay small stipends (~$3-4/hour) that don't affect Social Security and may interest active Santa Rosa seniors seeking modest supplemental engagement.
What you'll need
- Proof of age 60+ (Florida driver's license, Florida ID, or birth certificate)
- Proof of Santa Rosa County residency (utility bill, lease, or government correspondence)
- For Adult Day Health Care: physician referral documenting functional/medical need + caregiver presence in household
- For Respite Care: COAWFL case manager assessment of caregiver burden + senior care needs
- For ADI program inclusion: documented cognitive impairment diagnosis or screening result (MoCA, MMSE, or similar)
- For sponsorship determination (CCE/HCE/ADI): income documentation; private-pay does not require income docs
Where to apply
Apply online: official application
By phone: 850-432-1475
Renewals
annual reassessment by COAWFL case manager; ADHC enrollment is rolling
Not sure if you qualify? Run a free check first.
Find my benefitsNot legal or financial advice. The agency makes the final eligibility decision.