Stroke Recovery Care in Fort Meade, FL: Help at Home

Local figures

Stroke Recovery Support in Fort Meade, FL: the local picture

9.0 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Bartow)

32%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (21% in Polk County)

5.5%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (6.5% in Polk County)

27

Medicare-certified home health agencies list Fort Meade ZIP codes in their service area

Hospitals with an emergency department near Fort Meade: Bartow Regional Medical Center in Bartow (9.0 mi); Adventhealth Wauchula in Wauchula (15 mi); Adventhealth Lake Wales in Lake Wales (16 mi). With stroke signs, call 911 rather than driving.

71 Fort Meade residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (5.5%; 6.5% in Polk County), and 412 have serious difficulty walking: the two kinds of help most often needed in the weeks after a stroke.

Fort Meade compared with Polk County and Florida

Census figure	Fort Meade	Polk County	Florida
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	5.5%	6.5%	6.4%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	32%	21%	20%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	4.3%	6.9%	7.6%
Residents 65 or older	25%	20%	21%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	35%	24%	25%
Households with no vehicle	14%	5.4%	6.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$32,736	$50,939	—

Older residents in towns around Fort Meade

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
Bartow, FL	8.4 mi	3,376	5.6%
Alturas, FL	9.2 mi	851	3.5%
Crooked Lake Park, FL	14 mi	352	6.8%
Wahneta, FL	14 mi	384	6.0%
Highland City, FL	14 mi	1,941	7.9%
Eagle Lake, FL	15 mi	217	6.0%

Hospitals near Fort Meade

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Bartow Regional Medical Center	Bartow, FL	9.0 mi	3 of 5	(863) 533-8111
Adventhealth Wauchula	Wauchula, FL	15 mi	not rated	(863) 773-3101
Adventhealth Lake Wales	Lake Wales, FL	16 mi	2 of 5	(863) 676-1433
Winter Haven Hospital	Winter Haven, FL	20 mi	3 of 5	(863) 293-1121

Home health agencies serving Fort Meade

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Centerwell Home Health	Lakeland, FL	15 mi	5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(863) 648-9118
Medical Services Of America Home Health	Tampa, FL	37 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(813) 626-9888
Origin Home Health Care	Apollo Beach, FL	37 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, home health aides	(813) 641-0500
Trilogy Home Healthcare	Tampa, FL	40 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(813) 963-1200
Aveanna Home Health	Bradenton, FL	48 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	—

Straight-line miles from the center of Fort Meade. Medicare (CMS) data, October 2026; call ahead to confirm. We are not affiliated with these providers.

What it covers

What a caregiver for stroke recovery can help with

Help with bathing, dressing and meals
Safe walking and transfers
Rides to rehabilitation and follow-up appointments
Practising the exercises therapists set

Cost

What stroke recovery support costs in Fort Meade

At the Florida median aide wage of $16.25 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,408 a month in wages, which is 52% of the $2,728 monthly median income of Fort Meade households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

Hiring directly, you agree the rate with the caregiver and usually become the household employer (U.S. Department of Labor rules). Some families qualify for programs that pay for care at home; see How to get paid to take care of a family member in Florida: SMMC LTC and the PDO.

Before you hire

What to know before hiring a caregiver for stroke recovery

More than 795,000 people in the U.S. have a stroke every year, about 610,000 of them for the first time (CDC). Many go home to recover.

Questions worth asking: Have you cared for someone after a stroke? How do you help with one-sided weakness during transfers? Can you drive to rehabilitation appointments? More in our stroke recovery support guide.

CaregiverConnect does not run background checks. Check identity, references and any certification yourself before anyone starts. The Safety Center explains how.

Questions

Stroke Recovery Support in Fort Meade: common questions

How much does stroke recovery support cost in Fort Meade?

At the Florida median aide wage of $16.25 an hour, 20 hours of help a week comes to about $1,408 a month in wages, which is 52% of the $2,728 monthly median income of Fort Meade households headed by someone 65 or older. Private rates are agreed directly with the caregiver, so yours may be higher or lower. Florida's minimum wage rose to $15.00 an hour on September 30, 2026, under Article X, Section 24 of the Florida Constitution.

What does a caregiver do after a stroke?

Helps with personal care, meals and moving safely, takes the person to therapy, helps them practise what therapists set, and keeps the family informed. Medical and therapy decisions stay with the care team.

More near Fort Meade

More senior care near Fort Meade

Stroke Recovery Support in nearby cities

Other care in Fort Meade

More for Fort Meade families

Sources

Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year; CMS provider data (October 25, 2026); U.S. DOL state minimum wages (July 1, 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025 aide wages, which cover employed aides rather than private rates.

Stroke Recovery Support at Home in Fort Meade, FL