Stroke Recovery Care in Freeport, FL: Help at Home

Local figures

Stroke Recovery Support in Freeport, FL: the local picture

15 mi

to the nearest hospital with an emergency department (Miramar Beach)

19%

of residents 65+ have serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs (17% in Walton County)

4.5%

of residents 65+ have difficulty dressing or bathing (4.6% in Walton County)

11

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

Hospitals with an emergency department near Freeport: Sacred Heart Hospital On The Emerald Coast in Miramar Beach (15 mi); North Walton Doctors Hospital in Defuniak Springs (15 mi); HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital in Niceville (21 mi). With stroke signs, call 911 rather than driving.

37 Freeport residents 65 or older have difficulty dressing or bathing (4.5%; 4.6% in Walton County), and 153 have serious difficulty walking: the two kinds of help most often needed in the weeks after a stroke.

Freeport compared with Walton County and Florida

Census figure	Freeport	Walton County	Florida
Residents 65+ with difficulty dressing or bathing	4.5%	4.6%	6.4%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty walking	19%	17%	20%
Residents 65+ with serious difficulty remembering	13%	8.2%	7.6%
Residents 65 or older	12%	20%	21%
Residents 65+ in households who live alone	23%	23%	25%
Households with no vehicle	1.9%	3.5%	6.0%
Median income, households headed by someone 65+	$78,417	$67,531	—

Older residents in towns around Freeport

Town	Distance	Residents 65+	Self-care difficulty (65+)
DeFuniak Springs, FL	14 mi	1,057	9.7%
Miramar Beach, FL	15 mi	3,412	6.5%
Laguna Beach, FL	20 mi	1,274	4.6%
Niceville, FL	21 mi	3,016	5.2%
Destin, FL	21 mi	2,572	3.3%
Valparaiso, FL	23 mi	698	13%

Hospitals near Freeport

Hospital with an emergency department	Town	Distance	CMS overall rating	Phone
Sacred Heart Hospital On The Emerald Coast	Miramar Beach, FL	15 mi	3 of 5	(850) 278-3600
North Walton Doctors Hospital	Defuniak Springs, FL	15 mi	not rated	(850) 920-2065
HCA Florida Twin Cities Hospital	Niceville, FL	21 mi	5 of 5	(850) 678-4131
North Okaloosa Medical Center	Crestview, FL	28 mi	3 of 5	(850) 689-8100

Home health agencies serving Freeport

Agency	Office	Distance	CMS quality stars	Services listed	Phone
Centerwell Home Health	Shalimar, FL	27 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(850) 862-3240
Stat Home Health Florida Panhandle LLC	Pensacola, FL	65 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(850) 857-1889
Peoples Home Health LLC	Pensacola, FL	65 mi	4.5 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(850) 696-0911
Angels Care Home Health Of The Emerald Coast	Fort Walton Beach, FL	30 mi	4 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical social work	(850) 862-5424
Tender Touch Health Care Services	Panama City, FL	35 mi	4 of 5	nursing, physical therapy, speech therapy, medical social work, home health aides	(850) 913-1500

Straight-line miles from the center of Freeport. 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 Freeport

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 22% of the $6,535 monthly median income of Freeport 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 Freeport: common questions

How much does stroke recovery support cost in Freeport?

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 22% of the $6,535 monthly median income of Freeport 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 Freeport

More senior care near Freeport

Stroke Recovery Support in nearby cities

Other care in Freeport

More for Freeport 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 Freeport, FL