Home Health Care in Manatee County, FL

Manatee County runs from the beaches of Anna Maria Island to quiet rural roads in the east. In between are Bradenton and Palmetto on the Manatee River, fast-growing Parrish and Ellenton to the north, and the planned villages of Lakewood Ranch. Our nurses and therapists travel down from Tampa on I-275 and I-75 to reach homes across the county.

What is home health care across Manatee County?

Home health care is skilled care from licensed nurses and therapists, delivered in your home for a limited time under your doctor’s orders. It is built for recovery and for managing illness safely, not for round-the-clock supervision. Your clinicians report to your doctor and adjust the plan as you improve.

Manatee County patients often need:

• Home IV therapy: IV antibiotics, IV fluids and injections, plus PICC line flushing, dressing changes and site checks. We do not insert PICC lines; your hospital or infusion team places them and our nurses care for them at home. The medicine is supplied by an infusion pharmacy your doctor or hospital arranges, not by us.
• Wound care and ostomy care after surgery or for wounds that are slow to close.
• Catheter care, with catheter changes or removal only when your doctor orders them.
• Occupational therapy to make showering, dressing and moving around the kitchen safer.

For emergencies, call 911.

Who qualifies for home health care in Manatee County?

Here is what Medicare asks for, in short:

• Orders: your physician, or a nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist or physician assistant, certifies the need for home health and checks the plan of care.
• Skilled care: part-time or intermittent nursing, physical or speech-language therapy, or a continuing need for occupational therapy.
• Homebound: it takes considerable and taxing effort for you to leave the house, though a short, rare outing for a medical visit, worship or adult day care is fine.
• Face-to-face visit: your provider saw you about the condition behind your home care, between 90 days before and 30 days after the start of care.

Medicare coverage in Manatee County

If you meet those rules and choose a Medicare-certified agency, Medicare can pay for intermittent nursing and therapy, plus medical social work and home health aide visits. It won’t pay for 24-hour care, meals, or housekeeping and personal care if those are the only things you need.

We accept Traditional Medicare, plus long-term care plans and private pay. Medicare Advantage coverage and our participation depend on your specific plan, so we verify both before care starts. Call (813) 931-0015 to verify your coverage. See our insurance page for more information. We confirm your benefits and explain any costs to you before care starts.

How to start home health care in Manatee County

Referrals usually come from a physician or a hospital discharge planner, who sends your orders to Making Memories Home Health. You are also welcome to call (813) 931-0015 first, and we will get in touch with your doctor. Case managers and doctors’ offices can submit a referral through our site or fax it to (813) 931-0017.

If you are in the hospital or a rehab facility, ask for the referral before your discharge date. We review your orders and medicines, verify coverage and call you to schedule the first visit.

Growing north county and rural east county

North of the Manatee River, Parrish and Ellenton are growing quickly, with many newer homes. If a parent has moved in with you, home health can help the whole household: our nurses teach family caregivers how to manage medicines, wounds or a catheter, and our therapists show the safest way to help with transfers.

East of Lakewood Ranch, the county gets rural around Myakka City. Some homes sit at the end of long driveways or behind gates. Clear directions and a phone that is charged and nearby help your visit start on time.

Areas we serve in Manatee County

We visit homes in:

• Bradenton, from downtown to Palma Sola and Cortez. See our Bradenton page.
• Palmetto, Ellenton, Parrish and Terra Ceia north of the river, along US 41, US 301 and I-75.
• Anna Maria Island, including Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and Bradenton Beach.
• The Manatee County part of Lakewood Ranch, along State Road 70 and State Road 64. See our Lakewood Ranch page.
• Myakka City and the rural east.

We coordinate with discharge planners at hospitals such as HCA Florida Blake Hospital, Manatee Memorial Hospital and Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. Some residents come home from Tampa hospitals after surgery or specialty care, and we can start care in either case.