In-Home Dementia Care in Miami

Here is a practical map of dementia care in Miami: the county’s agencies and clinics, everyday realities, costs and ways to get a break.

Miami-Dade’s older adults, by the numbers

Miami-Dade is home to about 2.8 million people, and roughly 18% of them, about half a million residents, are 65 or older according to the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimates. That share is lower than Florida’s statewide figure of about 23%, but the raw number is larger than the entire population of many Florida counties.

The county also stands out for dementia risk. When the Alzheimer’s Association released the first county-level prevalence estimates in 2023, Miami-Dade came out on top nationally among large counties: an estimated 16.6% of residents 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s dementia. The Association linked higher county rates to an older population and larger shares of Black and Hispanic residents, groups that face higher risk. These are model-based estimates, not a head count, but they help explain why memory clinics here are busy.

Language matters too. About three in four Miami-Dade residents speak a language other than English at home (Census, 2020-2024), and more than half were born outside the U.S. Some bilingual people with dementia drift back toward their first language, so a parent who ran a business in English may now feel most at ease in Spanish or Haitian Creole.

Where Miami-Dade families get answers

Alliance for Aging: the county’s front door

The Alliance for Aging is the Area Agency on Aging and Aging and Disability Resource Center for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Call (305) 670-6500 or Florida’s Elder Helpline at 1-800-963-5337 to ask about screening for state programs, including Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative respite and caregiver support. Waitlists are common, so it is worth calling early even if you do not need help yet.

Three state-designated memory disorder clinics

Miami-Dade has three of Florida’s Memory Disorder Clinics, which the Department of Elder Affairs funds to diagnose memory problems, train caregivers and support research:

• University of Miami Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and Aging, (305) 355-9065
• Wien Center at Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, (305) 674-2543 ext. 55725
• The MIND Institute at Miami Jewish Health, (305) 514-8652

Your loved one’s primary care doctor can refer, and a clinic is a good next step when you want a clear diagnosis or a second opinion. Large systems such as Jackson Health System, Baptist Health South Florida, UHealth and Mount Sinai also see many patients with dementia, and veterans can use the Miami VA Healthcare System.

Alzheimer’s Association Southeast Florida Chapter

The chapter serves eight counties, including Miami-Dade, with education programs and support groups. Its free Helpline (800-272-3900) has care consultants and offers bilingual staff or a translation service covering more than 200 languages.

For adult day centers, use the Agency for Health Care Administration’s provider search to confirm a center is licensed, and ask whether it holds Florida’s specialized Alzheimer’s adult day designation. Our adult day vs. in-home respite comparison can help you decide which fits.

Local resources at a glance

Practical realities of caring for someone in Miami

Hurricanes. Miami-Dade runs its own Emergency and Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP) for residents who are homebound, have medical needs that make evacuating alone unsafe, or need help with daily living. You apply once, applications come in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole, and registration closes before an evacuation order, so do it before June. Look up your loved one’s evacuation zone with the state’s Know Your Zone tool, and read our hurricane guide for dementia caregivers.

Heat. People with dementia may not notice thirst or dress for the weather. A companion can keep water within reach, plan walks for early morning, and notice when a home’s air conditioning is set too high or switched off.

Distance and traffic. A drive from Kendall to Aventura on the Palmetto or I-95 can eat most of an afternoon. For adult children who work across the county, a midweek visit to check on Mom often isn’t realistic, which is where a consistent companion fills the gap.

Scams. People with memory loss are easy targets for phone and online fraud. See our guide to protecting a loved one from scams.

How families in Miami use Dementia Companions

• Working adult children. A set weekday schedule, such as three six-hour days, so a parent in Westchester or Miami Lakes isn’t alone while everyone is at work.
• Language and culture. Families tell us up front about language and routines that matter, then watch the caregiver video profiles to hear how each person speaks before choosing.
• Relatives abroad or up north. A brief note after every visit helps a son in New York or a daughter in Bogotá stay informed. See care for long-distance families.
• Spouse caregivers. A few hours of respite so a husband or wife can go to their own doctor, church or the gym.

Our rate is $35 an hour for 40+ hours a week in every Miami-Dade neighborhood, with no contracts. To see how that compares with other options here, read our Florida cost guide and ways to pay.

Paying for dementia care in Miami: sample schedules

Miami-Dade households vary widely, from a widow alone in a Brickell condo to three generations under one roof in Hialeah. These plans show common schedules. Our rate is $35/hour for 40+ hours a week; call us about shorter schedules.

CareScout’s 2025 survey gives useful benchmarks for Florida as a whole: about $73,216 a year for a non-medical caregiver at 44 hours a week, about $67,320 a year for assisted living, and about $19,500 a year for adult day health care. We are private-pay; some long-term-care insurance policies reimburse companion care, so check your loved one’s policy and our long-term care insurance guide.

Help lines and benefits counseling in Miami-Dade

The Alliance for Aging runs an Elder Helpline at (305) 670-4357 that can refer you to adult day care, meals, personal care, legal help and transportation, and it lists Alzheimer’s disease programs and caregiver support among its services. Its SHINE counselors, (305) 671-6356, give free help with Medicare questions.

That matters because Medicare’s GUIDE dementia model, launched in July 2024, lets participating providers offer care navigation, caregiver training and up to $2,500 a year in respite for eligible patients. Ask your loved one’s doctor or memory clinic whether they take part. For questions in Spanish, Creole or another language at any hour, the Alzheimer’s Association Helpline, 800-272-3900, uses bilingual staff or interpreters covering more than 200 languages.

Questions to ask before you hire help in Miami

1. Can we choose a caregiver who speaks Spanish, Creole or Portuguese, and hear them on video first?
2. Will the caregiver handle the condo front desk, valet and elevator fob?
3. How do you keep visits on time with Palmetto, Dolphin and US-1 traffic?
4. What does the caregiver do when an evacuation order is issued for our zone?
5. Can family abroad see the visit notes?

We match bilingual companions on request, arrange building access ahead of the first visit, screen every companion for dementia care experience, and send a note after each visit that you can share with relatives anywhere. See our Spanish-language page.

Neighborhoods and next reads

• Coral Gables
• Pinecrest
• Coconut Grove
• South Miami
• Miami Beach
• Aventura
• Doral
• Miami Gardens
• Miami Lakes
• Kendall
• En español: cuidado en casa en Miami
• Cost of dementia care in Florida
• Paying for dementia care
• In-home care vs. memory care
• Dementia respite care

Meet caregivers in Miami

Families watch video interviews like these and choose their companion. No one is sent to your parent's home until you have watched them and said yes.

Tamia, Miami11 minute interviewZion, Miami9 minute interviewKimberly, Miami10 minute interview

Watch all our caregiver interviews