Sarasota Senior AdvisorBy Sarasota Senior Advisor Care Team · September 12, 2026
OIR's October 2025 map lists nine CCRCs in Sarasota and Manatee counties out of 74 statewide: six in Sarasota County and three in Manatee, one of them provisional and one in runoff. Their nursing units carry CMS ratings; the contracts carry Chapter 651 protections, including a 7-day right to cancel.
Why does Sarasota have so many life plan communities?
Sarasota County is one of the oldest counties in the country. In the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, 38.8% of its residents were 65 or older, and many arrived as healthy retirees, exactly the people continuing care retirement communities are built for. A life plan community sells a contract, usually for an entrance fee and a monthly fee, that covers independent living now and access to assisted living and nursing care later.
In Florida that contract is regulated by the Office of Insurance Regulation under Chapter 651, Florida Statutes, because it is in effect a promise to pay for future care. OIR issues certificates of authority, approves every contract form and watches the provider's finances. The care units on campus are separately licensed by AHCA.
Which communities are on the state's list?
OIR's October 2025 CCRC map lists these nine in Sarasota and Manatee counties. The licensed units column comes from AHCA's locator, matched by street address; the rating is CMS's overall rating for the campus nursing home, where one is certified.
| Community | City | OIR status | AHCA licenses at this address | CMS overall (nursing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Village of Bradenton | Bradenton | Certificate of authority | None at this address | — |
| Westminster Bradenton | Bradenton | Certificate of authority | ALF | — |
| Emerson Lakes | Lakewood Ranch | Provisional certificate of authority | None at this address | — |
| Bay Village of Sarasota | Sarasota | Certificate of authority | ALF, Home health, Nursing home | 5 of 5 |
| The Glenridge on Palmer Ranch | Sarasota | Certificate of authority | ALF, Nursing home | 5 of 5 |
| Lakehouse West | Sarasota | In runoff | ALF | — |
| Plymouth Harbor | Sarasota | Certificate of authority | ALF, Home health, Nursing home | 5 of 5 |
| Village on the Isle | Venice | Certificate of authority | None at this address | — |
| Convivial Jacaranda Trace | Venice | Certificate of authority | ALF | — |
Emerson Lakes in Lakewood Ranch holds a provisional certificate of authority, the stage at which a new community can take reservation deposits under escrow while it builds. Lakehouse West in Sarasota is marked as being in runoff, meaning it serves existing contract-holders but is not writing new continuing care contracts.
What does the CMS data show about their nursing units?
Several of the campus nursing homes carry CMS's top overall rating, and CMS flags them as located inside continuing care retirement communities. Those health centers often reserve beds for their own residents, which is part of what the entrance fee buys.
A five-star rating is a strong signal, but read the components: staffing hours, staff turnover and the latest inspection's deficiencies are all on our facility pages, compared with the two-county median.
What protections come with the contract?
Every Florida continuing care contract must be approved by OIR before use. A resident can rescind within 7 days of signing for a full refund. For contracts without an ownership interest, the standard refund after move-in keeps no more than 2 percent of the entrance fee per month of occupancy plus up to a 5 percent processing fee, with timing rules for when the money must be paid. Providers must hold quarterly meetings with residents on finances and maintain minimum liquid reserves.
What OIR does not do is set prices or rate the communities. Ask each one for its fee schedule, refund options and most recent annual report to OIR.
What should you ask a life plan community's sales office?
Ask for the contract types and refund plans in writing, with the entrance fee for the same apartment under each. Ask how much monthly fees rose in each of the past five years and what reasons the provider gave residents at the quarterly meetings the law requires. Ask whether residents have priority for assisted living and health center beds, and whether there is a waiting list for them now.
Ask for the provider's most recent annual report to OIR and its minimum liquid reserve calculation. Nonprofit and for-profit providers both file them. A community that hesitates to share them is telling you something.
How long are the waiting lists?
OIR does not publish waiting lists, and communities manage them differently: some take refundable deposits to hold a place, others keep an informal list. In a county where nearly two in five residents are 65 or older, the best-known campuses can have long waits for popular apartment types. Ask how long the wait is for the unit you want, what the deposit is, and under what conditions it is refunded.
Reservation deposits for a community still under development are held under escrow rules in Chapter 651, which is one reason provisional certificates matter.
Frequently asked questions
How many CCRCs are in Sarasota and Manatee?
Nine on OIR's October 2025 map: six in Sarasota County and three in Manatee County.
Who regulates life plan communities in Florida?
OIR for contracts and finances under Chapter 651, and AHCA for the licensed assisted living and nursing units.
Can I cancel a CCRC contract after signing?
Yes, within 7 days for a full refund under s. 651.055.
Is a CCRC entrance fee refundable?
Partly, depending on the contract; Florida sets a minimum pro-rated refund for contracts without an ownership interest, and many communities sell higher-refund plans.
Do all nine communities have nursing homes?
Not all have a licensed nursing home at the address on OIR's map; each profile on our site lists the AHCA licenses we matched to the campus.
