The short version:
- One free call opens most local help: the Elder Helpline for Hernando County is 1-800-262-2243 (run by Elder Options, the regional aging office).
- You Thrive Florida (once known as Mid Florida Community Services) runs the local senior meals, both delivered and at community meal sites.
- Hernando has three hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms, and a county bus with a reduced senior fare.
- For the how-to guides on care, home safety, paying, and downsizing, use the links further down. They list local providers and costs.
- Elder Helpline: 1-800-262-2243
- Agency: Elder Options (agingresources.org)
- Statewide: Florida Department of Elder Affairs, elderaffairs.org, 850-414-2000
Common questions on this page
Start here: one call that opens the door
Start with this call. Elder Options runs the Elder Helpline for Hernando, and one call gets your parent screened at no cost, then routed to meals, in-home help, respite, or programs that help with the bills. No Medicaid required, and no income test just to ask.
Elder Helpline (Hernando County)
Free screening and referrals for anyone 60+. Run by Elder Options, the regional Area Agency on Aging.
You Thrive Florida -- Senior Services
The local nonprofit that runs senior meals and in-home help (homemaker, respite, telephone check-ins) for Hernando residents 60+.
Senior meals and community centers
You Thrive Florida, the county's longtime senior-services nonprofit, both delivers meals to homebound Hernando residents and serves a hot lunch at sites in Brooksville, Spring Hill, and Masaryktown. Meals are for anyone 60 and up. Call to enroll or to find the nearest site.
Brooksville Enrichment Center
Community meal site. 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd., Brooksville.
Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Community meal site. 6193 Spring Hill Drive, Spring Hill.
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Community meal site. 1214 Broad St., Masaryktown.
Meals delivered to the home
Home-delivered meals for homebound residents 60+, through You Thrive Florida. Ask about the wait and how to apply.
Hospitals
Hernando County has three hospitals, all with 24-hour emergency rooms (the ER, where you go for a serious injury or sudden illness).
HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital
Acute-care hospital, 24/7 ER. 11375 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville.
TGH Brooksville
Acute-care hospital with an ER and stroke center. 17240 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. (Formerly Bravera Health Brooksville; part of Tampa General since December 2023.)
TGH Spring Hill
Acute-care hospital with an ER and stroke center. 10461 Quality Dr., Spring Hill. (Formerly Bravera Health Spring Hill.)
Rides and transportation
Given up the car keys, or thinking about it? Hernando runs a county bus with a senior discount, plus door-to-door van rides for people who can't manage the fixed routes.
Hernando County TheBus
County public bus with fixed routes and door-to-door paratransit. Seniors 65+ and Medicare card holders can get a free Reduced Fare photo ID.
Veterans shuttle & services
Hernando County Veteran Services helps with benefits, and a shuttle runs from Brooksville to the Tampa VA hospital. 621 W. Jefferson St., Brooksville.
Guides with local providers and costs
Each guide below covers the how-to and the costs, with real Nature Coast providers we've confirmed, so you're not starting from a blank search.
Care at home
Aides, therapy, meals, and rides at home.
Make the home safe
Grab bars, walk-in showers, ramps, stair lifts.
How to pay for care
Medicare, Medicaid, and help sorted by income.
Downsize or clear a home
Estate sales, cleanouts, and moving on.
For family caregivers
Find help, get a break, and get paid where you can.
The Elder Helpline & OAA
Help you can get without qualifying for Medicaid.
Things to do outside in Hernando County
Hernando is home to Weeki Wachee's famous springs, a stretch of quiet Gulf coast, and calm rivers made for easy paddling.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Home of the famous underwater mermaid show, plus kayak and paddleboard trips down the clear, spring-fed Weeki Wachee River (Florida State Parks).
Pine Island & Bayport parks. Alfred McKethan Pine Island Park is a small Gulf-front beach with a swim area, and nearby Bayport Park has a fishing pier and boat ramps for calm-water fishing (Hernando County Parks).
Chassahowitzka refuge. On the northern edge of the county, paddle clear spring runs and watch wildlife from the Salt Marsh Trails observation tower (Chassahowitzka NWR).
Scalloping in summer. Wade or snorkel for bay scallops off Hernando Beach. The 2026 season for the Citrus-Hernando zone runs July 1 through September 24; a Florida saltwater fishing license is required -- check MyFWC.com.
Photos: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, public domain.
Common questions
- What is the Elder Helpline number for Hernando County?
- 1-800-262-2243. It's run by Elder Options, the regional Area Agency on Aging that serves Hernando County. The call is free, and it screens anyone 60 and older for meals, in-home help, respite, and programs that help pay, with no income test to call.
- How do I get Meals on Wheels in Hernando County?
- Senior meals in Hernando are run by You Thrive Florida (once known as Mid Florida Community Services). Call (352) 796-1426 to ask about home-delivered meals or a community meal site near you. Meals are for residents 60 and older.
- What hospitals are in Hernando County?
- Three: HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville, TGH Brooksville (formerly Bravera Health Brooksville), and TGH Spring Hill (formerly Bravera Health Spring Hill). All have 24-hour emergency rooms.
- Is there senior transportation in Hernando County?
- Yes. Hernando County TheBus runs fixed routes plus door-to-door paratransit, and seniors 65 and older can get a free reduced-fare photo ID. Call (352) 754-4444. There's also a veterans shuttle to the Tampa VA hospital.
Sources
- Elder Options (Mid-Florida Area Agency on Aging) -- Elder Helpline & counties served. https://agingresources.org/
- You Thrive Florida -- Hernando County meal sites & senior services. https://youthrivefl.org/location/hernando-county/
- Hernando County Veteran Services. https://www.hernandocounty.us/living-here/veteran-services/
- Hernando County TheBus -- transit programs. https://www.hernandocounty.us/living-here/transit-thebus/transit-programs/
- HCA Florida Oak Hill Hospital. https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/locations/oak-hill-hospital
- Tampa General Hospital -- TGH Brooksville & TGH Spring Hill (Dec. 2023 acquisition). https://www.tghnorth.org/
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts -- Hernando County, FL (age 65+). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/hernandocountyflorida