The short version:
- One free call opens most local help: the Elder Helpline for Pasco County is 1-800-963-5337 (from outside the area, call 727-217-8111).
- The county runs five senior centers with a free weekday lunch, and delivers Meals on Wheels to homebound residents (there's often a wait).
- Pasco has hospitals on both the west and east sides, and county buses with door-to-door rides.
- 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: 1-800-963-5337 (local 727-217-8111)
- Agency: the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas (agingcarefl.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
If you only make one call, make it this one. The Elder Helpline screens your parent for free and points you to meals, in-home help, respite, and programs that help pay. You do not have to be on Medicaid, and there is no income test to call. Pasco is served by the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas.
Elder Helpline (Pasco County)
Free screening and referrals for anyone 60+. Run by the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas.
Pasco County Senior Services
The county office for senior programs, home-delivered meals, and help finding care, caregiver support, and financial or food help.
Senior centers and meals
Pasco County runs five senior centers, spread across the county so there's one on each side. Each serves a free hot lunch on weekdays for anyone 60 and older, no matter their income. For meals delivered to the home, call Senior Services at (727) 834-3340 (there is often a waiting list, so ask early).
West Pasco
Central & East Pasco
Meals delivered to the home
Free frozen weekly meals for homebound residents 60+, through Pasco County Senior Services. Ask about the wait and how to apply.
Hospitals
Pasco has hospitals on both sides of the county, all with 24-hour emergency rooms (the ER, where you go for a serious injury or sudden illness).
West Pasco
HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital
14000 Fivay Rd., Hudson. The area's only Level II trauma center, the top-level ER for serious injuries in the tri-county area.
HCA Florida Trinity Hospital
9330 State Road 54, Trinity. (Formerly Medical Center of Trinity.)
Trinity
Morton Plant North Bay Hospital
A BayCare community hospital. 6600 Madison St., New Port Richey.
East Pasco
AdventHealth (three east-Pasco hospitals)
Hospitals in Dade City (13100 Fort King Rd.), Zephyrhills (7050 Gall Blvd.), and Wesley Chapel (2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.).
Dade City · Zephyrhills · Wesley Chapel
See it on the map: Dade City ↗ · Zephyrhills ↗ · Wesley Chapel ↗
BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel
4501 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Wesley Chapel. Opened in 2023.
Wesley Chapel
Rides and transportation
If driving has become a worry, the county runs public buses across both sides, plus door-to-door rides for people who can't use the regular routes because of age, disability, or income.
GoPasco (public transportation)
County buses on fixed routes east and west, plus a door-to-door "Demand Response" service for qualified riders (you register in advance).
Pasco County Veterans Services
Help with benefits, with offices in Port Richey (727-834-3282), Land O' Lakes (813-929-2719), and Dade City (352-521-5172).
3 offices
See it on the map: Port Richey ↗ · Land O' Lakes ↗ · Dade City ↗
Guides with local providers and costs
These walk through the how-to and the money, and each lists real Nature Coast providers we've checked.
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 Pasco County
Pasco mixes Gulf-coast parks and beaches with big wilderness preserves and paved trails -- plenty to do at an easy pace.
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park (Port Richey). Pasco's only state park protects about four miles of Gulf coastline, with boardwalks, hiking, and a kayak launch (rentals on site) (Florida State Parks).
Robert K. Rees Memorial Park (Green Key Beach). A bayfront park with a beach, calm-water kayak access, a boardwalk, and an observation deck (Pasco County).
Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park. Thousands of acres with a 7.3-mile paved trail and an Audubon-designated birding route where 177 bird species have been recorded (SWFWMD).
Fishing and scalloping on the Gulf. Pasco's coast offers flats and pier fishing and, some summers, bay scalloping -- though in 2026 the Pasco scallop zone closed early over a natural algae bloom, so always check MyFWC.com first.
Photos: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, public domain.
Common questions
- What is the Elder Helpline number for Pasco County?
- 1-800-963-5337 (from outside the area, call 727-217-8111). Pasco is served by the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas. 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 Pasco County?
- Call Pasco County Senior Services at (727) 834-3340. They run home-delivered meals for homebound residents 60 and older, and can point you to a senior center for a free weekday lunch. There is often a waiting list for delivered meals, so ask early.
- What hospitals are in Pasco County?
- On the west side: HCA Florida Bayonet Point in Hudson (the area's only Level II trauma center), HCA Florida Trinity Hospital, and Morton Plant North Bay in New Port Richey. On the east side: AdventHealth hospitals in Dade City, Zephyrhills, and Wesley Chapel, plus BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel. All have 24-hour emergency rooms.
- Is there senior transportation in Pasco County?
- Yes. GoPasco runs county buses on both sides of the county, plus a door-to-door "Demand Response" service for riders who qualify because of age, disability, or income. Call (727) 834-3322 to register.
Sources
- Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas -- Elder Helpline. https://agingcarefl.org/
- Pasco County Senior Services & senior centers. https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/senior_services/index.php
- Pasco County Veterans Services. https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/veterans_services/index.php
- GoPasco (Pasco County Public Transportation). https://www.pascocountyfl.gov/services/gopasco/about/index.php
- HCA Florida Bayonet Point Hospital. https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/locations/bayonet-point-hospital
- HCA Florida Trinity Hospital (formerly Medical Center of Trinity). https://www.hcafloridahealthcare.com/locations/trinity-hospital
- Morton Plant North Bay Hospital (BayCare). https://baycare.org/locations/hospitals/morton-plant-north-bay-hospital/about-us
- AdventHealth -- Dade City, Zephyrhills & Wesley Chapel. https://www.adventhealth.com/
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts -- Pasco County, FL (age 65+). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/pascocountyflorida