Lakeland Senior AdvisorHow many life plan communities does Polk County have?
Two: Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation lists Westminster Lakeland and Estates at Carpenter's, both in Lakeland, on its October 2025 CCRC map, out of 74 continuing care retirement communities statewide.
| Community | City | Provider of record | OIR status | Phone (OIR map) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estates at Carpenter's | Lakeland | Carpenters Home Estates, Inc. d/b/a Estates at Carpenters | Certificate of authority | (877) 849-7815 |
| Westminster Lakeland | Lakeland | Florida Presbyterian Homes, Inc. d/b/a Westminster Lakeland | Certificate of authority | (813) 640-4954 |
Source: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, CCRC facility map (Life and Health Financial Oversight, October 2025).
What makes a community a life plan community under Florida law?
A life plan community, the newer name for a continuing care retirement community, offers independent living together with assisted living and nursing care on one campus under a continuing care contract, normally with an entrance fee and a monthly fee, and Florida regulates those contracts under Chapter 651.
A retirement building that sells no continuing care contract is not a CCRC under Florida law and does not appear on OIR's list, however it markets itself.
Why does Polk County have so few life plan communities?
Polk County's population is younger than the coastal retirement counties (20.0% aged 65 or older), and much of its retiree housing is 55+ manufactured-home and RV communities rather than entrance-fee campuses.
OIR's map lists Westminster Lakeland under Florida Presbyterian Homes, Inc. and Estates at Carpenter's under Carpenters Home Estates, Inc. Families elsewhere in the county usually weigh these two campuses against rental assisted living closer to home.
Who checks a Florida life plan community's finances?
The Office of Insurance Regulation reviews each provider's annual, quarterly and, where required, monthly filings and its minimum liquid reserves, approves contract forms and can place a provider under supervision; residents can call OIR's CCRC team at 850-413-3153.
The care inside, in the assisted living and nursing units, is licensed and inspected by AHCA like any other facility.
Life plan community guides
Continuing care contracts and refunds in Florida
The 7-day rescission right, the pro-rated refund formula and timing, 30-day cancellation notice and the disclosures every Florida continuing care contract must carry, explained for Polk County.
Open the guide →CCRC contract types and entrance fees
How life care (Type A), modified (Type B) and fee-for-service (Type C) contracts differ, rental arrangements on CCRC campuses, and what each means for future nursing costs for Polk County retirees.
Open the guide →How Florida supervises life plan communities
Certificates of authority, provisional certificates, minimum liquid reserves, runoff status, residents' councils and annual reports: how Florida OIR supervises CCRCs such as Lakeland's two, and where AHCA comes in.
Open the guide →Side by side
| A Florida life plan community has | A Florida life plan community does not have | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | An OIR certificate of authority | A star rating from OIR |
| Contract | An OIR-approved form with a 7-day rescission right | Prices set by OIR |
| Care | AHCA-licensed assisted living and nursing units | Guaranteed admission for people who are not residents |
