Serving Ocala and Marion County
Assisted living near Ocala, on the Nature Coast
Families in Ocala and southwest Marion County have two family owned options west of the city, both with assisted living and secured memory care in the same building.
Our two communities
The Gardens
10845 W Gem St, Crystal River, FL
- Assisted living
- Secured memory care in the same building
- Family owned
- Accepts Florida Medicaid
Sugarmill Manor
8985 S Suncoast Blvd, Homosassa, FL
- Assisted living
- Secured memory care in the same building
- Family owned
- Accepts Florida Medicaid
Ocala has plenty of assisted living, most of it run by national chains or larger operators. Families who want something smaller, family owned, and willing to take Florida Medicaid often end up looking west, toward the Nature Coast. That is where our two communities are. The Gardens is in Crystal River and Sugarmill Manor is in Homosassa, both in Citrus County, and both offer assisted living and a secured memory care section under the same roof.
The Gardens is the closer of the two. From the southwest side of Ocala, out along the State Road 200 corridor, it is about 35 miles and roughly 55 minutes, most of it a straight run through Dunnellon. That is a real drive, and it is worth being honest about it: this is a choice families make on purpose, usually because they want a small community where the administrator answers the phone, or because they need one that accepts Medicaid, or because a parent is moving closer to family already living on the coast.
If the drive rules it out, that is a fair answer. If it does not, the things that bring Ocala families here are the same three every time. The community is small enough that the person who picks up the phone knows the residents. Assisted living and memory care are in one building, so a parent settles in once. And Florida Medicaid is accepted at both, which is the question that decides it for a lot of families once private savings are in view.
What Ocala families tell us made the difference
Family owned, not a chain
We run two communities, not two hundred. There is no regional office, no call center, and no corporate script. The administrator who runs the building is the person who walks your tour and the person who calls you when something changes.
Both accept Florida Medicaid
A lot of Ocala families start private pay and worry about what happens when savings run down. Both communities accept Florida Medicaid. Ask the administrator how it would apply to your parent, because the answer depends on their situation rather than on a general rule.
Assisted living and memory care in one building
Each community has a secured memory care section alongside assisted living. If your mother moves in needing help with medications and later needs a secured setting, that is a move down the hall rather than a second search, a second move, and a new set of caregivers.
Closer to the coast, and quieter
Crystal River and Homosassa sit on the spring fed rivers of the Nature Coast. For a family already driving to Ocala for appointments, the trade is a longer drive in exchange for a smaller community in a quieter place. Some families take it and some do not.
What families say
4.821 Google reviewsSuch a wonderful facility, very clean and home like environment. Residents are very happy and the staff are super personable. Everyone in the building knows one another and all the residents personally and they take their care very seriously. Love Sugarmill Manor Assisted Living!!
I feel very blessed that my father was able to spend the last 42 months of his life here. They really prioritize care for the residents. The staff from management to cleaning crew not only interact but care about their residents.
The staff is kind, attentive, and truly cares about each resident, always treating Joann with dignity and respect.
Closer to Dunnellon or Rainbow Springs than to central Ocala? The Gardens is about 25 minutes from there. See assisted living near Dunnellon for the drive and what families in that corner of Marion County ask.
Questions Ocala families ask
Ready to see The Gardens in person?
Visit any day. We call to confirm within an hour during business hours.