How the CARES Score works
The CARES Score is one independent 0–10 rating for every scored Florida community — built the same way for each, and never for sale. No community pays us for its score, its ranking, or a referral. Here is exactly how the number is calculated, and just as importantly, what it is and isn't.
The five dimensions
Each scored community is read for concrete signals across five dimensions, drawn from its published description and listed amenities — the same keyword-level analysis applied to every community, so you can compare like with like. The share each dimension contributes is shown at right.
We read each community's published description and listed care services for the concrete signals of hands-on care — assisted living and memory care, 24-hour staffing, medication management, help with daily activities, and licensed nursing.
Dining that goes beyond a tray: chef-prepared meals, restaurant-style or private dining, a bistro or café, and accommodation of special diets and dietary needs.
An engaged social life: organized activities and events, outings and transportation, clubs, games, and fitness classes — the things that fill a resident's week.
The amenities that shape daily life, checked against each community's listed features — fitness center, salon and barber, library, gardens and walking paths, housekeeping and laundry, Wi-Fi, and pet-friendliness.
The building and grounds: renovated or modern spaces, a pool, patios and sunrooms, and wheelchair-accessible, single-level, or otherwise accessible design.
Resident & family reviews
About half of a scored community's rating comes from aggregated resident and family reviews, pulled from public review platforms and weighted by volume — so a handful of ratings doesn't swing a score the way hundreds do.
When a community has few or no public reviews, its score reflects only its published information. We never invent reviews to fill the gap; instead we lower the community's confidence (below) so you can read the score with the right amount of salt.
The confidence rating
Every score carries a companion confidence number, also 0–10. It combines how much review history a community has with how complete its information is. A strong score with high confidence is well-evidenced; a strong score with low confidence means “looks good on paper, but lightly reviewed” — a cue to look closer and visit in person.
How the overall score is built
The five dimensions and the review signal are blended into one 0–10 number. When a community has review history, aggregated reviews carry about half the weight and the five published-information dimensions carry the rest. When a community has no reviews, the score is built from the available dimensions alone — so an unreviewed community isn't punished with a zero for a signal it simply doesn't have yet, but it also carries a lower confidence.
What the CARES Score is — and isn't
The CARES Score is not a state inspection result, a licensing rating, or an on-site evaluation, and it is not a recommendation or a guarantee. It's a consistent, independent read of what a community publishes about itself and how residents and families review it — a starting point that helps you shortlist and compare, not a substitute for touring a community and asking your own questions.
For official licensing status, inspection reports, and complaint history, check the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). We'll always point you to the source of record — because being honest about what we do and don't measure is the whole reason to trust the number in the first place.
Common questions
Can a community pay to raise its CARES Score, or pay for placement?
No. No community pays us anything — not for its score, not for its ranking, not for a lead. We take zero referral fees. Because no one pays, no one can buy a better number. That's the entire point of the score.
Does the CARES Score use government inspection or licensing data?
Not today. The score is computed from each community's own published information (its description and listed amenities) and from aggregated public reviews — analyzed the same consistent way for every community. It is not a state inspection result or a licensing rating. For official licensing status and inspection records, check the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). We're transparent about this because an honest, consistent comparison is worth more to your family than an inflated claim.
What if a community has few or no reviews?
When a community has little or no public review history, its score reflects only its published information, and we show a lower confidence number so you can weigh it accordingly. A high score with low confidence means "looks good on paper, but lightly reviewed" — worth a closer look and a visit.
How often does the score update?
Scores are recomputed as the underlying records change — when we track a rename, an ownership change, new reviews, or updated community information. We keep each listing current: what you see reflects who runs a community today, not two owners ago.
Tell CARA the city, the care your parent needs, and your budget — she'll shortlist the best-fit Florida communities by CARES Score in seconds. Free, and always on your family's side.