A parent who once knew every street in Daytona Beach can suddenly get lost two blocks from home. Memory loss changes a family that fast. Preferred Care at Home of Coastal Volusia provides dementia and Alzheimer’s care that helps your loved one stay safe, comfortable, and cared for at home. We understand how overwhelming this diagnosis feels, and we want to be there for you, by your side, every step of the way.
Preferred Care at Home has helped families manage Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia since 1984. Our Coastal Volusia office offers services throughout the region. We are locally owned and led by Suzette Gondera, RN, and licensed under Florida license number HHA #299995877.
Every caregiver completes our 7-step screening process, with additional training in memory care, safety monitoring, and behavioral changes tied to dementia. We match caregivers to your loved one based on personality and life experience, not just availability, so the same familiar face returns visit after visit. Family members get real-time updates through our Transparency Room portal, including caregiver notes, schedules, and task tracking.
Many families weigh in-home dementia care against a move to a memory care facility, an assisted living facility, or a broader senior living community. Both paths can be the right choice, depending on the level of supervision your loved one needs. Some memory care centers and assisted living communities offer around-the-clock staffing in a secure building designed to prevent wandering.
Living offers like these can be reassuring when supervision needs are high. In-home care keeps your loved one surrounded by familiar rooms and routines instead. It also lets us deliver our own memory care services right in the home your loved one already knows.
Cost is often part of the decision. Central Florida home care generally runs $22 to $28 per hour, with specialized dementia support toward the higher end.<cite index="42-6,42-7">Nearby Central Florida companion services often start around $24 per hour, while specialized dementia care can reach $35 or more.</cite> Assisted living and memory care communities instead charge a set monthly rate for housing and care.
When around-the-clock supervision becomes medically necessary, a living facility may be the safer option. Until then, in-home dementia care lets your loved one stay home with the caregiver they already trust.
As dementia progresses, everyday tasks become harder to manage alone. Our caregivers provide assistance with bathing, assistance with dressing, and assistance with grooming, always following the routine your loved one already knows. Keeping that routine steady, rather than introducing something new, often reduces confusion and resistance.
A safe environment matters more with dementia in the picture. Our caregivers watch for fall risks, secure the home against wandering, and stay alert to changes that could put your loved one in danger. This is especially important along the coast, where a confused walk toward the water or a busy road can turn dangerous fast.
Staying mentally active can slow decline and lift mood. Our caregivers lead memory games, conversation, music, and other engaging activities suited to your loved one’s stage of dementia. Providing memory care in a comfortable environment supports social interaction and daily living just as much as any single task.
Watching a loved one change is its own kind of grief. We offer emotional support to family members, guidance on what to expect at each stage, and information on local caregiver support groups throughout Volusia County. Scheduled transportation to appointments or adult day programs can also be built into the care plan.
Caring for someone with dementia around the clock wears families down. Respite care gives you a break while a trained caregiver steps in, whether that means a few hours a week or extended coverage during travel. You don’t have to reach a breaking point before asking for help.
Step 01
You call (386) 674-0046 and speak with our Coastal Volusia team.
Step 02
We visit your home to understand your loved one’s stage of dementia, habits, and needs.
Step 03
We build a personalized plan around routines your loved one already trusts.
Step 04
We match your loved one with a caregiver based on personality and memory care experience.
Step 05
Care starts, and your family gets Transparency Room access for notes and updates.
Coastal Volusia’s mix of longtime residents, seasonal snowbirds, and hurricane-season disruptions creates specific hurdles for families managing memory loss at home.
Challenge
Local Context
How We Help
Wandering near water and traffic
Local Context
A confused walk toward the beach, the Halifax River, or a busy road can turn dangerous within minutes.
How We Help
We install safety habits, secure exit points, and train caregivers to prevent wandering before it starts.
Challenge
Hurricane season disruption
Local Context
Evacuation orders and routine changes are especially hard on someone with dementia, increasing agitation and confusion.
How We Help
Caregivers keep familiar comfort items on hand and maintain calm, consistent routines through storm season.
Challenge
Waitlists at local senior living communities
Local Context
Assisted living communities and memory care facilities in Volusia County often reach maximum capacity during peak season.
How We Help
In-home dementia care can start within days, without waiting for an opening in a facility.
Challenge
Sundowning and nighttime confusion
Local Context
Agitation, pacing, and disorientation often worsen in the late afternoon and evening.
How We Help
Trained caregivers use redirection techniques and calming routines timed to the sundowning window.
Challenge
Family caregiver burnout
Local Context
One family member manages bathing, meals, appointments, and safety checks alone until exhaustion sets in.
How We Help
Respite care and companion support give family caregivers room to rest before burnout forces a rushed decision.
Driven by Passion, Committed to Compassion
When you’re trying to find someone you can truly trust to care for your loved one, you deserve more than a name on a website. You deserve someone who picks up the phone, listens to your concerns, and offers real guidance.
That’s exactly why Suzette Gondera, RN, and her husband Doug opened this home care company in Daytona Beach. It isn’t some big out-of-state business, it’s a family taking care of neighbors, built around family values, not sales quotas.
Doug and Suzette live and work right here in Daytona Beach, FL. When you call, you’re not reaching a corporate call center. You’re reaching neighbors who care about getting this right for your family, and we promise to be by your side, every step of the way.
Our Coastal Volusia location provides care in Volusia County for older adults from Daytona Beach FL south to New Smyrna Beach. Our reach extends into the Florida Shores neighborhood as well. We serve Volusia County seniors, Volusia County residents, and FL older adults throughout the surrounding coastal communities.
We Serve:
Don’t see your city? Give us a call, we serve nearby cities and nearby areas throughout the region.
Costs vary based on hours and the level of care needed. Central Florida home care typically runs $22 to $28 per hour, with specialized dementia support toward the higher end. 24-Hour and 24-hour arrangements often come with lower rates, so give us a call to discuss a plan for your budget.
In-home care keeps your loved one at home with a consistent caregiver. A memory care facility instead means relocating to a secured building with round-the-clock staff. Home care works well for many stages of dementia. A facility may be the safer option once wandering risk exceeds what home care can manage.
We connect families with caregiver support groups and senior living resources throughout Volusia County. Our own caregivers also provide emotional support during every visit. Many families find that support groups help them process the day-to-day realities of watching a loved one change.
Our caregivers complete a home safety assessment, secure exit points, and stay alert to early signs of wandering, especially near water or traffic. We also train caregivers in calm redirection techniques so a wandering moment gets resolved before it becomes a crisis.
We use memory games, conversation, music, and other engaging activities matched to your loved one’s stage of dementia and personal interests. Our compassionate staff aim for a compassionate and supportive environment where activities feel natural instead of forced. It’s the kind of experience FL seniors deserve from our dementia care services.
We offer flexible scheduling that starts at just a few hours a week, so family caregivers can rest without committing to full-time care. Respite care exists for exactly this reason, and coverage can begin quickly once we understand your loved one’s routine.
Preferred Care at Home of Coastal Volusia is licensed under Florida license number HHA #299995877. Our caregivers also assist with medication management as part of a personalized dementia care plan, always under the direction of your loved one’s physician.
Yes. We serve Daytona Beach, Port Orange, Ormond Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Holly Hill, DeLand, Deltona, Orange City, and nearby cities throughout Volusia County. If you don’t see your city listed, call our office to confirm coverage.
Most families begin receiving care within days of their first call to our office. We schedule a home consultation promptly and build a care plan around your loved one’s routine. From there, we match a caregiver suited to their personality and stage of dementia.
Watch for wandering, resistance to bathing, missed medications, and increasing confusion in familiar places. Sundowning, or worsening agitation in the late afternoon and evening, is another common signal. If one family member is managing everything alone, caregiver burnout becomes a real risk, and it may be time to bring in specialized care.
