Hillsborough Senior Services — Free Caregiver Support Groups in Tampa, FL
Hillsborough County’s Senior Services Department runs free caregiver support group meetings across the Tampa Bay area, hosted at adult day centers and senior community sites. The county-funded program serves unpaid family caregivers in the Tampa metro and provides a steady, accessible place to connect with others doing the same work — without paperwork, fees, or referrals.
What to Expect
Caregiver support meetings are held on select Thursdays each month at multiple Hillsborough County locations: the Phyllis Busansky Adult Day Center, the Plant City Adult Day Center, the Wimauma Adult Day Center, and the Bloomingdale Senior Center. All sessions begin at 3 p.m. and run about 90 minutes. Meetings are facilitated by trained Senior Services staff who keep the space safe and let members guide the conversation. Topics cover the full range of family caregiving — managing medications, sibling dynamics, navigating Medicare and Medicaid, finding respite, and grieving the slow changes that come with aging or dementia.
Who This Group Is For
The groups serve any unpaid family caregiver in Hillsborough County who is supporting an older adult, an adult with a disability, or a child being raised by an older relative. Members include adult children, spouses, partners, grandchildren, and friends. The in-person format works particularly well for caregivers who want face-to-face connection and the chance to meet others in their own community. Adult day services may be available at the same locations so a loved one can be in supervised care while the caregiver attends a meeting.
Why Peer Support Works
Caregivers in the Tampa Bay area often describe the work as quietly exhausting — long days, fragmented sleep, and a sense that no one outside the household understands. Sitting with other caregivers in a small room and trading the week’s wins and frustrations is a remarkably effective antidote to that loneliness. Hillsborough County’s program is built around exactly that: consistent locations, consistent times, and a steady community of caregivers who keep showing up.
How to Join
All caregiver support meetings are free. To confirm the current schedule or get directions, call the Hillsborough County Senior Services Caregiver line at (813) 450-8956 or visit hcfl.gov/residents/seniors/senior-and-caregiver-services/senior-and-caregiver-resources. Staff can also connect caregivers to respite vouchers, adult day services, and other county-funded supports.