How to Verify a Florida Assisted Living Facility Is Actually Licensed

On June 24, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office arrested two people accused of running nine unlicensed assisted living homes across Osceola and Polk counties, some for as long as six years. Thirty-eight residents had to be removed and relocated to licensed facilities with help from the Florida Department of Children and Families. The case is still developing, but the lesson for any family searching for care right now is already clear: a facility that looks legitimate is not the same thing as a facility that is licensed, and the only way to know which one you are dealing with is to check.

What happened in Osceola and Polk counties

Ronald Pack, 60, and Marie Tarah Carenan, 56, are accused of operating a network of homes under the names Cherish Home Care and Cherish Independent Living Care. According to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, the investigation began in March 2025 after a 911 call raised concerns about conditions inside one of the homes. Detectives say they found locked doors, locked windows, and padlocked refrigerators, along with allegations of withheld medication and misuse of residents' SNAP benefits. Both Pack and Carenan face multiple felony charges, including elder abuse, elder neglect, elder exploitation, and scheme to defraud, and a judge denied them bond.

What makes this case especially troubling is how long it ran in plain sight. According to investigators, Carenan had been listed as a care provider for at least six years, and referrals were coming in through a behavioral health program and a county housing assistance program. Staff at those referring organizations reportedly had a W-9 tax form on file for the operator, but no copy of an actual facility license.

Why "independent living" is not the same as a licensed ALF

Part of how this operation stayed under the radar is built into the language Florida uses for senior housing. Independent living communities, which serve people who do not need regular help with daily activities, generally do not require the same state license as an Assisted Living Facility (ALF). Once a home is providing medication management, supervision, or hands-on help with bathing, dressing, or mobility, it has crossed into territory that requires an AHCA-issued ALF license under Florida law.

Investigators say the homes in this case were marketed as independent living while actually providing this higher level of care, without ever obtaining the license that level of care requires. That gap between what a facility calls itself and what license it actually holds is exactly where families need to be checking.

How to check a facility's license before you move someone in

Verifying a Florida facility's license takes a few minutes, not a few months.

• Search the facility by name or city on FloridaHealthFinder.gov, the state's official consumer lookup tool, and confirm the license number, license type, and current status.
• Ask the facility directly for its license number, then verify that number independently rather than taking a printed certificate at face value.
• Confirm the license type matches the level of care being offered. A standard ALF license, an Extended Congregate Care license, and a Limited Nursing Services license all permit different things, and a facility offering more care than its license allows is a red flag on its own.
• Check the inspection history attached to the license. A facility that is licensed but has a long history of deficiencies is a different conversation than one with a clean record, but at least you are having an informed conversation either way.

Every facility profile on EldercareData.com pulls directly from this same AHCA licensing and inspection data, so when you browse facilities by city, you are already starting from a list of facilities the state recognizes as licensed.

Red flags that should make you stop and verify

A few warning signs showed up repeatedly in this case, and they are worth watching for anywhere:

• No license number is posted or available on request, or staff seem unsure how to answer the question.
• A facility describes itself as "independent living" but residents clearly need supervision, medication management, or help with daily activities.
• The referral is coming through a behavioral health program, hospital discharge team, or county assistance program, and nobody along that chain has confirmed the facility's license.
• Common areas, refrigerators, or supply closets are locked in a way that limits residents' access rather than protecting their safety.
• There is no licensed nurse on-site for residents who are bedridden or need ongoing medical supervision.
• You are pressured to pay in cash or sign paperwork before completing a tour.

If you are searching for care in Osceola or Polk County right now

If this story has you rethinking a placement decision in the Kissimmee area or elsewhere in Central Florida, start from verified data rather than a referral you cannot independently confirm. Our Kissimmee facility listings pull from the same AHCA data discussed above, and our guide on questions to ask before choosing a facility covers what to look for once you are on-site, beyond just the license itself. Our resource guides hub has more on how to read inspection records and staffing data once you have narrowed your list.

Bottom line

A license is not a guarantee of good care. It is the floor, not the ceiling. But this case shows what happens when even that floor is missing: locked refrigerators, withheld medication, and 38 people who had to be removed from their homes by the state. Verify before you place a loved one, not after.

Sources: WUSF/Health News Florida, June 26, 2026; WFTV, June 24-25, 2026; FOX 35 Orlando, June 2026; Osceola County Sheriff's Office public statements.