Compare the options
| Recovery house | Hotel / Airbnb + private nurse | Home + caregiver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Out-of-town patients traveling alone | Patients who want privacy and 1:1 attention | Local patients with a reliable adult helper |
| Who's caring for you | Varies widely — from RNs to untrained staff. Ask. | The nurse you hire (verify license) | Friend or family |
| Typical extras | Meals, transport, massages, shared or private rooms | You arrange meals and rides | You arrange everything |
| Biggest risk | Unlicensed operators, overcrowding, unclear nursing | Gaps between nurse shifts | Caregiver doesn't recognize warning signs |
| Budget | Request an itemized lodging and care quote. | Price lodging, care shifts, meals and rides separately. | Include time off work and any paid help. |
Compare written quotes for the same dates and services; do not assume a package includes nursing.
Are Miami recovery houses regulated?
Not specifically. Florida has no license category just for post-surgical recovery homes. Bills to create one — HB 81 / SB 404, the "Postsurgical Recovery Home Safety Act," filed after an NBC6 investigation into a patient's death — died in committee in March 2026.
Today, the main enforcement tool is the law against running an unlicensed assisted living facility. Investigators have estimated 50–100 illegal recovery homes operate in Miami-Dade at any time. Some homes hold an AHCA assisted-living license; you can look that up on FloridaHealthFinder (search by name or license number, then read the inspection reports).
Questions to ask before paying a deposit
- What's the street address? Look it up on a map. A legitimate business will tell you.
- Do you hold an AHCA license? What's the number? Then verify it yourself.
- Who is on site overnight, and what's their license? RN, LPN, CNA, or "caregiver"? Get names and verify on the DOH portal.
- Is a nurse physically present 24/7, or "on call"? These are very different.
- How many patients per room and per staff member overnight?
- Who gives medications? Only your own prescriptions, from your own labeled bottles — never "house" pain pills or someone else's medication.
- Who gives Lovenox (enoxaparin) injections, if prescribed? It must be you, a trained caregiver, or a licensed nurse.
- What's your emergency plan? Will staff call 911 and your surgeon immediately?
- What's included — rides (which airports?), meals, massages, garments, supplies?
- Refund policy if your surgery is postponed?
- Do you pay or receive referral fees from the surgical practice?
Red flags
- Instagram-only presence, no address, "we'll send the location after you pay."
- Staff who discourage you from calling your surgeon or 911.
- Several patients sharing one room; beds side by side.
- Staff offering medication that isn't yours.
- Care that "stops" once you can walk to the bathroom.
- Pressure to add unscheduled injections, IVs or procedures in the house.
If a friend or family member is your caregiver
- They should stay with you at least the first 48–72 hours, including overnight.
- Print the warning signs page for them and save your surgeon's after-hours number in their phone.
- Show them how to empty and log drains and help with garments.
- They must be able to drive you — and to call 911 without hesitation.
What patients say
Experiences range from "supportive enough that I opened my own" to houses where the promised nurse never showed and the patient moved out mid-recovery.Theme · RealSelf reviews; New York Times reporting
Patients who chose a hotel with a private nurse say it took more planning but gave them more control over who was caring for them.Theme · RealSelf forum threads
Local reporting documented raids finding non-nurses giving injections, and patients recovering in crowded rooms behind covered windows.Theme · Miami Herald, NBC6, WSVN investigations
Compare the care, not just the room
Ask each provider to complete this comparison in writing. A room booking does not establish nursing coverage. “On call” means someone can be contacted; it does not mean a nurse is physically present.
| Confirm before booking | Recovery house | Hotel + private care | Home + caregiver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overnight coverage | Who is on site, their role, and how many guests they assist | Booked shift times and who stays between shifts | Which adult is available overnight and their backup |
| Nursing | On-site nurse, on-call nurse, or nonclinical staff? Request names and license details. | Confirm the assigned clinician, license, services and minimum hours. | Ask your surgical team whether professional care is needed in addition to family help. |
| Daily assistance | Bathroom, shower, dressing and garment help: included, limited or extra? | Agree which tasks the booked service covers. | Confirm your helper is comfortable with the tasks in your discharge plan. |
| Meals and laundry | Meal schedule, dietary requests, garment washing and extra fees | Who buys food, prepares meals and washes clothing? | Prepare meals and arrange household help. |
| Transportation | Airports served, number of rides, hours, waiting fees and escort | Book discharge and follow-up transport separately if needed. | Confirm an available driver and backup. |
| Privacy and access | Room occupancy, bathroom sharing, stairs and visitor rules | Room access for caregivers, bathroom layout and stairs | Sleeping setup, bathroom access, children and pets |
| Backup arrangements | What happens if staff are absent or your stay extends? | Replacement caregiver and flexible lodging | Second helper and a plan if the first cannot continue |
Use the total-trip budget worksheet to record included services, extras and unresolved costs. Ask your surgical team to confirm that the arrangement fits your discharge plan.