Island living, mainland errands
The Pinellas beach towns sit on islands between the Gulf of Mexico and the mainland, linked to it by bridges and causeways. That is a big part of the appeal. It also means that the big grocery store, the specialist’s office and the hospital are usually across the water. For a senior who has stopped driving, or who just does not want to fight Gulf Boulevard traffic, each crossing adds up. Gina makes the crossings for them, and every option is listed on the senior concierge services page.
Town by town
- St. Pete Beach covers all of Long Key, from Pass-a-Grille and the Don CeSar at the south end to Corey Avenue, its downtown shopping street. PSTA’s SunRunner runs from here to downtown St. Petersburg.
- Treasure Island has been a city since 1955. John’s Pass, at its north end, was cut by the hurricane of 1848.
- Madeira Beach is home to John’s Pass Village and to the Gulf Beaches Public Library, which it shares with Treasure Island and the Redingtons. The Tom Stuart Causeway takes you straight to Bay Pines on the mainland.
- Indian Rocks Beach sits on Sand Key with more than two miles of Gulf beach and 26 public beach accesses.
- Tierra Verde was built from about 15 mangrove islands near the mouth of Tampa Bay and is reached by the Pinellas Bayway, the same road that leads to Fort De Soto Park.
When the house sits empty
If your beach home or condo sits empty for part of the year while you are up north, salt air and summer humidity are a real worry. A small leak, a failed AC or a tripped breaker can do a lot of damage before anyone notices.
Snowbird and vacation home checks are built for this. On each visit Gina walks through the inside and outside, looks for leaks, mold and pests, makes sure doors and windows are secure, runs the faucets, checks the thermostat and brings in the mail and packages so the place looks lived in. You get a written update with photos afterward. If something needs fixing, she can wait at the property for the repair crew so you do not have to fly down.
Storm season on a barrier island
Storm season matters more when home is on an island. Before hurricane season, it is worth looking up your parent’s address in Pinellas County’s Know Your Zone app, which shows the evacuation zone along with the closest shelters and hotels. Gina can sit down with your parent during a visit and go through it together.
The county also runs a Special Needs Evacuation Program for residents with medical needs, such as oxygen, a powered medical device, dialysis or memory loss, and for those with no vehicle to get to a shelter. Registration is required to get a ride, and the county confirms registrations every year. If your parent might qualify, look into it well before a storm is on the map.
After severe weather, Gina can check on the property once it is safe and tell you what she sees. For an owner hundreds of miles away, that report is often the first real news about the house.
Year-round residents
For seniors who live at the beach all year, the most useful help tends to be ordinary: grocery shopping, pharmacy pickups, a weekly check-in visit and company at appointments on the mainland. Gina is non-medical and non-hands-on, so she does not bathe, dress or give medications. Families who live far away can lean on her as their local contact, as described in help for elderly parents from out of state.
Getting around the beaches
Besides the SunRunner, the Suncoast Beach Trolley runs the length of Gulf Boulevard from St. Pete Beach to Park Street in Clearwater, stopping in Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, the Redingtons, Indian Shores, Indian Rocks Beach and Sand Key.
Booking
Visits and home checks are $120 for a two-hour minimum and $60 per additional hour, and memberships keep the checks coming all season at a lower hourly rate. No long-term contract. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation by phone or in person before you leave for the north. Pricing details.