Palatka PPEC Center

Proudly offering PPEC services to Clay, Putnam, St. Johns, Flagler, and Alachua county.

Are you looking for a place to care for your child with Special Medical Needs?

Tender Care PPEC in Palatka is the ideal place for your medically complex and fragile child. Our team of nurses, CNAs, and therapists is specially trained to provide expert care for children with unique medical needs. We offer a daycare-like environment designed to help your child feel comfortable and at ease.

At Tender Care, we are committed to fostering the growth and development of every child in all areas of life. Through strong partnerships with families, physicians, nurses, and therapists, we work together to make a meaningful difference in your child’s well-being.

Contact us today to schedule a tour of our facility! We look forward to meeting you and your family!

What is PPEC?

PPEC stands for Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care. A PPEC center is a licensed, non-residential, day treatment program prescribed by a physician for medically complex and technologically dependent children. Care is provided by a team of skilled pediatric professionals.

Tender Care’s daytime program provides skilled nursing care, skilled therapies, specialty consultants and developmental stimulation for medically complex children up to twelve hours per day.

PPEC Offers Many Advantages…

To the child/family:

  • Centrally located nursing and therapy decreases intrusions into family dynamics at home
  • Increased socialization with other children
  • Decreased hospitalization
  • Personalized case management ensuring the best care for your child
  • Offers caregivers increased potential to return to work or school
  • Early detection of potential health problems by licensed professionals

To the payer:

  • Decreased hospitalizations through early detection and case management
  • Increased compliance with plan of care resulting in less utilization of health care benefits
  • An average savings of 40% to 50% compared to Home Health services

Common pediatric diagnoses that indicate a potential need for daily skilled nursing services:

  • Premature infants diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, apnea of prematurity, oxygen and pulse oximetry dependence
  • Cerebral palsy with gastrostomy or jejunostomy dependence and/or seizures
  • Spina bifida with or without an Arnold Chiari malformation and shunt monitoring, and urinary catheterization dependence
  • Certain cardiac anomalies
  • Post-transplant status
  • Immunosuppressed status
  • Tracheostomy status (with or without ventilator dependence)
  • Failure to thrive
  • Chronic Kidney Disease
  • History of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy
  • Adrenal Insufficiency
  • Presence of a colostomy, ileostomy, urostomy, or vesicostomy

Tender Care is a prescribed pediatric extended care facility. It is our mission to provide skilled nursing care to medically complex and fragile children from birth to 21 years of age. We are staffed with nurses, CNAs, and therapists. Tender Care is the FIRST independently owned PPEC in the State of Florida with our initial center opening in 1988. We have 33 years of experience in the provision of loving care to this special pediatric population. It is our goal is to enhance the development of each child in every aspect possible, through collaborative relationships between families, physicians, nurses, and therapists. This approach to care is carried out in an environment that allows the child to engage in social interactions with their peers, meeting not just physical and medical needs but also their social and psychological needs as well. This results in thriving children, well-positioned to achieve their greatest potential. We provide transportation to and from the facility, complete with handicap accessibility. Each one of our vans is accompanied by a nurse for the child’s safety. While attending, Tender Care provides nutritious meals throughout the day. 

Tender Care Medical Services, INC
Palatka PPEC Center
927 S SR 19
Palatka, FL 32177

Facility Administrator: Lisa Blitchington, RN
Email: lblitchington@tendercarecenters.com
Phone: (386) 336-9028
Fax: (386) 336-9029