Memory Care Communities in Hickory, North Carolina

Memory care in Hickory is below both the state and national averages by $609 and $1,221, respectively. It’s also cheaper than Asheville where average costs rise to $6,248. The average cost in Charlotte is also $1,096 higher. Greensboro is more affordable, at $4,750, but that’s still more than in Hickory. Lower costs can be found in the Fayetteville area, saving seniors an average of $654 compared to Hickory.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we’ve estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth’s 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

Seniors in Hickory can expect a monthly memory care cost of $4,404 on average.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in North Carolina page.

Not all seniors require the level of support provided by memory care, and in many cases, they can benefit from lower priced care. In-home care provides an average savings of $305. Home health care averages about the same as memory care at $4,385 per month. Seniors requiring daytime assistance can receive it in adult day health care and save an average of $1,104 per month. Assisted living options in the area average 25% less than memory care at $3,523. Seniors in need of around-the-clock assistance and skilled nursing may benefit from nursing home care, with semiprivate rooms averaging $3,748 more per month.

In Hickory and the rest of North Carolina, the North Carolina Division of Health Service Regulation oversees assisted living homes, including memory care units. It provides regulations that facilities must follow, maintains licensing information and investigates violations. It also provides seniors looking for residential care with a list of licensed facilities and information about complaints or violations.

• The cost of living in Hickory is low, about 12% cheaper than the national average and 3% lower than the state average. This is primarily due to the low cost of housing and transportation. 
• The local climate is mostly pleasant with summer temperatures averaging around 88 degrees. Winter lows average 29 degrees. However, the area sees an average of 210 sunny days per year, slightly more than the national average of 205. The months of May, September and October tend to be the most comfortable.
• Health care costs tend to run a bit higher in the area, which may be discouraging for seniors with more extensive medical needs, such as those with Alzheimer’s disease. However, it’s home to slightly more physicians than the national average, with 237 per 100,000 available compared to the U.S. average of 210. Residents can also access high-quality health care through the Catawba Valley Health System and Frye Regional Medical Center, which offers acute care, as well as the Frye Regional Brain Center.
• Local crime rates are higher in Hickory than the national average, scoring 25.4 on a scale of one to 100 for violent crime and 69.3 for property crime. In comparison, the national averages are 22.7 and 35.4 for violent and property crime, respectively. However, because memory care facilities have high security to prevent wandering, seniors have an extra barrier between them and potential dangers.
• North Carolina taxes most retirement income, including withdrawals from retirement accounts, wages and public or private pensions. However, it does not tax Social Security or Railroad Retirement income. Retirement benefits for service in the U.S. Armed Forces may also be deducted from a senior’s income.
• Hickory is served by Greenway Public Transportation. Its ADA Complementary Paratransit Service provides door-to-door services Monday through Saturday to people living within three-quarters of a mile of a fixed route service who have a disability that prevents them from accessing a bus stop, getting onto a bus or understanding the bus system.