Memory Care Communities in Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston’s cost for memory care is $416 more than the South Carolina state median. However, it is $694 less than the national median. Hilton Head shares the same monthly median with the nation at $5,625. Seniors can find lower-cost memory care in other areas throughout the state. One location is Columbia, where median monthly costs are $843 less than in Charleston. In Florence, the median is $611 less. In Sumpter, seniors may pay $1,602 less per month than in Charleston.

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.

In Charleston, the median cost for memory care is $4,931 per month, although the exact amount depends on individual facilities, specific locations and amenities.

Seniors in Charleston have several options for paying for dementia care, including Medicaid, Social Security income and long-term care insurance. Additionally, over half a dozen memory care communities in the city accept veterans’ benefits, further promoting access to affordable care for qualified seniors.

• Medicaid: South Carolina’s Medicaid program pays for memory care services through two waivers, including the South Carolina Community Choices Waiver and the Healthy Connections Prime program. These programs help memory care residents pay for personal care services, housekeeping, meals and recreational activities.
• Medicare: Medicare’s coverage doesn’t apply to standard memory care services, which aren’t medically necessary. However, seniors can use their Medicare benefits to pay for third-party home health care services they receive in memory care.
• VA Benefits: Two VA programs provide coverage for memory care services, including Aid and Attendance and Geriatrics and Extended Care. These programs help individuals pay for expenses such as housing, personal care and nonemergency medical transportation.
• Private Payments: Seniors use their income and assets to cover memory care services, including housing, meals, homemaker services and personal care. Some common sources for these payments include Social Security income, retirement savings, annuities, reverse mortgages and long-term care insurance.

Seniors wishing to stay home can receive in-home or home health care for about $74 more per month than if they resided in a memory care community. Those not requiring memory care may benefit from assisted living, costing about $986 less per month. For seniors who need skilled nursing, a semiprivate room in a nursing home facility costs $2,582 more than memory care. Seniors aging in place who would benefit from daytime services can choose adult day health care at $3,550 less per month than memory care. 

In Charleston and the rest of South Carolina, the Bureau of Health Facility Licensing oversees memory care and other senior care and health agencies. It provides information about residents’ rights and accepts reports and complaints to be investigated. It also provides an interactive portal people can use to look up community residential facilities, such as memory care, throughout the state.

Benefits

• In a given year, Charleston reports around 23 crimes per 1,000 people. Property and violent offenses occur at lower rates here than in a typical U.S. community. Additionally, when compared only to cities with similar population sizes, Charleston has much less crime than average, providing peace of mind to families with loved ones in local memory care facilities.
• Seniors in Charleston don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security benefits, and they can claim a deduction of up to $10,000 to reduce their tax payment on other income. This helps many seniors afford memory care payments.
• Charleston has warm temperatures and partly cloudy conditions throughout the year, promoting an active lifestyle for seniors sensitive to cold weather. Daytime temperatures range from around 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, and the city rarely sees measurable snowfall.
• The Charleston region ranks above the state and nation for health outcomes and factors, which indicates access to high-quality medical care for memory care residents. The city has a large provider network with one primary care physician per 810 people compared to 1,490 people statewide, reducing wait times to see health care providers.

Drawbacks

• Charleston residents pay around 5% more on living expenses than the national average, with high housing costs driving memory care pricing. Fortunately, several memory care communities in the city accept Medicaid payments.