Charleston Senior AdvisorWhat kinds of senior care can Lowcountry families choose from?
Assisted living (South Carolina CRCFs), memory care (Alzheimer's special care units inside CRCFs and nursing homes), nursing homes, in-home care from licensed in-home care providers and home health agencies, adult day care, and hospice.
Independent living without personal care needs no CRCF license. Each guide below explains what the license allows, what the 2025 South Carolina median is, and how many licenses DPH lists in the three counties.
How do we pick the right type of care?
Work from needs rather than labels: daily help with bathing, dressing and medications points to a CRCF, wandering points to an Alzheimer's special care unit, daily skilled nursing points to a nursing home, and a parent who is safe at night but alone all day may thrive in adult day care.
Our comparisons set two options side by side, and the situation guides start from whatever just happened.
Which care types do Medicare or Medicaid pay for?
Medicare pays for short skilled nursing stays after a qualifying inpatient admission, intermittent home health and hospice; Healthy Connections Medicaid pays for long-term nursing home care, and its Community Choices waiver pays for help at home, adult day health care and Residential Personal Care in participating CRCFs.
Optional State Supplementation helps very-low-income CRCF residents, and BoldAge PACE combines medical care and long-term services in all three counties. VA pension with Aid and Attendance can help veterans and surviving spouses with any of these.
Care types: every guide
Assisted living around Charleston
Assisted living in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: what a South Carolina CRCF provides, who it fits, what it costs at the 2025 median and how OSS and Community Choices can help.
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Memory care around Charleston
Memory care in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: what an Alzheimer's special care unit is under South Carolina rules, the disclosure act, staffing, prices and how to find a flagged unit.
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Nursing homes around Charleston
Nursing homes in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: what they provide, how CMS rates them, 2025 South Carolina cost medians, and Medicare and Medicaid coverage.
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In-home care around Charleston
In-home care in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: what licensed in-home care providers do, how they differ from home health, 2025 South Carolina hourly median and who pays.
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Adult day care in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: what DPH-licensed centers provide, 2025 South Carolina median, Community Choices and PACE, and how to choose a center.
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Hospice care around Charleston
Hospice in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: what hospice provides, Medicare coverage at home, in assisted living or a nursing home, the Summerville hospice house and how to choose a program.
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