Assisted living around Charleston

What is assisted living in South Carolina?

It is a community residential care facility licensed by DPH under Regulation 60-84, providing housing, meals and help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing and medications for adults who do not need daily skilled nursing.

DPH's data shows 60 licensed CRCFs in the three counties with 3,452 licensed beds; 4 are small community residences run by the county disabilities board, which leaves 56 that serve older adults, 42 of them in Charleston County. Around Charleston the range is wide: small residential homes in North Charleston neighborhoods, mid-size buildings in Goose Creek and Summerville, and large communities with apartments, dining rooms and secured dementia wings in Mount Pleasant, West Ashley and Daniel Island.

Who does assisted living suit?

Adults who need help with some daily activities or medications, who are unsafe or isolated living alone, and whose medical needs fall within Regulation 60-84's limits, which exclude people needing daily skilled nursing, IV medications, sliding-scale insulin or treatment of serious pressure ulcers.

Short-term nursing for up to 14 consecutive days and hospice can be brought in, so many residents remain through illnesses and the end of life.

What does assisted living cost in the Charleston area?

No local figure is published; CareScout's 2025 South Carolina median is $64,200 a year, about $5,350 a month, for a private one-bedroom.

Optional State Supplementation helps residents with net income under $1,804 a month (2026) in participating buildings, and Community Choices can pay for Residential Personal Care for eligible Medicaid members. VA Aid and Attendance and long-term care insurance help many others.

How do I choose an assisted living facility around Charleston?

Start with location near the family member who will visit most, then check each candidate's DPH license, Alzheimer's flag and enforcement record in our directory, and tour at least three at different times of day, including late afternoon.

Ask for the admission agreement, the latest DPH inspection report and plan of correction, the staffing schedule for peak and overnight hours, the hurricane sheltering agreement, and how the building handles residents whose needs grow. Ask whether it accepts OSS or Community Choices Residential Personal Care in case savings run low.

What paperwork comes with moving into a South Carolina CRCF?

A signed admission agreement listing services, fees and the refund policy before move-in, a written assessment within 72 hours, and an individual care plan within seven days, reviewed at least every six months (Regulation 60-84, Sections 702, 703 and 901).

The resident also needs a physical exam within 30 days before admission and must establish care with a South Carolina-licensed physician within 30 days after. Ask to join the care plan meeting.

How is assisted living spread across the Lowcountry?

DPH's licensing data puts assisted living in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties as shown below.