Memory care around Charleston

What is memory care in South Carolina?

It is care in an Alzheimer's special care unit or program, a secured area inside a licensed CRCF or nursing home for residents with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia, defined in Regulation 60-84, Section 101.F and flagged on DPH's licensing data.

On DPH's licensing data (as of November 6, 2026), 21 of the 56 senior-serving CRCFs in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties carry an Alzheimer's special care unit flag, 4 more report Alzheimer's care without a unit, and 1 of the 19 licensed nursing homes carry an Alzheimer's flag.

Who needs memory care rather than assisted living?

People with dementia who wander or try to leave, who no longer recognize danger, or whose behavior needs a calm, structured setting with staff trained for it; memory loss alone does not require a secured unit.

Programs must disclose in writing what makes their dementia care special under the Alzheimer's Special Care Disclosure Act. Ask for that document before touring.

What does memory care cost around Charleston?

No median exists anywhere, because CareScout does not survey memory care as a category; each Lowcountry program quotes its own monthly price, usually above standard assisted living in the same building.

Compare total monthly cost including care level and supplies. Few secured units accept Optional State Supplementation, so ask before assuming public help will be available later.

How do I evaluate a memory care unit in the Lowcountry?

Read the written disclosure first, then visit in the late afternoon and watch how staff engage residents, ask how many staff are on the secured unit overnight, how the day is structured, and how agitation and exit-seeking are handled without relying on medication.

Look for residents who are engaged rather than parked before a television, and staff who call residents by name. Ask how many licensed beds are inside the secured area and whether there is a waiting list, since DPH does not publish a dementia bed count.

When should a family start touring memory care?

Before a crisis, ideally soon after diagnosis or when wandering first appears, so the family can compare programs calmly and join a waiting list if one exists.

Choosing a building with both standard assisted living and a secured unit gives the most room to adjust as the disease progresses.

How is memory care spread across the Lowcountry?

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