Charleston Senior AdvisorWhat usually starts a senior care search around Charleston?
A discharge from MUSC, Roper St. Francis, Trident, East Cooper or another Lowcountry hospital, a fall, a dementia diagnosis, a family caregiver running out of strength, savings running low, or a decision to move a parent closer to children here.
Each guide below starts at that moment and lists the steps in order, with the South Carolina rules and local numbers that apply.
Who can help figure out the next step for free?
The Trident Area Agency on Aging (843-554-2275) gives free information and referral for all three counties, and a senior advisor can walk a family through licensed options at no charge.
If anyone is in danger, call 911. Suspected abuse or neglect of an adult at home goes to DSS Adult Protective Services at 1-888-227-3487.
What if our situation is not listed?
Start with three questions: which daily tasks can your parent no longer do safely, is help needed at night, and what can the budget sustain for two to three years.
Those answers usually point to one or two South Carolina license types, and the directory shows who holds them near you.
Situations: every guide
When a parent is being discharged from a Charleston-area hospital
Discharge planning after MUSC, Roper St. Francis, Trident, East Cooper or other Lowcountry hospital stays: inpatient vs. observation status, choosing rehab, Medicare's rules, and when assisted living or home care fits.
Read →When a parent can no longer live alone
Signs a parent in Charleston, Berkeley or Dorchester can no longer live alone safely, the options from home care to assisted living, PACE and adult day care, and how to start the conversation.
Read →After a dementia diagnosis: what to do in the first months
Next steps after an Alzheimer's or dementia diagnosis for families in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: legal papers, safety, support, adult day and memory care under South Carolina rules.
Read →When the family caregiver is running out of strength
Signs of caregiver burnout and the help available to family caregivers in Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties: respite, adult day care, in-home care, the Trident AAA caregiver program and Medicaid options.
Read →When the money for care is running out
What Charleston-area families can do when savings for assisted living or home care are running low: OSS, Community Choices, Medicaid for nursing homes, VA pension, PACE and planning a move.
Read →Caring for a parent in the Lowcountry from far away
How long-distance families manage care for a parent in Charleston, Berkeley or Dorchester counties: local eyes and ears, choosing care remotely, hurricane season planning, paperwork and when to move a parent closer.
Read →Moving a parent to Charleston to be closer to family
What families should know when moving a parent to Charleston, Berkeley or Dorchester counties for assisted living, memory care or nursing care: South Carolina licensing, Medicaid timing, choosing a location and storm season.
Read →