When planning their next move, perhaps after retirement or a major health event, older adults and their families usually have two big questions: What level of support is available, and what will it cost? To help, Seniors Guide breaks down the most common senior living options – including aging in place and retirement communities, from active living to assisted and nursing care – and offers a look at the average cost of senior living in South Carolina.
In all measures of senior care, average costs in the state of South Carolina are lower than the U.S. average. Comparing specific states, South Carolina is more expensive than Arkansas and significantly less expensive than the state of Maine. From aging-in-place services to retirement communities and provisions for short-term needs, the cost of senior living in South Carolina varies with local cost of living, especially housing, labor, and service costs.
Aging-in-Place Services
Older adults who choose to age in place often need additional support as their care needs change over time.
Non-Medical In-Home Care
Home Care aides assist with hygiene, laundry, meals, mobility, transportation, medication reminders, and other non-medical needs. Similarly, companion care provides company and emotional support as well as help with basic chores. Visits may occur several times per week and typically last from 2 to 8 hours.
Cost info: The median hourly cost statewide1 is $31. The median daily cost is $197, which equates to $5,982 per month. In the Charleston area, the average is $220 per day, whereas the same services in Florence average $176 per day. Agency rates often run higher than direct-hire companion care, but agencies offer benefits such as screening and background checks, backup care, and liability protection. Costs vary by location, hours of care, minimum visit requirements, and services provided. Costs increase on weekends, holidays, and evenings.
Medical Home Health Care
Trained home health care professionals offer skilled care such as checking pulse, temperature, and respiration and assist with medical equipment such as ventilators. They visit the home as medically necessary but stay for shorter periods than Home Care aides. More intensive medical care that requires additional medical training will cost more. Similarly, the more time that a patient requires in-home help, the greater the overall cost.
Cost info: Private duty nurses and nursing services charge by the hour. The median hourly cost1, about $73 per hour, is a little more than double that of a non-medical aide. However, monthly and annual costs would be lower since private duty nurses spend less time with patients. Median monthly cost for a private duty nurse is $314, which equates to $3,770 annually.
Adult Day Care
Adult day care centers provide supervision and social activities for seniors who are aging in place. Some adult day care facilities provide additional health and therapeutic services for individuals with severe medical problems or dementia. Centers of all levels operate in a structured setting outside of the home during daytime hours, usually only on weekdays. These centers offer companionship and care for the seniors, peace of mind for families, and time for caregivers to attend to other needs.
Cost info: Adult day health care in South Carolina averages1 about $72 per day ($1,560 per month), compared with the national median of $95 per day ($2,058 per month). Costs vary by location, program type, schedule, and level of on-site medical supervision. Many centers allow flexibility in the number days a participant attends each week. Medicaid and long-term care insurance may cover some medical care costs.
Retirement Communities
Seniors looking for a new home will find a range of at options at retirement communities: from an easier lifestyle to new social outlets and activities to a bit more assistance with daily life. Understanding how these communities focus on residents’ needs and this cost of senior living in South Carolina can help older adults and their families make wise decisions.
From aging-in-place services to retirement communities and provisions for short-term needs, the cost of senior living in South Carolina varies with local cost of living, especially housing, labor, and service costs.
Active Adult Homes
Homes targeting active adult living are built for zero maintenance and full accessibility in a community rich in activities and opportunities to engage the mind, soul, and body. Some of these communities, notably Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) and Life Plan Communities, have an initial entrance fee, which is intended to secure residents against the financial challenges of long-term medical care.
Cost info: Prices for this type of senior residential living cover a wide range. Properties can range from monthly rental properties to deeded real estate, both of which reflect market prices. Recurring costs can include HOA fees, activity fees, and/or amenity fees. Detached homes typically cost more than condos. Cost is also affected by location, amenities and programs, and dwelling size.
Independent Living Communities
These communities are designed for active and independent retirement-age residents. They offer a range of housing options and amenities, from simple apartment life to lavish resort-style living. They generally include full kitchens to support residents’ independence, but they allow in-home care as needed.
Cost info: Unlike Medicare-certified care settings, independent living communities are usually private-pay housing, so there is no single official statewide average. Costs vary widely by city, community, home size, amenities, meals, transportation, and additional services. Costs are best estimated through local housing data and provider rate sheets.
Senior Apartments
Senior apartments provide seniors with an independent lifestyle while offering a moderate level of help, such as daily assistance with essential necessities and services. They are usually age-restricted.
Cost info: Market-rate senior apartments in South Carolina cost roughly $1,400 to $2,500 per month, depending on location, size, amenities, and whether utilities are included. Some also add monthly maintenance fees. Luxury senior apartment communities can run significantly higher. Income-restricted or subsidized senior apartments may cost much less, typically based on income.
Assisted Living
Assisted living facilities support residents who need help with some daily activities, such as bathing, medication management, transportation to doctor’s appointments, and meal prep. This environment accommodates a degree of independence in a socially enriched environment.
Cost info: The median cost1 of an assisted living community in South Carolina is $5,350 per month ($64,200 annually). This rate is lower than the United States average, with the nation’s monthly median rate coming in at $6,200 ($74,400 annually). However, prices vary around the state. Residents of Charleston can expect to pay around $5,746 per month while those in Spartanburg will pay closer to $3,690. Many families pay for assisted living through Social Security, veteran’s benefits, home equity, savings and retirement accounts, and/or a long-term care policy.
Skilled Nursing Care/Nursing Home
Residents at skilled nursing care facilities need additional support. Trained professionals, including registered nurses, provide care to residents, such as hygiene, basic health monitoring, prescription management, and other treatments. Social activities and special events are available to residents.
Cost info: In South Carolina, the average cost1 for a semi-private room in a skilled nursing facility is $297 per day ($9,034 per month, $108,405 per year). Private rooms average $316 per day ($9,612 per month, $115,340 per year). Costs vary across the state. In Florence, the average cost of a semi-private room is $277 per day, while in Columbia, a semi-private room averages $332 per day.
Memory Care
Specialized memory care for patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s is typically available as an add-on service at assisted living facilities.
Cost info: Memory care can cost 20% to 30% more than assisted living since it requires higher staffing levels, specialized dementia training, enhanced security, and structured activities. Based on South Carolina’s average assisted living cost plus 25%, that would be $6,688 per month. Rates vary by community, location, room type, and level of dementia care required.
Families can choose to care for a loved one with dementia at home. This would typically require 24/7 care, which can be provided by a family member and supplemented by in-home care and adult day health care (see above).
Care for short-term needs
Some services and facilities are designed to meet short-term needs, from rehabilitation after a significant health event to palliative care and hospice care, rather than serving as long-term homes.
Rehabilitation Care
Rehabilitation care offers temporary but round-the-clock services that can be provided at home, in special rehabilitation facilities, or within skilled nursing facilities. It includes therapy and care that allows seniors to regain their strength and abilities after a life-altering event and must be prescribed by a doctor.
Cost info: Short-term rehab after hospitalization can be provided in a skilled nursing facility. In South Carolina, a nursing facility stay costs1 roughly $297 per day for a semi-private room, or about $9,034 per month. Costs vary by location, facility, therapy needs, insurance coverage, and length of stay. Medicare often pays for part of this service.
Palliative Care
Palliative care focuses on bringing comfort and relief from pain, symptoms, stress, side effects, and quality-of-life concerns during a serious illness. It can be provided alongside medical treatments intended to cure the illness of prolong life.
Cost info: Costs vary widely depending upon where the care is provided, who is paying for it, and what treatment is required. Palliative care may be provided in a hospital, clinic, nursing facility, outpatient office, or at home. It is usually billed through Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or the patient’s health plan. Treatment varies, involving different doctors, specialists, medications, therapies, or services.
Hospice Care
Hospice care focuses on improving the quality of life for the terminal patient who can remain at home or receive care in a hospice facility. Hospice care provides emotional and spiritual support to the patient as well as pain management. Services generally include nursing care, physician services, medications related to the terminal illness, medical equipment, supplies, social work, counseling, and short-term respite care.
Cost info: With the appropriate doctor’s certification, hospice care is usually covered by Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, or private insurance, so many patients pay little or nothing for covered hospice services. Families may still have costs for co-pays, room and board in a nursing home or assisted living facility, private-duty caregiving, or services unrelated to the hospice diagnosis.
Additional guidance from local resources
A trusted place to find free guidance and detailed information is online at South Carolina Department on Aging or by phone at 800-868-9095.
You can also get assistance from your local Area Agency on Aging. Find links and phone numbers at the state’s GetCareSC.com, supported by the South Carolina Department on Aging.
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