Charleston Senior AdvisorDoes South Carolina license memory care separately?
No. Memory care happens in an Alzheimer's special care unit or program inside a licensed CRCF or nursing home, defined in Regulation 60-84, Section 101.F, and DPH's data flags the buildings that have one.
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.
What must a memory care program tell families in writing?
Under the Alzheimer's Special Care Disclosure Act (S.C. Code 44-36-510 and following), any facility offering or advertising dementia care must disclose in writing what makes its care special, including philosophy, admissions and discharge, staffing and training, the physical setting and activities.
Ask for the disclosure before the tour and compare it with what you see.
How many staff must work on a memory care unit at night?
South Carolina sets no dementia-specific ratio; the CRCF building minimum of one staff member per 30 residents during non-peak hours, with someone always awake, applies.
Ask each program how many staff are physically inside the secured unit overnight.
Can someone with dementia live in regular assisted living?
Often, yes, in the early stages: forgetfulness alone does not rule out an open building, but a resident who wanders or is likely to endanger themselves needs a secured unit.
A building with both open assisted living and a secured unit allows a move down the hall instead of across town.
What does memory care cost around Charleston?
No memory care median is published anywhere; CareScout does not survey the category, so each program quotes its own price, usually above standard assisted living in the same building.
Ask for the total monthly figure with care levels and supplies included, and how much it rose last year.
Will a memory care resident have to move to a nursing home eventually?
Not necessarily. Residents can stay with hospice support unless they become totally dependent for more than 14 days without improving, need a nurse's continuous daily attention, or show dangerous behavior the building cannot manage.
When a move is required, the facility must arrange a transfer within 30 days (Regulation 60-84, Section 801.F).
Do any Lowcountry nursing homes have dementia units?
A few nursing homes in the three counties carry an Alzheimer's flag on DPH's data, which matters for someone with dementia who also needs skilled nursing care.
Our memory care roster lists every CRCF and nursing home DPH flags.
