Assisted living in North Carolina
If you’re considering retirement in a state with tightly-knight communities that are not too far from bigger cities, North Carolina might be able to provide that. Apart from a 45-minute drive to the big city, North Carolina provides its citizens with gorgeous nature, four clearly distinct seasonal transitions, and the well-known Southern hospitality. Seniors that are either living or considering living in The Old North State will be able to enjoy the peace and quiet during both day and night.
Prior to deciding if you want to spend your golden years in North Carolina, you should probably get more informed about the senior living costs, facilities, and benefits that North Carolina has to offer its citizens. In this article, you can find information about the essentials regarding senior living in North Carolina, such as the senior living options like independent living facilities or nursing homes, the various support systems that they have put in place, including the amenities they have to offer their residents. Already have an idea as to where in North Carolina you’d like to move to? Feel free to use the list of cities below in order to get a better idea about the surroundings and senior living options you can find in the cities of your choice.
With a housing index of 94.70, North Carolina’s cost of living is more affordable than the national average of 100. To give you some perspective, one-bedroom apartments have an average monthly cost of about $656, compared to the national average of $825. Two-bedroom apartments have an average cost of $793 per month, compared to the national average of $1027 per month.
If you want to get a better idea about the monthly costs of living for retirees in North Carolina, we’re here for you. The average home healthcare cost in this state is around $3,432 per month. Home healthcare allows seniors to enjoy the comfortability of their own homes while a designated aide provides help with housecleaning, daily tasks, and meal preparation, among other things.
North Carolina is home to adult daycare facilities that can be found all over the state. These facilities provide seniors with supervised housing during the day while their primary caregivers are out taking care of their own responsibilities and obligations. Seniors residing in adult daycare facilities will be provided help with personal care and access to various social activities. The average monthly cost for adult daycare facilities is about $1,148.
Seniors that require an increased level of assistance with their daily tasks should take a look at assisted living facilities which are also present in North Carolina. At these facilities, besides housing, seniors will be provided access to personal care and health services. The average monthly cost for assisted living facilities in North Carolina is around $3,250.
Lastly, there are many nursing homes available in North Carolina for seniors that need 24/7 care and supervision. Semi-private rooms have an average monthly cost of about $6,844, while seniors that want more privacy can opt in for a private room for the average monthly cost of around $7,604. Seniors residing at these nursing homes apart from housing, will also be provided access to personal care, medications, ‘round the clock skilled nursing care and supervision, including therapies and rehabilitation.
Benefits of Choosing North Carolina for Senior Living
Want to move to North Carolina and spend your golden years here? In that case, you might want to get informed about the various benefits that seniors residing in North Carolina have available. Below, we have listed three of them to get you started.
Four Distinct Seasons in North Carolina
If your dream retirement place is somewhere where you can experience four distinct and gorgeous seasons, there’s a chance you’ve been dreaming about North Carolina. The summers in North Carolina are warm, but not too much – making your outdoor activities all the more pleasurable, be it in the forest or by the many streams. Springs comes early in this state, and during this season, you’ll be able to bear witness to the gorgeous change of colors when nature starts blooming. Fall is the season that many people choose to go walking, hiking, biking, or generally have fun in the various social activities available, mainly because while the weather cools down – it doesn’t get too cold, and the changing colors of leaves make for a gorgeous sight. During winter, you can see lots of snow in the mountains and feel the cool weather on your skin. The temperatures during winter have an average range between the high forties and low fifties, making way for the occasional snowfall. This distinct seasonal change will allow seniors to feel nourished and get their senses heightened.
Senior-Friendly Social Activities and Venues in North Carolina
North Carolina has something for everyone, be it the forest-covered mountains and the famous Appalachian Trail that goes through them, or the peaceful beaches of Nags Head and the Outer Banks. The Smoky Mountains are also located in North Carolina, with the Venus Flytrap that has made them their home. Asheville is full of restaurants and vibrant shows to see and visit, but so are Charlotte and Raleigh.
Modest Tax Benefits in North Carolina
North Carolina’s tax system can be considered to be above the national average. While Social Security income isn’t taxed at all, public and private pensions are fully taxed, in addition to withdrawals from retirement accounts. The marginal state tax rate is 5.5%, which while not bring too high, is still lower than some other states in the nation.
Senior Living Options in North Carolina
There are many senior living options available in North Carolina, and seniors that want to retire in this state can choose from independent living, assisted living, memory care, or nursing homecare – depending on each individual’s wants and needs. Keep reading below and find out which of these is most appropriate for you.
Independent Living
Over 330 independent living facilities can be found all over North Carolina. This type of senior living is often chosen by seniors that are still active and healthy, without requiring ‘round the clock nursing care. The average monthly cost range for independent living facilities in North Carolina is anywhere from as low as $605 to as high as $4,342.
Seniors that would rather live in an apartment style setting can opt for living in an active senior community for seniors aged 55+ or 65+ where they will be able to live and socialize among their peers. These active senior communities usually have various amenities like gyms, walking and hiking trails, meeting rooms, pools and jacuzzies, and much more – all in the service of their residents.
Assisted Living
Over 650 assisted living facilities call North Carolina their home, and their main goal is providing seniors with professional caregivers, quality healthcare, and access to social and local activities. At these facilities, residents will be provided help with housekeeping, laundry services, transportation, meal preparation, and ‘round the clock surveillance for their safety.
The average monthly costs for assisted living facilities in North Carolina can range anywhere from $1,100 to $7,895, depending on the location and level of care needed, or the services provided. The more affordable assisted living facilities can be found in the Burlington area, while the more expensive ones are located in the Wilmington metropolitan area.
Seniors that have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or other dementia-related ailments will find help at one of the many memory care centers operating in North Carolina. Memory care centers’ main objective is providing specialized and personalized care for seniors that suffer from memory loss. The staff at these centers provides help with personal grooming and assisting lost residents back to their rooms should they get lost. The average annual cost for memory care centers in North Carolina is $51,156. The most affordable facilities can be found in the Burlington area for the average annual cost of $46,530, while the Wilmington metropolitan area is the home to the memory care centers with higher costs that can get around $83,903 per year.
Nursing Homes in North Carolina
There are more than 1,300 senior living providers in North Carolina, which more than enough for seniors to choose from, be it hospice care or respite care.
16 of all senior living providers in North Carolina go to adult daycare facilities, and their average annual cost is about $13,260. The more affordable adult daycare facilities can be found in Jacksonville and its surrounding communities for the average annual price of $9,100, while the most expensive ones are located in the Goldsboro metropolitan areas and their average price is around $32,500. Overall, the average cost range for adult daycare facilities can get as low as $630 and as high as $3,000 per month.
There are plenty of hospices that can be found all over the state, and their main goal is to ease the pain and suffering of seniors that have been diagnosed with terminal illness, allowing them to live out their remaining days with as much peace and dignity as possible. North Carolina is home to 149 such hospices, and they provide terminally ill residents with pain management with the help of both traditional medications applied by a skilled physician and holistic therapies like aromatherapy, yoga (senior-friendly), meditation, and much more. The administrative staff at these hospices will provide seniors and their families help with all the paperwork needed so as to cover the costs for hospice care either fully or partially, since they are often covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurances.
Respite care facilities provide breathing room to primary caregivers which are often family members and therefore, unpaid. They do this by providing all the care and attention for seniors instead of their primary caregivers for a set amount of time allowing them to recuperate and take care of their own responsibilities and duties. This can be done for a couple hours a day, several days during the week, or for months on end. The average annual cost for respite care in North Carolina is $73,913, with monthly costs ranging anywhere from $5,655 and up to $12,311. The price for respite care facilities might be a bit high, but it’s well worth the investment.
