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Memory Care in North Carolina

Overview of Memory Care in North Carolina

Whether you prefer laid-back beach towns, mountain hikes, or something in between, North Carolina has something to offer — and that’s what makes it an ideal retirement destination. The Outer Banks region along the state’s eastern coast is a popular tourist spot, featuring lighthouses, beaches, and countless other aquatic activities. It’s also home to Kitty Hawk, the seaside town where the Wright brothers made their historic first airplane flight. Then, on North Carolina’s western edge is where the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains run through the state. Peppered throughout all of North Carolina are small yet vibrant college towns like Asheville and Chapel Hill, along with larger metropolitan areas like Charlotte. Add mild weather and low property taxes to the mix, and it’s clear why the Tar Heel State has one of the fastest-growing populations in the United States.

Currently, A Place for Mom partners with more than 270 senior living communities in North Carolina that provide memory care.

The median monthly cost of memory care in North Carolina is about $5,500.

Top-rated Memory Care facilities in North Carolina

15
15 Photos available

Brighton Gardens of Winston-Salem

2601 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
9.9
Review Score
82 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

All questions are a five and where their strengths are special is with the Director [name removed] and his management staff. They have a wealth of knowledge and expertise and treat the residents and families...

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1
1 Photos available
2
2 Floor plans available

Brookdale Meadowmont

100 Lanark Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
9.9
Review Score
48 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My loved one is currently a resident at Brookdale Meadowmont and the overall experience has been great so far. The staff is better than great. The food is typical institutional food, I don't like it but our...

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7
7 Photos available
3
3 Floor plans available

LaurelHurst and LaurelWoods

1064 West Mills St., Columbus, NC 28722
9.8
Review Score
57 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Stella Y - I'm a current/former resident or client

Been a very pleasant arrival experience. Been here 2 weeks and 4 days. I love my apartment and the staff is very helpful and diligent to details. All are very friendly.

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Top-rated Memory Care facilities in Charlotte

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13
13 Photos available

The Charlotte

9120 Willow Ridge Rd, Charlotte, NC 28210
1.0
Review Score
22 reviews
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Dining room has been closed off and on due to staffing issues. Activities offered include bingo, holiday parties, etc. They had a price raise of 10% since the beginning of 2022. That was a large increase....

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7
7 Photos available

The Pines on Carmel Senior Living

5820 Carmel Rd, Charlotte, NC 28226
8.5
Review Score
45 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

We chose The Pines on Caramel Senior Living for our loved one because the location of the facility is close to family. It is a very nice place. Also, during our initial visit, the staff were really nice....

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3
3 Photos available

Cadence at Mint Hill by Cogir

5601 Margaret Wallace Rd, Mint Hill, NC 28105
7.9
Review Score
18 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Cadence at Mint Hill is very clean and the people were helpful and kind ... food not very good most days. Nursing staff is very good... I think they were my mom's best friends. She moved to [facility name...

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Top-rated Memory Care facilities in Raleigh

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11
11 Photos available

Cadence at North Raleigh by Cogir

5219 Old Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609
8.8
Review Score
32 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

When it comes the meals and dining, sometimes, it looks like a cafeteria food. The indoor activities receives a 4 and the outdoor activities gets a 2. With the value for cost that may be due to a decline in...

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17
17 Photos available

Brighton Gardens of Raleigh

3101 Duraleigh Road, Raleigh, NC 27612
9.1
Review Score
51 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Beverly Y - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Everyone is treating us so nice. I love the caring consideration all of the employees have. They keep his room really clean and are so considerate of everything. Thank you so much for helping me find...

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3
3 Photos available

Spring Arbor of Raleigh

1810 N New Hope Rd, Raleigh, NC 27604
8.4
Review Score
24 reviews
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My loved one was a resident at Spring Arbor of Raleigh until they had a fire recently, which unfortunately displaced most of the residents. The staff at this facility was great. My loved one really liked the...

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Top-rated Memory Care facilities in Durham

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10
10 Photos available
3
3 Floor plans available

Carolina Reserve of Durham

4523 Hope Valley Rd, Durham, NC 27707
9.2
Review Score
44 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Frank F - I'm a current/former resident or client

I have a warm, spacious and comfortable room. The staff is patient, helpful, alert and sincere. I feel safe in my environment and well cared for. There is a significant amount of activities geared...

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9
9 Photos available
4
4 Floor plans available

Seasons at Southpoint

1002 North Carolina Hwy 54, Durham, NC 27713
8.5
Review Score
35 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

I really like their pricing model which is all inclusive. The staff seems very nice and caring every time I visit. They do a lot of different activities each week. I would recommend this community to other...

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7
7 Photos available

Cambridge Hills Assisted Living

140 Brookstone Lane, Pittsboro, NC 27312
8.8
Review Score
33 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

5 stars for all categories! They were very nice to work with and much more flexible than other places we checked out. Much much better than [facility name removed], which I highly recommend people stay away...

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Top-rated Memory Care facilities in Winston Salem

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13
13 Photos available

Homestead Hills

3520 Homestead Hills Dr, Winston Salem, NC 27103
5.5
Review Score
29 reviews
mch - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

My mother fell 3 times!! Had met with staff and executive director after the first fall. The first fall should not have happened. Not enough staff to care about the patients. Meet with caretakers on why...

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15
15 Photos available

Brighton Gardens of Winston-Salem

2601 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
9.9
Review Score
82 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Anonymous - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

All questions are a five and where their strengths are special is with the Director [name removed] and his management staff. They have a wealth of knowledge and expertise and treat the residents and families...

Get Pricing
23
23 Photos available
8
8 Floor plans available

Forest Heights Senior Living

2500 Polo Ridge Ct, Winston-Salem, NC 27106
8.6
Review Score
72 reviews
Starting at
$X,XXX/mo
Todd Barr - I'm a loved one of a resident or client

Staff at Forest Heights is personal and meet the needs of my Mom. They are patient and understanding of the needs of each resident. They take the time to speak and participate in activities with residents...

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North Carolina laws and regulations for memory care facilities

North Carolina memory care communities can be stand-alone facilities or a special care unit (SCU) that shares a campus or building with another senior care facilities. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) licenses memory care facilities as adult care homes (ACH) and regulates them through the Division of Health Service Regulation (DHSR). There are two types of ACH which are determined by the size of the facility. Family care homes serve 2-6 residents whereas a larger ACH is licensed for seven or more residents.[01]

Any facility serving residents living with dementia must be approved by the state to provide that care and have a license that indicates the number of beds reserved for dementia care. Memory care facilities must also follow specific staffing and facility requirements that include the following:[02]

  • There must be one staff member for every eight residents during day shifts.
  • A care coordinator must be present eight hours a day, five days per week.
  • Staff must have six hours of dementia-specific orientation within their first week of employment. After six months of employment, staff must have at least 20 hours of dementia-specific training.
  • Facilities are required to have secure outdoor access for residents.
  • Facilities must have locking doors or monitoring devices to discourage elopement.

In addition to memory care-specific requirements, facilities must provide standard ACH services and licensing regulations:[02]

  • Facilities must have proper staffing ratios which includes an administrator on duty at all times in addition to a staff activity director.
  • Residents must be assessed within 72 hours of admission.
  • A separate functional assessment to determine a resident’s level of functioning must be performed within 30 days of admission.
  • Facilities must provide three meals and three snacks each day.

Our Overview of Assisted Living in North Carolina provides additional information about adult care home regulations.

Let our care assessment guide you

Our free tool provides options, advice, and next steps based on your unique situation.

North Carolina memory care violations and licensing information

Licensed adult care homes are inspected by the DHSR annually. Social service departments in a facility’s county monitor adult care homes quarterly and investigate complaints. Individual counties with adult care homes have a county-run advisory committee that promotes community involvement and works with facilities to help provide quality care.

While researching facilities for a loved one, the Department of Health and Human Services provides an updated list of licensed adult care facilities with special care units for individuals with dementia. Information can be found on the Adult Care Licensure Section page. Under the Facility Listings click on the “Facilities with Special Care Units” link and scroll until you find the facility you are searching for.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services contact information

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
101 Blair Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603

Phone: 888-893-1162

References

  1. Licensing of Family Care Homes, N.C. Administrative Code § 10A NCAC 13G. (1977 & rev. 2022).

  2. Licensing of Adult Care Homes of Seven or More Beds, N.C. Administrative Code § 10A NCAC 13F. (1977 & rev. 2022).

The information contained on this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical, legal or financial advice or create a professional relationship between A Place for Mom and the reader. Always seek the advice of your health care provider, attorney or financial advisor with respect to any particular matter, and do not act or refrain from acting on the basis of anything you have read on this site. Links to third-party websites are only for the convenience of the reader; A Place for Mom does not endorse the contents of the third-party sites.

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