Jim Condon Assisted Living Locators Wake County

Unfortunately, the Wake County area is one of the most expensive areas in the state for senior living. Independent Living starts right around $3000 for a small studio and goes to as much as $8 or $9000 for a large 2-bedroom in a newer community. The average cost is approximately $4000. Assisted Living can range from $5000 for a small studio with minimal care to $8500–$9000 for someone requiring significant care. The average is about $6800. Sharing a room can help decrease this cost by a little over a third. Memory Care is almost always in a shared room and can range from $6500 to $12,000, depending on the community and the amount of care needed. Going just outside of Wake County by as little as 30 minutes can reduce the cost by over 1/3 in pricing.

In most situations, assisted living and memory care are private pay, unless you have a long-term care insurance policy. There are a limited number of communities that will accept Medicaid as payment for assisted living and memory care in the area. In NC, this type of Medicaid is called Special Assistance, and you must be living in or getting ready to move into a community before you can apply. In 2023, the maximum income limit for assisted living eligibility is $1285 and for memory care it is $1647. There is also a program for veterans and their spouses called Veterans Aid and Attendance, which might also offer some assistance, assuming certain qualifications can be met.

Most assisted living communities have a minimal wait of 4-6 weeks if that. Memory care communities can take a little longer, sometimes up to 90 days depending on the community you are interested in. If you want a particular room size or view, you may have to wait several months for that depending on the community. Independent living seldom has a wait unless you are looking for a very specific type of apartment. Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs) are communities that have significant upfront buy-in and provide care including skilled nursing do have significant wait periods of 5-10 years.

Yes, independent living communities have home care agencies available that you can hire to provide additional care and services. Some home care agencies are onsite 24 hours a day and some are only available for a limited number of hours per day. They provide services such as medication reminders, help with showering and dressing, apartment cleaning, laundry, and companionship.

There are more than 150 Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care communities in the Wake, Franklin, Nash, Johnston, and Harnett counties where I primarily work.

In North Carolina, there are a number of things that differentiate the two. First, independent living is not regulated by the state, i.e. they do not have to meet specific care standards. Assisted living is regulated by the state, and they are required to meet a number of different care requirements. For example, in assisted living, they are required to provide 3 meals and 3 snacks per day. Independent living is not required to provide any meals or snacks; however, most provide 1 or 2 meals a day. Assisted living automatically provides care with activities of daily living (ADLs) like showering, dressing, toileting, medication management, and feeding if someone needs it. Independent living does not require individuals to hire a home care company for those services. Simply put, assisted living is 24/7 care on demand for one price, while independent living is scheduled care, typically 7 am-7 pm either 5 or 7 days a week at an additional cost to the individual.