How can I afford a Care Advisor?

Anyone can afford an Assisted Living Locator Care Advisor. That’s because we are paid only when we help you make a decision about your senior’s living location and we are paid by the location you choose. And because we only receive payment when you’re paying the Care Community directly, we’ll also put you in touch with your state’s social service network to make sure that you receive the proper state support in the event that you are unable to pay for senior care and housing yourself.

What can a Care Advisor help me with?

An Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisor specializes in knowing your senior housing and in home care options, but via their referral network they can connect you with state resources in the event that you need to consider state resources to finance and secure senior housing, as well as a wide variety of specialists who focus on some aspect of the senior services industry- Eldercare Attorneys, Financial Specialists, Real Estate Agents, Downsizing Specialists, Home Health Experts, and just about any other senior service need you can think of.

Who is my Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisor?

Glad you asked. This site gives you a number of ways to find your local Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisor. Pick one and we’ll either get them on the phone, or make sure that they contact you in a timely fashion. Click here to get to our Care Advisor page.

How are Care Advisors trained?

Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisors are vetted for the right set of skills before they ever even buy a franchise. Once they do, we provide comprehensive initial training and a 13 week “in community” onboarding process. We ask all Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisors to become Certified Senior Advisors, a nationwide accreditation program that provides additional industry specific knowledge. Care Advisors also participate in continuing education provided by us and provided by local senior oriented industry associations to ensure that they understand the latest tools, techniques and industry rules and regulations to help you navigate the senior experience.

What does a Care Advisor do?

An Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisor spends time at each of the communities and homes in your local area. They understand how well the community is performing against state standards and they understand what the community is good at- in short, they understand what isn’t in the community’s glossy brochure. An Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisor networks to ensure that they have a broad array of qualified resource team members that they can call on to help deal with challenges beyond senior housing and care, which is their own area of expertise. And Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisors spend time with families and seniors. They can’t help if they don’t know and understand you and your family. Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisors have a structured way to identify important needs that you and your senior have, which they then use to match you to the best community choices or the best members of their resource network that can meet your needs.

Who is Assisted Living Locators®?

A franchise business based in Arizona, with local owners and operators across the US. Our Care Advisors bring problem solving skills and compassion to your local senior community, and we supply the training, processes and industry knowledge they need to provide you with the help you want.

Where are your Care Advisors located?

Everywhere. If we don’t have a Care Advisor yet in your local area, we’ll find you an affiliate advisor who can help. But every month we train more Care Advisors to meet the growing needs of seniors in every community across the US. You can find your local Care Advisor by using the tools on this website. And because we are nationwide, we can help you in your town or in towns all across the US.

When should I contact an Assisted Living Locators® Care Advisor?

Since Care Advisors understand the entire range of living options available to seniors, any family with a senior over 55 can benefit from their expertise. Use us to understand your independent living options if your senior wants more time for leisure pursuits after 55. Use us especially when you are concerned about the safety or health of your senior loved one. And it’s critically important that you reach out to us if your senior is in the hospital or rehabilitation facility so that we help you navigate the immediate next health care and housing steps that must be taken, giving you a voice in how the health care and insurance systems in your state manage your senior’s needs.

Memory Care In Columbia, SC

Find local care advisors

Find the Best Memory Care Near Columbia, SC

Columbia, SC, memory care facilities are long-term senior living properties dedicated to caring for aging adults in cognitive decline. Caregivers are on hand day and night to help provide gentle redirection and reminders for residents and help curb escape-seeking behaviors or soothe anxious outbursts. Some memory care communities are part of a larger assisted living facility and allow residents to move to a higher level of care without leaving a familiar environment. Other properties are stand-alone facilities exclusively for memory care.

Types of Memory Care

Memory care properties in Columbia treat aging adults with many types of dementia, not just Alzheimer’s Disease. Each form of dementia has its own symptoms and treatments, and residents are cared for accordingly.

Many memory care residents have one of these types of dementia:

Lewy Body Dementia
Frontotemporal dementia
Mixed Dementia
Alzheimer’s Disease

Some memory care facilities also accommodate residents with cognitive decline stemming from other medical conditions, such as:

Parkinson’s disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Huntington’s disease
Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Columbia memory care properties are constructed with the needs of aging adults in mind, with open floor plans and wide hallways for ease of mobility. Many have clear directions to the dining room, library, recreation areas, and bathrooms to reduce confusion. Muted lighting and low background noise can help create a soothing ambiance. The exterior doors are secure, and spaces like the kitchen, staff areas, and storage areas are controlled with electronic passkeys to protect wandering residents from getting hurt.

Programs and services in memory care differ from those in other types of senior living. Each activity is intended to help residents retain their abilities and slow cognitive decline. Speech, physical, and occupational therapy are often provided on-site. In addition, programs like art and music therapy can improve seniors’ quality of life. Some communities may also offer animal therapy or aromatherapy.

Your Columbia, SC Senior Living Advisor

Ramona Britt & Valerie Koeppen

Servicing Columbia SC, Lexington SC, Greater Midlands Area

Meet Advisor 803-470-1011

There are so many options when it comes to senior living. Navigating through the process can often be difficult and confusing. I take that burden off of your shoulders by helping you find the right home for your loved one. I provide assistance throughout the entire process, discuss your needs and concerns, visit properties, and answer all your questions about cost and care options.

Meet Advisor 803-470-1011

What is the Cost of Memory Care in Columbia, SC

The average monthly cost for memory care in Columbia is $3,826. However, each property will have a slightly different monthly price depending on the services or amenities it provides. Some properties offer all-inclusive pricing, while others have tiered pricing structures with various services included. Memory care properties usually have higher fees than other senior living options due to the higher level of service and care and additional certifications for caregivers.

Columbia memory care properties provide a private or semi-private room for residents, with housekeeping and laundry services included. Meals are served daily, prepared with the needs of aging adults in mind. Provision is also made for residents who need room service delivery for meals or help to eat. In addition, professionally trained caregivers are on hand around the clock to assist residents with activities of daily living, including:

Grooming, bathing, and personal care
Selecting appropriate clothes and dressing
Help with mobility, such as transfers, lifts, and escorts to meals or activities
Diabetic care and medication management
Using the bathroom
Transportation and escorts to doctor’s appointments

Every memory care senior has their own care plan, including physicians’ recommendations for treating their specific dementia diagnosis and any other health concerns. Care plans can be adjusted as the resident’s needs change and may include particular ADLs that they need assistance with. However, staff members can help with any ADL, even without care plan directives.

What Should Every Senior Know About Living in Columbia, SC?

Columbia is the capital of South Carolina, located in the central part of the state. Older adults benefit from convenient access to government offices and world-class health care. Families visiting their loved ones may use the airport or one of several nearby highways to travel here. In addition, South Carolina has an income tax structure that benefits seniors, exempting Social Security income from taxation and offering a $15,000 deduction on other retirement income.

Columbia Weather & Climate

Columbia summers are long, humid, and hot, with July high temperatures in the 90s, which seniors sensitive to the cold may appreciate. Winters are mild, with January low temperatures in the 30s and rare snow.

Local Hospitals & Notable Medical Care

Seniors in Columbia have several high-quality healthcare options, including Prisma Health Richland, a teaching hospital, and Lexington Medical Center, with a 500-bed hospital and several affiliate treatment centers.

Transportation

Columbia’s public transportation system, Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (The COMET), has bus routes that connect Columbia, Lexington County, Richmond County, and the City of Forest Acres. Seniors and military veterans may receive reduced fares. The COMET also offers paratransit, on-demand rides for those who qualify.

Arts, Culture & Recreation

Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo & Garden is a popular destination for natives and visitors alike, featuring botanical gardens and animal enclosures. In addition, families may enjoy escorting their loved ones in memory care to the Congaree National Park, which has gentle walking trails running along the Congaree River.

How Do I Pay for Memory Care in Columbia, SC?

When you start looking for a memory care community for your loved one, a local Columbia memory care advisor can help. Many families may benefit from learning more about programs or benefits that can help pay for memory care fees, and your memory care advisor can help you learn more about them.

Veteran's Benefits

Military veterans and surviving spouses may apply for the Improved Pension Program and the Aid and Assistance Benefit, two programs offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs that can help pay for memory care accommodations and services. A local VA Center representative can help you learn more and apply on behalf of your senior.

Home Equity

Columbia homeowners may use their home equity to pay for memory care. Ask a local memory care advisor how to convert home equity to pay for memory care fees.

Spend Down

South Carolina Medicaid has a maximum monthly income requirement for eligibility of $2,523 per person. However, seniors who have a higher monthly income may still be able to qualify for Medicaid through the “spend down” program. Under this program, seniors may be able to spend the difference between their monthly income and the Medicaid income cap on medical care and treatments until they reach the eligibility threshold. Ask a local Columbia memory care advocate for more information about the spend-down process.

Medicare

Traditional Medicare doesn’t cover memory care costs or services, but some optional Medicare Gap plans may. Check your loved one’s insurance coverage to see if they’re covered by one of these plans.

Medicaid

South Carolina Medicaid, Healthy Choices, offers a nursing home waiver program, the Home and Community Based Wavier, that elderly adults may use to pay for memory care fees. The wavier is open to those who require a nursing-home level of care but would prefer to receive services in another facility, like a Columbia memory care property.

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Care assessment tool

Access our free senior care assessment tool, which can help you evaluate the specific needs and requirements of you or your loved one. By answering a series of questions, you’ll receive personalised recommendations and insights to aid in the decision-making process.

Take the Assessment

FAQ About Memory Care in Columbia, SC

Nursing homes provide 24-7 nursing care for individuals with chronic health conditions or who are unable to care for themselves. Medical care is provided on-site. On the other hand, memory care communities exclusively treat seniors with dementia and cognitive decline. While some medication management is offered in memory care, on-site medical care is not.

Many memory care facilities do not allow pets, although some may offer animal therapy for residents. Your local Columbia memory care advisor can help you find communities that are pet-friendly or that may allow families to bring a pet on visiting days.

A great first step to locating a suitable memory care property is to contact a local Columbia memory care advocate. They can help you understand what your loved one needs and connect you with properties that offer appropriate services. Memory care advisors also help you understand how to apply for residence, pricing structures, and community policies for memory care residents.