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Assisted Living vs. Memory Care

In North Carolina, memory care is secured assisted living operating under a Special Care Unit disclosure statement -- not a separate license.

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Memory care regulation in North Carolina. NC requires a Special Care Unit disclosure statement, not a separate certification, before a community can market secured memory care. Read the full explanation →

What physically differs

A designated Special Care Unit adds secured exits, door alarms, staff trained specifically in dementia care, and structured programming built around cognitive and sensory needs -- on top of the same base adult care home license. Standard assisted living has none of that required.

What senior care costs. NC's statewide median is $6,496/month for assisted living, per the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey (formerly the Genworth Cost of Care Survey). No metro-specific or memory-care figure is published. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

Does CAP/DA pay for home modifications like a wheelchair ramp for an elderly parent in Holly Springs?

Yes — CAP/DA is NC's Medicaid HCBS waiver for adults needing a nursing-facility level of care who wish to remain at home, and its covered services explicitly include home modifications and equipment (such as ramps, grab bars, or other accessibility changes) alongside in-home aide services, adult day health, meal preparation, respite care, and consumer-directed care options, administered through NC Medicaid with local CAP/DA case management coordinating services by county.

How much does assisted living cost in the Raleigh area in 2025?

There is no Raleigh-metro-specific figure published for assisted living costs. The most current benchmark is North Carolina's 2025 statewide CareScout Cost of Care Survey median of $6,496 per month for assisted living, which reflects a statewide blend of urban and rural markets rather than a Triangle-specific number. Families should treat this as a starting reference point and confirm actual rates directly with individual communities in Wake, Durham, Orange, Chatham, Johnston, Franklin, or Harnett counties.

What is the median cost of a nursing home in North Carolina, and does it differ for a private room?

According to the 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey, North Carolina's statewide median nursing home cost is $9,733 per month for a semi-private room and $10,798 per month for a private room. These are statewide medians, not Raleigh-metro-specific figures, so actual costs at individual Wake or Durham County nursing facilities may run higher or lower.

How much does in-home caregiving cost per month in the Raleigh area?

The 2025 CareScout Cost of Care Survey puts North Carolina's statewide median for homemaker/non-medical home care services at approximately $5,720 per month, based on an hourly rate applied to a standard number of care hours. As with other CareScout figures, this is a statewide median only -- there is no published Raleigh-metro-specific home care cost figure, so actual hourly rates from Triangle-area home care agencies should be confirmed directly.

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