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CCRC vs. Standalone Assisted Living

A Continuing Care Retirement Community keeps a couple together across care levels. A standalone community is usually simpler and less expensive to enter.

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Home›Comparisons›CCRC vs. Standalone Assisted Living
Short answer

Several Triangle campuses -- Springmoor and The Cardinal at North Hills in Raleigh, Glenaire and Searstone in Cary, Galloway Ridge at Fearrington in Pittsboro -- operate as Life Plan Communities (CCRCs), typically requiring an entry fee plus a monthly fee in exchange for guaranteed access to higher care levels later. Standalone assisted living has no entry fee and is simpler and less expensive to enter, but does not guarantee a bed at a higher care level if needs change.

Ask about entry-fee refundability directly

CCRC entry-fee structures vary by community and are not standardized by the state -- some refund a declining percentage over time, others refund a fixed percentage regardless of length of stay. Get the specific refund schedule in writing before signing anything.

Questions families ask

What is the net worth limit for VA pension and Aid & Attendance eligibility?

As of December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, the VA's combined net worth and annual income limit for pension eligibility (including Aid & Attendance) is $163,699. This figure combines countable assets and annual income and is used to determine whether a veteran or surviving spouse qualifies for the underlying VA Improved Pension before any Aid & Attendance add-on is calculated.

Does Medicare pay for assisted living or long-term nursing home care in North Carolina?

No. Medicare does not cover the room-and-board cost of assisted living or long-term custodial nursing home stays anywhere, including North Carolina. Medicare Part A will cover a short-term skilled nursing facility stay (up to 100 days per benefit period, with a copay after day 20) only after a qualifying inpatient hospital stay and only for skilled rehabilitative care, not ongoing custodial or assisted living care.

Does North Carolina Medicaid have a waiver that pays for assisted living room and board?

No. North Carolina does not have a Medicaid HCBS waiver dedicated to covering assisted living or adult care home room and board. Instead, low-income adult care home residents may qualify for the State/County Special Assistance (SA) program, a state- and county-funded cash supplement (not a Medicaid waiver) that helps pay for room and board, with SA recipients also automatically becoming eligible for Medicaid to cover medical and personal care costs.

What is CAP/DA and how can it help pay for in-home care in Wake County?

The Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) is North Carolina's Medicaid home- and community-based services waiver for adults 18+ who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to remain at home. It covers 18 in-home and community-based services including in-home aide services, home modifications, adult day health, respite care, and consumer-directed care, but it does not pay room and board since it serves people in their own homes, not facilities.

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