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Nursing Home vs. Assisted Living

North Carolina licenses nursing homes and adult care homes (assisted living) under separate frameworks, with two very different levels of medical care.

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Short answer

North Carolina licenses nursing homes separately from adult care homes (assisted living), under different rule chapters, and only nursing homes carry the federal CMS Five-Star rating. A resident whose medical needs exceed a community's admission/retention policy -- typically requiring 24-hour skilled nursing rather than personal care assistance -- moves to a nursing home.

You can check any facility's record free. NC DHSR's Regulated Facilities search shows license status; its ACLS tool shows inspection history and penalties. Read the full explanation →

Questions families ask

Is there a published average cost for memory care in North Carolina?

No. There is no published statewide or Raleigh-metro memory care cost median from CareScout or any other primary source -- CareScout's Cost of Care Survey covers assisted living, nursing home (semi-private and private), and home care, but does not break out a separate memory care figure. Families should not rely on any specific memory care dollar figure found online without verifying its source, and should instead request current, written memory-care rate quotes directly from individual communities.

What is VA Aid & Attendance and how much can a wartime veteran in Raleigh receive?

VA Aid & Attendance is an add-on allowance that raises a qualifying wartime veteran's VA pension rather than a separate benefit. For a veteran with no dependents, the 2025-2026 Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) with Aid & Attendance is $29,093 per year, or about $2,424 per month, effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026. This is a federal benefit set nationally and does not vary based on living in Raleigh or anywhere else in North Carolina.

What VA Aid & Attendance rate applies to a surviving spouse of a veteran?

A surviving spouse with no dependent children who qualifies for Aid & Attendance under the VA Survivors Pension program can receive a Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) of $18,697 per year, or about $1,558 per month, effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026. This rate is lower than the veteran's own Aid & Attendance rate and is subject to the same net worth and income limits.

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.

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