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Memory Care: Disclosure or Certification in North Carolina?

North Carolina requires a Special Care Unit disclosure statement under G.S. 131D-8 -- not a separate license or certification -- before a community can market secured memory care.

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Memory care in North Carolina: disclosure, not a separate license

Short answer

North Carolina does not issue a separate memory-care license or certification. Instead, an adult care home adds a Special Care Unit (SCU) designation to its existing license, which requires state approval of a required disclosure statement under G.S. 131D-8 and 10A NCAC 13F .1300.

The distinction matters because it means 'memory care' is not a state-endorsed quality mark the way a hospital accreditation might be. It is a disclosure requirement: a community that wants to market a secured Alzheimer's or dementia unit must file a disclosure statement describing its staffing, programming, and physical design, and the state must approve that disclosure before the unit can operate as a designated Special Care Unit.

On a tour, ask to see the community's current Special Care Unit disclosure statement by name. It should describe staffing ratios inside the secured unit specifically (not the building-wide daytime ratio), what training staff receive, how exits are secured, and what the admission and discharge criteria are for that unit.

Source: N.C.G.S. 131D-8; 10A NCAC 13F .1300 (Special Care Unit rules).

What to ask for, by name, on a tour

Ask to see the community's current Special Care Unit disclosure statement, filed under G.S. 131D-8. It should describe staffing inside the secured unit specifically, staff training, physical design and exit security, and admission/discharge criteria for that unit -- not just the building-wide policy.

Source: NC DHSR Special Care Unit disclosure requirements

Questions families ask

What hospital serves Franklin County seniors, and who handles Adult Protective Services reports in Louisburg?

Franklin Regional Medical Center in Louisburg is the county's central hospital hub for senior medical and emergency care. Adult Protective Services reports for Franklin County residents, including those in Louisburg, Youngsville, and Franklinton, go through Franklin County DSS Adult Services, since APS is administered at the county level across North Carolina rather than through a single statewide hotline; call 911 for immediate danger. For general aging services and options counseling, Franklin County uses the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging (1-866-506-6223), not the Central Pines/Triangle J office that covers most of the rest of the Triangle.

What Area Agency on Aging and hospital system serve Harnett County, and how do Lillington and Dunn differ for senior care access?

Harnett County is covered by the Central Pines Regional Council (Triangle J) Area Agency on Aging, reachable at 1-800-310-9777, the same regional office serving Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston, and Chatham counties. Cape Fear Valley Health is the dominant hospital system, with Cape Fear Valley Central Harnett Hospital in Lillington serving the county's northern hub along US-421, and Cape Fear Valley Betsy Johnson Hospital in Dunn serving the southern part of the county near the I-95/US-421 corridor along with a concentration of the county's skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. For Adult Protective Services, contact Harnett County DSS directly.

My mother lives in Angier — is she closer to Harnett County resources or should we look toward Fuquay-Varina and Wake County instead?

Angier sits near the Wake/Harnett county line, so your mother realistically has a choice between Cape Fear Valley Health facilities within Harnett County and Fuquay-Varina or broader Wake County providers to the north — proximity and personal physician relationships often matter more than the county line itself. For benefits and services administration, though, the county of residence controls: if she lives in Harnett County, Medicaid applications and Adult Protective Services reports go through Harnett County DSS, and aging services referrals go through the Central Pines/Triangle J Area Agency on Aging (1-800-310-9777), the same regional office used across most of the Triangle.

What's the real difference between independent living and assisted living in North Carolina?

Independent living communities in North Carolina are generally unlicensed housing arrangements — essentially age-restricted apartments or cottages with amenities like dining and activities, but no state-regulated personal care services included. Assisted living, by contrast, falls under North Carolina's single 'adult care home' license category (Chapter 131D, 10A NCAC 13F), which requires the facility to provide and be inspected on actual hands-on personal care like help with bathing, dressing, and medication management. If your parent just needs a maintenance-free lifestyle with social opportunities, independent living may suffice; if they need regular help with daily activities, only a licensed adult care home is equipped and legally required to provide it.

How is memory care different from regular assisted living in North Carolina, and what should I ask a facility to prove it?

In North Carolina, 'memory care' isn't a separate license — it's a Special Care Unit (SCU) designation that a facility adds to its existing adult care home license under G.S. 131D-8 and 10A NCAC 13F .1300, requiring state approval of a specific disclosure statement covering staffing, programming, and physical safety features like secured entrances. Ask any facility claiming to offer memory care for a copy of that state-required SCU disclosure statement, not just marketing materials, and confirm the SCU designation is current by checking NC DHSR's facility search tool. Regular assisted living without an SCU designation may still accept residents with early dementia, but isn't required to meet the added security and staff-training standards.

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