Memory Care Communities in Aiken, South Carolina

Memory care facilities in Aiken charge $4,508 per month for services, which is in line with South Carolina’s average of $4,515 and 20% lower than the national norm. Rates are relatively economical compared to care costs in other cities in the region, coming in at about 4% less than care costs in Greenville and 9% less than rates in Charleston. In Hilton Head Island, monthly care costs are considerably higher than in Aiken at $5,625, but seniors may save several hundred dollars by opting for care in Columbia, where rates come in at $4,088.

Note: Residential memory care is usually offered in assisted living facilities, and in general, memory care rates tend to be 20-30% higher than assisted living rates. No national database currently tracks memory care costs in the United States, so we've estimated the monthly memory care costs listed below by adding 25% to the rates listed in Genworth's 2021 Cost of Care Survey.

In Aiken, memory care communities charge average monthly rates of $4,508 for housing and care.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for memory care, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance memory care costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance memory care, visit our Memory Care in South Carolina page.

In Aiken, memory care facilities charge $4,508 for housing and dementia support. This is comparable to what seniors pay for in-home care and home health care, which are available for $4,528 per month, but it exceeds the cost of assisted living by 25%. While memory care costs significantly less than nursing home care, which features 24-hour medical support in an institutional setting, seniors may save thousands of dollars by living in a private residence and attending adult day health care, which costs $1,545.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control licenses all memory care communities in Aiken. Facilities are officially licensed as community residential care facilities, and they follow standard rules, as well as dementia-specific guidelines for staffing and staff training. To ensure a high standard of care, the department has a stringent licensing process and conducts regular inspections.

• Aiken Regional Medical Centers is based out of Aiken, giving memory care residents easy access to high-quality inpatient, outpatient and emergency services. This hospital rates as high-ranking in treating heart failure and stroke, and it has specialties in neurology, cancer care and orthopedic services. To further support access to medical support while reducing disruptive trips to the doctor’s office, many memory care facilities have dedicated office space and on-call physicians.
• Aiken has long, hot summers and short, cold winters, which may appeal to older adults who enjoy outdoor activities such as picnics and gardening. Summers are typically hot and humid, with muggy conditions at least 24% of the time, and high temperatures range from 83 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters are mild, with average daytime temperatures falling between 55 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Aiken’s air quality is good, promoting a therapeutic environment for those living with conditions such as dementia. The American Lung Association gives Aiken County an A for ozone pollution, indicating very few days with unsafe ozone pollution levels annually.
• Seniors in Aiken have access to several transportation services, including Best Friends Express, 5310 Transportation, 5311 Transportation, Dial-A-Ride services and the Saturday Shuttle. These programs can help older adults supplement transportation services available through their memory care facilities and help some families visit loved ones in long-term care.
• Seniors in South Carolina don’t pay state income taxes on their Social Security benefits, which may leave more money in the bank for memory care expenses. While the state taxes withdrawals from retirement savings accounts and public and private pensions, it has a $15,000 deduction to reduce seniors’ tax bills.