Best Assisted Living in South Carolina

Overview of Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina

Presbyterian Communities of South Carolina in Seven Oaks emphasizes enriching and empowering its seniors’ lives. With an emphasis on short-term and outpatient nursing, management and staff offer best-in-class service when attending to any resident’s needs. The home helps residents thrive, reach their fullest potential, and cultivate holistic wellness. The Presbyterian guarantees unparalleled, luxurious care in a hotel-like community.

All residents receive essential services such as concierge, scheduled transportation, housekeeping, linen services, and housekeeping. One of its specialties is rehabilitation services, focusing on occupational, speech, and physical; 24/7 nursing care, health and wellness activities, therapy coverage, personalized care programs, and routine check-ups– among many others.

Overview of Rice Estate – Assisted Living

Rice Estate – Assisted Living is a 40-bed continuing care retirement community operated by non-profit Lutheran Homes of South Carolina at 100 Finley Road in Columbia, South Carolina. The community offers assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, and long-term care. Medicare and private pay are accepted.

CMS rates Rice Estate 4 stars, 36.5 percent above the South Carolina average. Health inspection performance runs 45.5 percent above state peers, with three inspections within seven years. Nurse hours run 4h 38m per resident per day against a South Carolina average of 4h 5m, placing the facility 21st of 112 skilled nursing facilities statewide. Occupancy sits at 86 percent, modestly above the 82.1 percent state average which reflects consistent demand.

Amenities include the Magnolia Dining Room, a courtyard garden with walking areas, a fitness room, and a beauty and barber salon. Respite care and 24-hour staffing exist.
Rice Estate suits older adults in Columbia seeking a non-profit continuum of care, from assisted living to rehabilitation and long-term nursing.

Overview of Pines at Columbia

Offering assisted living and respite care, Pines at Columbia is a Community Residential Care Facility (CRCF) in West Columbia, South Carolina, with 90 licensed beds. Administered by Brian D. Shull under the ownership of Pines-Columbia LLC, this community also accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

This community has a 4-star overall CMS quality rating, which is approximately 36.5% above the South Carolina state average. Its health inspection scores, staffing levels, and quality measures are all above average. Additionally, total nursing hours reach 5 hours 48 minutes per resident per day, which is 42% above the South Carolina average of 4 hours 5 minutes. Weekend nursing hours are 5 hours 11 minutes per day, also substantially above average.

The staff-to-resident ratio is 6.56:1, representing a 266% improvement over the South Carolina average of 1.80:1. As of Q2 2025, the community has 105 total staff members, comprising 79 employees and 26 contractors, with an average of 23 staff per day working an average shift of 6.8 hours, which is modestly below the state average shift length of 7.9 hours.

Across 5 total inspections, which is above the state average, the most recent inspection was in June 2025. Only 10 total health citations were recorded, remaining well below the state average of 13.7, and all of which are of moderate severity and corrected. Critically, zero critical and zero serious citations were recorded since 2022, compared to state averages of 1.0 and 0.3, respectively. Citation categories include pharmacy services, abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and resident rights.

Occupancy stands at 72.7%, below the state average of 82.1%, suggesting more availability. Additionally, the average length of stay is 123 days. Operating hours are Monday through Sunday, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

With a clinically robust care team, strong regulatory performance, and published quality data that compares favorably to state benchmarks, Pines at Columbia is a strong option for older adults and families in West Columbia and the greater Columbia metro area seeking assisted living, particularly those covered under Medicare or Medicaid.

Overview of Palmettos of Garden City

Palmettos of Garden City is a senior living community in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, serving older adults throughout the South Strand area of Horry County with assisted living and skilled nursing services within a 90-bed capacity. Licensed as a Community Residential Care Facility (CRCF), the community is owned and operated by Palmettos of Garden City LLC and administered by Teriann Cronin. Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay are also accepted, providing broader financial accessibility for families with varying coverage and long-term care planning needs.

Its occupancy rate of 85.5% exceeds the South Carolina average of 82.1%, indicating steady local demand and limited availability. Additionally, CMS quality ratings place the community slightly above the South Carolina average overall, with particularly strong performance in quality measures and health inspections. Staffing levels also align with statewide averages.

Since 2022, the community has received 15 health citations across three inspections, slightly above the South Carolina average of 13.7 citations. However, all cited deficiencies were categorized as moderate in severity, with no critical or serious citations recorded. This absence of higher-level deficiencies is notable when compared with the statewide average, which includes at least one critical citation. Moreover, a civil money penalty was issued in January 2025, substantially lower than the South Carolina average penalty amount, and no payment denials were identified.

Several quality-of-care indicators perform favorably compared with state averages. Notably, no residents were reported as experiencing depressive symptoms, influenza vaccination rates exceeded statewide averages, and measures related to weight loss and antipsychotic medication use, which is considerably favorable against South Carolina norms. However, families are encouraged to discuss fall rates involving major injury and declines in daily living activities, both of which were measured above state averages.

24-hour staffing support, chef-prepared meals, restaurant-style dining, landscaped courtyards, wellness programming, and an on-site salon are among the services offered in this pet-friendly community. Nursing staff includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants, all employed directly by the community without the use of agency nursing contractors, which may help support greater continuity of care and staff familiarity with residents. Its location in Murrels Inlet also offers convenient access to coastal healthcare resources while maintaining proximity to the South Strand lifestyle.

Featuring a variety of payment acceptance, stable staffing structure, and quality measure performance within the local market, Palmettos of Garden City is a strong fit for older adults requiring skilled nursing services, rehabilitation support, or long-term assisted living care, particularly for those utilizing Medicare or Medicaid benefits.

Overview of Sprenger Healthcare at Port Royal Assisted Living

Sprenger Healthcare at Port Royal Assisted Living is a 59-bed skilled nursing and assisted living community that’s part of a continuing care retirement campus in Port Royal, Beaufort County, South Carolina. Services feature skilled nursing, short-term rehabilitation, respite care, and memory care. Administered by Teresa Griffing and owned by Sprenger Healthcare of Port Royal Inc., the facility accepts Medicare and private pay and serves primarily short-stay residents. Average stay is 31 days, and 64 percent of admissions are on private pay.

CMS rates Sprenger Healthcare at Port Royal Assisted Living 5 stars, 70.6 percent above South Carolina’s average, with above-average scores across all four sub-categories. The health inspection record is exceptional: 2 total citations across 2 inspections since 2021, ranking the facility 2nd of 113 South Carolina nursing homes by total citations and 1st in the state by citations per inspection. Zero critical or serious citations recorded, with both citations moderate and promptly corrected, and no penalties in the past three years. The health inspection sub-rating is 81.8 percent above South Carolina’s average. Long-stay functional outcomes are consistently strong. Only 3.1 percent of long-stay residents experienced increased need for daily activity assistance, 76 percent better than South Carolina’s 13.1 percent average, and 3.7 percent saw walking ability worsen, 77 percent better than the state figure. Antipsychotic use at 1.8 percent is 88 percent below South Carolina’s 14.5 percent average, and zero long-stay residents were recorded with depressive symptoms against a 2.8 percent state average. Falls with major injury at 10.6 percent among long-stay residents are 255 percent above the 3.0 percent state average, the single most significant quality concern that should be addressed with clinical leadership.

Confirmed amenities include a nurse practitioner and home health services on-site, a therapy gym, a bar with daily happy hour, and a chapel.
Sprenger Healthcare at Port Royal Assisted Living is best for Beaufort County families seeking a 5-star rated community with an outstanding clean inspection record and functional outcome measures for longer-stay residents. Families should ask about fall prevention protocols before continuing.

Overview of Wellmore of Lexington

Wellmore of Lexington is a 174-bed continuing care retirement campus managed by administrator Crystal C. Butcher and operated by Wellmore of Lexington LLC. The facility blends independent living, assisted living, memory care, and 24-hour skilled nursing, leaning heavily on a short-term rehabilitation model. Admissions mirror this post-acute focus, with 76% using Medicare and 24% paying privately, generating a brief 51-day average stay. On-site features include an indoor therapy pool, a spa and salon, fine dining rooms, and dedicated workout spaces. However, the property faces severe occupancy challenges, sitting at 64.4%, and logged a 2023 operating loss of $1.6 million on $9.8 million in revenue.

Public health summaries show standard to solid daily attention, with overall nursing care averaging 4 hours and 9 minutes per resident to run slightly ahead of the South South Carolina baseline. This model keeps registered nurse coverage 32% above state averages, though the building relies on outside staffing agencies to fill about a quarter of its hours. Clinical tracking records detail a sharp split in patient outcomes; permanent residents maintain a zero percent depression rate and steady daily activity habits, but they experience high rates of pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections.

Short-stay rehab metrics also run behind state targets, with reports noting higher rates of emergency hospital readmissions and a major injury rate from short-term falls that tracks 60% worse than the state average. The operator’s regulatory history includes a low $16,000 in total federal fines over the past three years.

Interested individuals weighing local short-term rehab or extended senior care options can utilize these government tracking dossiers to view the provider’s overall operations. Since the public data notes above-average daily nursing times and strong behavioral health scores alongside clear multi-year financial losses, thin occupancy, and higher short-stay fall risks, the documentation calls for balancing the property’s amenities against its clinical trends.

A blissful senior living community situated at Dorchester Road, North Charleston, SC, Cabading Residential provides assisted living. The community features cozy and warm accommodations, ensuring a comfortable and secure stay. Moreover, Cabading Residential delivers round-the-clock non-medical care and assistance with a kind, compassionate, and well-trained team.

Cabading Residential fosters a vibrant environment, orchestrating activities and programs that seniors may engage with. Catering to the senior’s dietary needs and preferences, the community serves healthy and delicious meals. Amenities include a library and beautiful outdoor spaces for its residents’ relaxation.

Located in Myrtle Beach on North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach Manor operates 111 beds serving short-stay Medicare and private-pay residents with an average stay of 23 days. The facility provides assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care with a dedicated Alzheimer’s unit, and respite care services. Administrator Elizabeth Schmeizl manages day-to-day operations.

The facility holds a 1-star CMS overall rating, 65.9% below the state average, driven by health inspection performance 63.6% below peers.

A July 2025 inspection documented one critical pharmacy violation and two serious deficiencies, triggering a $23,000 penalty from CMS. Across six inspections since 2021, the facility accumulated 17 citations, with serious-level deficiencies running 567% above South Carolina’s average. Primary deficiency areas are resident rights (4), pharmacy services (4), and quality of life and care (3).

Payment suspensions were imposed in April 2024 for 27 days; additional penalties of $9,000 and $4,000 were assessed that same month and in December 2023 respectively.

Registered nurse availability is genuinely strong at 76% above state average with weekend RN coverage 138% above peers.

Despite robust staffing hours, clinical outcomes diverge sharply by length of stay. Long-stay residents experience falls with major injury at 9.8%, or 229% worse than state average, and urinary tract infections at 4.1%, 147% above state norm. Short-stay rehabilitation outcomes diverge positively: 63.1% of patients successfully return to home or community, 25% above state average, with 62.6% maintaining or improving self-care ability at discharge.

Occupancy has declined to 44%, well below the 82.1% state average. The facility reported a $1.2 million operating deficit in 2023, reflecting a pattern of financial losses stretching more than a decade.

Recent renovations include a salon, arts and crafts studio, bistro, activity rooms, and multiple dining venues.

The community is oriented toward short-term Medicare rehabilitation and private-pay residents; the recent critical compliance findings and chronic financial instability warrant thorough evaluation before placement decisions.