Page 5 of Best Senior Communities in South Carolina

Overview of Portside at Grande Dunes

Portside at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, envisions a community where every resident is valued as a unique individual, and their lifestyle and interests are celebrated. The mission of this community is to exceed expectations by offering various living options like assisted living, independent living, and memory care and providing daily wellness, cultural, and educational programs. The community’s values are rooted in creating an environment where residents can live their best life, feeling at home and understood.

Portside at Grande Dunes provides a range of living options, including studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartment styles for Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Short-Term/Respite Stays. The amenities and facilities reflect a commitment to personalized care, offering diverse living arrangements to cater to individual needs and preferences. Residents can choose from companion suite and studio apartment styles in Memory Care, ensuring a comfortable and supportive environment. The community stands as a welcoming home that prioritizes the well-being and fulfillment of its residents.

Swansgate Retirement Community is a 189-bed residential community at 400 Swansgate Pl in Greenville, South Carolina. It supplies an array of housing configurations with one-, two-, and three-bedroom options.

The setting sits in an area with a Walk Score of 36, indicating it’s somewhat walkable. A few nearby services may be within walking distance, but most daily needs need transportation. This location fits occupants and visiting families at ease with a neighborhood environment where a car is typically needed for shopping and errands.

For families contemplating Swansgate Retirement Community, an in-person visit is a valuable way to see room options, speak with staff about existing services and programs, and get a feel for daily life there. Visiting can help you know the community offerings and whether it matches your needs.

Overview of Medford Nursing Center

Medford Nursing Center is an 88-bed skilled nursing facility owned by Medford Nursing Center LLC in Darlington, South Carolina. Administered by Tyler A. Lofe and accepting Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay, the facility in Darlington County serves primarily long-term care residents, with an average stay of 215 days and nearly 78 percent of the current census on Medicaid. Occupancy is at 92 percent, ranking 18th of 121 South Carolina nursing homes, well above the state average.

CMS scores Medford Nursing Center 4 stars, with a health inspection sub-rating 81.8 percent above South Carolina average, placing the facility among the lowest-citation providers statewide. 3 total health citations across 2 inspections since 2023, compared to a South Carolina average of 13.7, rank the facility 5th of 113 statewide by total citations and 7th by citations per inspection. Zero critical or serious citations have been recorded, and all three citations were moderate and corrected, with no penalties assessed in the past three years. CNA hours at 2 hours and 48 minutes per resident per day are 26 percent above South Carolina average of 2 hours and 13 minutes, reflecting strong direct care staffing. Long-stay quality measures are rated below average overall, driven primarily by hospitalization and ED visit rates that significantly exceed state benchmarks. Long-stay residents are hospitalized at a rate of 4.60 per 1,000 resident days, 127 percent above South Carolina average of 2.03, and ED visits at 4.45 per 1,000 days are 133 percent above the state figure. These are the most significant data points for families evaluating long-stay placement and warrant inquiry with clinical leadership about acute event management and early intervention protocols. Several individual measures are favorable, including an incontinence rate 60 percent below the state average and no depressive symptoms recorded among long-stay residents. Short-stay return to home at 38.0 percent is 25 percent below South Carolina average of 50.6 percent.

Medford Nursing Center fits Darlington County families in a long-term care context who prioritize a facility with an exceptionally clean inspection record. Families should discuss the elevated hospitalization and ED visit rates with clinical staff before deciding.

Overview of Oaks at Daniel Island

Oaks at Daniel Island occupies a single-story building in Charleston’s Daniel Island neighborhood, at 320 Seven Farms Drive. Constance Reger serves as administrator. The operator is Revela at Daniel Island LLC. The neighborhood walks at a 53, moderately accessible, with some errands manageable on foot and more requiring a short trip.

Seventy-six beds across studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, each with walk-in showers and individual temperature controls, make up the residential footprint. The single-floor layout removes the navigation burden of stairs and elevators for residents managing mobility changes.

The named care program is Person-Directed Care, which is a specific philosophical commitment rather than a generic service descriptor. It signals that care decisions are supposed to follow the resident’s preferences, not the facility’s convenience. Respite stays are available for families navigating a transitional period or testing the fit before a longer commitment.

Restaurant-style dining, a library, and a courtyard are confirmed on-site. Health and wellness assessments and therapy services are offered. Housekeeping, linen, and laundry are included. Pets are welcome.

This is a mid-sized assisted living community structured for residents who want apartment-style living with a care model that centers their own preferences, in a walkable Charleston neighborhood without the complexity of a multi-story building.

Overview of Oakview Park

Located in the heart of Greenville, South Carolina, Oakview Park offers a seamless blend of southern hospitality and modern living. This community provides exceptional assisted living and memory care services. With a focus on delivering exceptional care and enriching wellness opportunities, they create a safe and secure living environment for their residents. Oakview Park boasts 24-hour associates who are dedicated to meeting the needs of residents, providing peace of mind and support at all times. The professional team takes care of housekeeping and laundry services, so residents can enjoy a carefree lifestyle.

The community offers assistance with daily living activities and specializes in memory care, ambulatory care, diabetic care, and incontinence care. Moreover, Oakview Park provides medication management services and has an on-site team of doctors, podiatrists, and therapists to cater to residents’ healthcare needs. Residents at Oakview Park indulge in dietitian-approved dining, relishing delicious and nutritious meals. Engaging activities and enjoyable outings into town are organized, ensuring residents have stimulating experiences and a vibrant social life. Oakview Park strives to create a warm and welcoming environment, empowering residents to thrive and embrace a fulfilling lifestyle.

The Blake at Hollingsworth Park is an assisted living and memory care community in the Verdae area of Greenville, South Carolina, sitting along Woodruff Road about four miles from the city center. It is operated by Blake At Hollingsworth Park LLC and administered by Amy Howard. The setting mixes a residential neighborhood feel with easy access to a busy commercial corridor, which makes errands and visits straightforward for family living in the area.

The community is a two-story building with 114 beds, placing it among the larger assisted living options in Greenville. Residents choose from one bedroom and two bedroom floor plans, and pets are welcome. A larger community like this one often means more common spaces and a fuller schedule of organized programming than a small residential home can offer.

Memory care is a defined part of what The Blake does, with a dedicated Alzheimer’s unit and secure suites built for residents living with dementia. Those suites use personalized floor plans along with security and monitoring technology, so residents can move about with a measure of independence while staff keep watch. Wellness programs are tailored to individual residents, which suits families weighing how care might adjust over time.

Daily life is supported by hospitality services including a concierge and laundry assistance, along with transportation services for appointments and outings. Fitness and recreation programming rounds out the week for residents who want to stay active. The neighborhood scores 35 out of 100 for walkability, so a few nearby services are reachable on foot while most trips will involve a short drive or the community’s transportation.

Conveniently located in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, Legacy Village is a premier assisted living and memory care community committed to serving seniors with honor, respect, faith, and integrity. Residents can choose from a variety of accommodations, including studios, one-bedroom, and deluxe one-bedroom apartments. The community provides a lively social calendar, experienced caregivers and exceptional services for their residents’ individual needs and levels of care.

With a licensed and certified team available around the clock, residents can enjoy top-notch amenities and services such as nutritionally balanced home-cooked meals, exciting activities and community events, and attentive personal care. For memory care, the community provides specialized programs designed to serve each resident’s unique needs. At Legacy Village, seniors can truly enjoy a worry-free stay.

Overview of Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park

Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park is an assisted living facility located in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, offering a memory care unit for residents with dementia and an independent living option. The community is part of Merrill Gardens Senior Living, a senior care company, and provides vision care to its residents. The costs at Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park start at $2,040 and range up to $6,595, with the average price being $4,318, which is less than the average price in the area. The community is pet-friendly, and while South Carolina requires three meals to be provided per day, it can accommodate no or low-sodium diets.

Residents at Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park are required to have a scheduled, structured activity every day, and the community offers a variety of activities, including musical performances and social outings. The facility is located near six hospitals, with the two closest being Mount Pleasant Hospital and East Cooper Medical Center, and has above-average reviews for the area. Merrill Gardens at Carolina Park offers 158 independent, assisted living, and memory care apartments, as well as 28 cottages, with concierge services, scheduled transportation, 24-hour staffing, and weekly housekeeping. The community features a pool, fitness center, and restaurant-style dining, allowing residents to live a full and happy life built around their delights and hobbies.

The Springs at Simpsonville is a senior living community on East Curtis Street in Simpsonville, South Carolina, offering assisted living, independent living, and memory care in a single setting. The community is operated by Curtis Group LLC and led by administrator Leigha M. Freeman. It is an 89 bed, single story building with private rooms throughout, which keeps daily movement simple for residents who use a walker or wheelchair and makes the building easier for staff to cover.

Having three levels of care under one roof matters for families thinking past the first year. A resident who moves in needing light assistance can shift toward more supportive care, or into memory care, without leaving a familiar building or starting over with new staff. The memory care side is a dedicated wing built around specialized programming rather than a few rooms set aside within general assisted living, which tends to mean a calmer environment and staff who work with cognitive change every day.

Medical support is handled largely on site. In house physician services and therapy reduce the number of outside appointments a resident has to travel to, and transportation services cover the trips that do come up. Prisma Health Hillcrest Hospital sits a little over a mile away, which is worth knowing when an urgent need arises. Fitness and recreation programming rounds out the week for residents who want structure to their days.

The setting is close in, about three tenths of a mile from Simpsonville’s city center, with a walkability score of 52 out of 100. That puts some errands within walking distance while a car still handles most trips, a practical middle ground for visiting family. Greenville is a short drive away for relatives coming from the wider metro area.