Page 23 of Best Memory Care in North Carolina

Overview of Waltonwood Lake Boone

Settled in the serene setting of Wilson, NC, Waltonwood Lake Boone offers a full continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, and memory care. This family-owned community ensures residents receive the right level of support to age in place, with comfortable one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans designed to enhance daily life.

This vibrant community prides itself on a variety of services and activities that encourage social engagement, including a garden house, lifestyle club, and travel club. With gourmet dining, wellness programs, and an inviting environment, residents enjoy a carefree, maintenance-free lifestyle. Waltonwood Lake Boone also offers opportunities for family involvement, ensuring loved ones remain a part of the journey. A perfect blend of care, comfort, and community awaits, offering an enriching and fulfilling lifestyle.

Overview of The Templeton of Cary

The Templeton of Cary is a top-rated retirement community in Cary, NC, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, rehabilitation, and skilled nursing. The community’s nurturing and home-like setting ensures older adults’ comfort and safety. Exceptional services, including weekly housekeeping, concierge, and well-balanced meals, are also provided to enrich residents’ living experiences. Focusing on residents’ holistic well-being, the community provides care plans tailored to their ever-changing needs and habits.

Arts and crafts, games, and seminars are among the many recreational programs that aim to help residents explore new hobbies and have fun. Residents can also focus on relaxation and wellness, with first-class amenities including a saltwater pool, a library, and an outdoor grassy area. WakeMed Cary Hospital, restaurants, shops, and bus stops are also available in the area, providing convenient access to healthcare and other necessities. This retirement community is a great choice for senior living in North Carolina, especially with its wide range of care dedicated to helping older adults age gracefully.

Bask in the sunlight in Atria Cary, a blissful senior living community located in the peaceful neighborhood of Regency Parkway, Cary, NC providing independent living. Together with trusted partners, the community offers physical, occupational, and speech therapies. Cozy and elegant floor plans including one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments fully equipped with kitchens and other basic necessities are available for seniors’ choices and desires. The community ensures a relaxing and safe stay with a team of kind and compassionate professionals delivering top-tier care and assistance around the clock.

Atria Cary promotes an active and connected environment, providing all-around amenities and services. With its signature Engage Life program, residents experience a wide range of learning opportunities and programs to enhance their quality of life. Enjoy wonderful conversations with friends over healthy and delicious chef-prepared meals three times daily in different dining venues. The pet-friendly community provides an indoor swimming pool, a library, a movie theater, a fitness center, a physical therapy center, a salon, a game room, a putting green, and serene walking paths for seniors’ leisure and wellness.

Overview of Searstone Retirement Community

Searstone Retirement Community, located in Cary, NC, is a senior living community offering a range of services from assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing services. Their professional caring staff works closely with the residents as well as their families, in creating individualized care plans, in order to determine and meet the residents’ specific care needs.

Their First class skilled nursing services provides residents with 24/7 staff availability for supervision and assistance, round the clock personalized care, medication administration and management, and access to medical care on site as well as other professional services. Additionally their amenities like concierge and transportation services, meal provision and housekeeping and linen service, as well as 24/hr security and emergency call response, enhances the residents experiences during their stay at Searstone.

Live a wondrous retirement with The Cypress of Charlotte, an astounding community set in the tranquil residential area of Cypress Club Drive, Charlotte, NC, that offers independent living. The community features luxurious and specially designed cottages and villas, providing residents with a wide range of choices for accommodation. Here, residents make the most out of their golden years with the community’s vibrant and inviting environment.

With a full calendar of enriching activities and extensive amenities, residents will not run out of things to do for leisure and wellness. Indulge in delightful and healthy meals through the community’s dining venues available all day. The community is equipped with a fireside bistro, a large community hall, a fitness center, an art studio, a library, and serene outdoor verandas, making it an enticing option for those looking to live independently in their golden years.

Conveniently located in Charlotte, NC, University Place Nursing & Rehabilitation provides a comfortable and convenient environment for short-term care, memory care, and long-term care. They provide each resident with a personalized care plan and 24/7 care and supervision for a comfortable and worry-free living experience. Physical, speech, and occupational therapy services are also available to help residents maintain or recover their strength, mobility, and overall functioning to continue enjoying their independence.

The community also has an array of engaging activities to enjoy for an active and fulfilling living experience. With healthy and nourishing meals served daily, residents can easily maintain a healthy body and stay energized throughout the day. At University Place Nursing & Rehabilitation, they create a nurturing environment for healing and maintaining a high quality of life.

Overview of The Bluefields

The Bluefields is a 78-bed memory care and assisted living community at 1935 Lincoln Road, Leland, Brunswick County, North Carolina,, rated 3 out of 5 overall by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Health Service Regulation, and ranked 40th (tied) among 138 homes statewide. A secured Special Care Unit serves residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia; 24-hour staffing and secured living are confirmed. Medicaid is accepted; Medicare is not. Occupancy stood at 50 of 78 beds (64 percent) as of October 2020, below the North Carolina average of 76.4 percent, with census having declined from 74 residents at the August 2019 inspection.

Amenities include restaurant-style dining, housekeeping, transportation, maintenance, a library, an entertainment room, and an outdoor common area.

The regulatory record here requires serious attention before any placement decision. Thirteen inspections from August 2015 through August 2021 average 7.7 deficiencies per year, 48 percent above the North Carolina benchmark of 5.2.

The most consequential finding is a substantiated April 2016 complaint investigation in which inadequate supervision during the assisted living dining room supper meal resulted in the injury and death of Resident 2. That same investigation found failure to notify Resident 2’s physician of health care needs and psychotherapist recommendations, and a staff member refusing to change a resident’s soiled bed linen while speaking to her disrespectfully.

The October 2020 complaint and COVID-19 infection control survey produced 11 deficiencies, including Memory Care Unit staffing shortages across multiple shifts, a vacant Memory Care Manager position that had gone unfilled for months, failure to call EMS or perform CPR on an unresponsive resident without a DNR, delayed health care referral leading to a second resident’s hospitalization and death, personal care failures, COVID-19 isolation and screening failures, and meal service dignity violations. The August 2019 annual inspection added 10 deficiencies: a 35 percent medication error rate, absent third-shift CPR certification on 14 of 15 sampled shifts, supervisor absent for 19 of 24 sampled shifts, and missed or delayed medical appointments for 5 residents.

Subsequent 2019 and 2020 follow-up surveys documented a 12 percent medication error rate and a 25-day delay in urological care for a resident passing blood in her urine. The August 2021 annual inspection found 5 deficiencies, including a staff member hired without required North Carolina Health Care Personnel Registry verification and a total-care resident transferred without the required two-person assist. Earlier substantiated complaints cover bed bug infestations in approximately 20 rooms in 2015, mold growth in 8 rooms from roof leaks and faulty HVAC equipment in 2017, and recurring physical plant failures.

No fines or license suspensions appear in the available record.

Leland sits roughly 10 miles west of Wilmington in Brunswick County; Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center is the primary nearby acute-care resource.

Families should ask administrators directly about corrective actions following the 2016 dining supervision death, current Memory Care Unit staffing levels, and medication administration audit protocols.

Overview of The Commons at Brightmore

The Commons at Brightmore, situated in Wilmington, NC, is a senior living community offering both assisted living and memory care services. The community provides two living arrangements in Paraklay Way; featuring large closets, private, and companion rooms that allow ample floor space for personal items and design touches. Companion rooms share a full bath, and if desired, the community furnishes a bed, dresser, and nightstand at no additional charge. The built-in emergency call system ensures quick assistance is always within reach. Additionally, Azalea Hall provides similar living arrangements with personalized care and the same commitment to resident well-being.

In terms of healthcare services, The Commons at Brightmore offers minimal to substantial assistance with activities of daily living, safety monitoring and oversight, and personalized care plans. The community maintains a highly-trained care staff available 24 hours a day, ensuring residents receive the support they need. Medication administration is also part of the comprehensive healthcare services provided. Residents enjoy a range of amenities, including three chef-prepared meals daily with therapeutic diets available, secured memory support activities with designated courtyards, and housekeeping and laundry services.