Page 48 of Best Senior Communities in North Carolina

A proud Atria senior living community member, Holiday Creekside Terrace has built one of the finest senior living communities in Winston-Salem. Their commitment to ensuring that an individual can feel independent while being engaged is one of their utmost priorities for a balanced lifestyle; they ensure that their residents are healthy and active. Holiday Creekside Terrace has provided a diverse and inclusive environment, offering a strong sense of family.

The premier community boasts an elevated lifestyle through the essential service provided for seniors with independent living. Their all-inclusive amenities include daily delicious and nutritious meals by a chef, weekly housekeeping and laundry, and everyday fitness activities with their finest gym equipment. They also provide every private apartment with an emergency call system. 

Bella Vista Gracious Retirement Living is an independent living community on Piney Mountain Drive in Asheville, North Carolina. The mid-rise residence has three housing options: studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom floor plans, to accommodate varying preferences and household sizes. The Asheville location scores 13 on the Walk Score ladder, signifying a car-dependent area where most errands and daily activities demand a vehicle. The surrounding setting reflects the car-reliant suburban nature of the neighborhood.

For families thinking of independent living in Asheville, Bella Vista Gracious Retirement Living offers a residential option in the area. More details about daily activities, dining, amenities, and community life would help finalize your decision amid an in-person tour.

Overview of Morning Star Special Care Unit

Morning Star Special Care Unit is a 44-bed skilled nursing facility located on Country Club Drive in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The community provides long-term clinical care and short-term rehabilitation with 24-hour medical staffing on-site. The clinical framework integrates daily in-person nursing with telehealth capabilities, allowing residents to complete physician consultations remotely. The facility maintains a 75 percent occupancy rate and offers specific clinical programs, including vital sign monitoring, mental health services, weight management, and smoking cessation protocols.

The property features a shared dining hall and on-site beauty consultation services. The surrounding Cumberland County neighborhood is car-dependent, meaning visitors and residents will need a vehicle for off-site appointments and shopping trips since very few resources are within walking distance. North Carolina state regulatory histories spanning the past decade show that previous operational and clinical deficiencies have been successfully resolved.

Interested individuals can reach out to the admissions office to review the intake requirements for skilled nursing placement.

Overview of The Landings of Oak Island

The Landings of Oak Island is an 80-bed assisted living and memory care community at 2910 Pine Plantation Parkway, Oak Island, 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. Assisted living, memory care, and secured living are offered through a dedicated Special Care Unit; 24-hour staffing is confirmed. Medicaid is accepted; Medicare is not. Amenities include restaurant-style dining, housekeeping, transportation, maintenance, a library, an entertainment room, and an outdoor common area.

Across nine inspections from June 2022 through April 2025, the facility averages 5 deficiencies per year, marginally better than the North Carolina benchmark of 5.2. The most pressing placement considerations are resident safety and medication management, not the headline number.

The January 2025 substantiated complaint is the gravest finding: a Special Care Unit resident with a documented history of violent behaviors attacked other residents across 22 incidents, and the facility failed to provide supervision adequate to prevent the resulting physical harm. A corrective action deadline was set for April 9, 2025. Earlier, a July 2024 substantiated complaint found a resident with Parkinson’s disease did not receive Nuplazid and Rivastigmine as ordered, resulting in 21 falls, multiple injuries, and hospitalization. The April 2025 annual inspection added 5 deficiencies: incomplete Resident Registers for 4 admissions, water not offered to Special Care Unit residents at meals, a room assignment complaint not meaningfully addressed, medications administered outside the one-hour window for 3 residents covering urinary, blood pressure, pain, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s drugs, and pharmacy review recommendations left unreviewed by the primary care provider.

The April 2025 biennial construction survey cited 2 additional deficiencies for gaps in fire-resistant ceilings and non-functional exhaust fans in five utility and janitorial rooms. The March 2023 complaint investigation, substantiated across four findings, identified pre-pouring and pre-charting of medications by aides, administration by unauthorized staff, missed pre- and post-operative eye medication doses for one resident, and failure to report 10 of 10 sampled accidents to county DSS. A June 2022 substantiated complaint found a lymphedema compression pump discontinued without physician notification. A March 2024 biennial construction follow-up confirmed all previously cited physical plant deficiencies corrected.

No fines, immediate jeopardy findings, or license actions appear in the available record.

Oak Island is a coastal Brunswick County community approximately 30 miles south of Wilmington; Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center is the primary nearby acute-care resource.

Families evaluating The Landings should ask administrators directly about corrective actions following the January 2025 resident-to-resident abuse findings and current Special Care Unit supervision protocols.

The Ridge at New Bern operates a 72-bed assisted living and memory care facility in Craven County, located roughly 6.7 miles from the center of New Bern, North Carolina. Managed under facility president Justin Wray, the single-story community reports an occupancy rate of 58 percent. The single-level floor plan eliminates stairways, providing a flat layout designed to assist residents with mobility limitations.

The immediate area surrounding the building is car-dependent, holding a walk score of 2 out of 100. This layout requires staff and family visitors to use a vehicle for any errands or transit to the property. On-site services include scheduled meals, wellness programs, and coordinated local transportation.

Routine regulatory evaluations conducted by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services have identified historical compliance deficiencies, resulting in past enforcement actions.

Prospective residents can call the administrative office to verify current apartment availability and baseline fees.

Overview of Solista Durham by Cogir

Spend your golden years living as you prefer with Solista Durham by Cogir in Emerald Pond Lane, Durham, NC, which offers independent living. Here, residents enjoy comfort and safety with a 24/7 emergency and non-emergency response alongside a variety of specially designed studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom residences. The community also utilizes innovations like the Lively Mobile Plus Device to ensure residents are well cared for without restraining their freedom.

A robust calendar of enjoyable activities and engaging programs accompanies residents as they try out new things and elevate their retirement. Enjoy mealtimes with friends with the community’s healthy and delectable restaurant-style dining. Amenities also include a media room, a game room, a library, a salon and barbershop, serene gardens, and community grounds.