65 assisted living communities near Raleigh

Aging citizens have a broad field of communities to choose from when they’re looking for assisted living options in Raleigh. North Carolina’s historic state capital has many high-quality, very professional assisted living properties, and most of them are open to taking new residents like yourself or the senior you love. Laid out in 1792, Raleigh has always been a picaresque city built on North Carolina’s Fall Line – the boundary between flat coastal farmland and the steeper inland mountains that formed a vital part of the city’s defense in its early days.

Today, Raleigh is a city full of history. Old buildings still sit next to modern office high-rises, while historic sites are lovingly preserved by local barbecue magnates. Dozens of museums welcome visitors all over the city, and plenty of open spaces dot the landscapes in between. Once you’ve found an assisted living community in Raleigh, NC, you might wind up spending half your time just visiting the attractions in other parts of town.

What is Assisted Living?

According to the 2017 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, most senior care options are expensive in Raleigh. Assisted living is a long-term senior care option that allows aging citizens to live more or less independently in residential care communities, while enjoying the ease and peace of mind of having help nearby for the normal activities of daily living (ADLs). Staff at assisted living communities is on standby 24/7 to help residents with bathing, dressing, transportation, cooking and medical emergencies, which helps aging citizens stay safe and enjoy life to the maximum extent their health allows.

Services Available in Assisted Living Communities in Raleigh

Raleigh’s assisted living communities offer similar standards of care, though details vary depending on how large and well-appointed each facility is. Staff can help seniors take their medication (though they can’t prescribe or administer it for them), and they often set reminders or bring over-the-counter medicine for their residents. Seniors who live in assisted living communities can also count on regular meal service, complimentary transportation around town and help with daily tasks that have become too challenging to do on their own. Many assisted living communities in Raleigh help residents and their families draft personal care plans that outline medical and social needs the community strives to meet.

Getting Ready to Move to Assisted Living in Raleigh

Before you or your loved one retire to an assisted living community in Raleigh, it’s best to get a few things done in preparation for the move. Many aging citizens choose to spend a month or two living with loved ones while they sell their old house or make arrangements for long-term storage of their furniture and other effects. This can lighten the load on moving day, and the items put in storage can usually be moved into the senior’s room when you’re sure you’ve found the right place.

In North Carolina, most seniors get a physical and mental health check from their doctor before starting the search for a new assisted living community. This is intended to make sure you’re physically fit enough for assisted living, and that your needs wouldn’t be better served at another level of care, such as skilled nursing or memory care.

Almost everyone moving into assisted living in Raleigh has to plan for a change in expenses. While assisted living can be the most economical option for many aging citizens, they're faced with a bevy of new costs they have to meet on a fixed income. Their changed economic circumstances take time to get used to. The initial preparation for the move also gives families time to adjust their finances, in case they need to help out with the bills.

Costs Associated with Assisted Living in Raleigh

Living in Raleigh can be expensive, no matter what level of independence a senior enjoys. According to the 2017 Genworth Cost of Care Survey, assisted living in Raleigh averages around $4,500 a month. This is significantly higher than both the national median of $3,750 and the typical cost of in-home health workers, around $3,623 a month. Skilled nursing is more pricey still. A shared room in Raleigh’s skilled nursing homes can cost $6,905, while private accommodations cost $7,908.

Assisted Living vs. Other Types of Senior Care Facilities

Assisted living is generally regarded as the most independence-oriented level of care for North Carolina’s seniors. Aging citizens who opt for this type of arrangement can expect to have either a private or a shared room, which is usually set up to be as much like a private apartment as the local facilities will permit. Privacy and freedom are emphasized at this level of care, though almost every place has call buttons that can bring a staff member straightaway to help out with everything from getting in or out of the bath to managing a slip-and-fall, if necessary.

This is not the only level of care available in Raleigh, NC. Seniors here who need more intensive medical attention, but whose conditions don’t require an extended stay in a hospital, can opt for skilled nursing care, which mainly focuses on rehabilitation and physical therapy. Seniors with progressive mental health issues, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, are most often cared for at a memory care facility, where they have round-the-clock supervision and closely monitored care. Many assisted living communities include a memory care component where their former assisted living residents can stay close by when they need this more closely monitored level of care. Finally, hospice care is an option for adults with end-stage illnesses and injuries. At this level, the resident is encouraged to rest as much as possible while staff assists with pain management and other comfort care measures.

Helpful Apps and Websites for Assisted Living in Raleigh

Raleigh’s aging citizens sometimes need extra help making the transition to assisted living. These websites offer services oriented toward local seniors’ needs to help ensure a more independent, fulfilling life in assisted living in Raleigh.

• Operation Fan and Heat Relief offers tips and tricks for seniors who may be adversely affected by North Carolina’s hot, humid summers. The site also connects seniors with resources where they can sign up for free or discounted fans to beat the heat indoors and reduce the risk of heat exhaustion.
• Resources for Seniors is a Wake County-based nonprofit program that seniors can use to find help with home care, adult day care, senior centers, home repair and several other must-have services that can be hard to arrange for yourself.
• Bike Raleigh is a downloadable app that helps seniors find the best local bike trails, monitor traffic in the area and avoid hazards on their rides around town. It’s available for both Apple and Android-enabled phones and tablets.

Resources for Caregivers in Raleigh

Caregivers need support too, and these local resources can connect the people who care for Raleigh’s seniors with the help they need to do their jobs effectively.

• Project Caregiver Alternatives to Running on Empty (C.A.R.E.) connects Raleigh caregivers with adult day care, respite care and local in-person support groups that help manage the special issues caregivers face, both socially and personally.
• The Center for Volunteer Caregiving has a wealth of connections for local caregivers. From their site, caregivers can find and sign up for training classes, workshops and newsletters that help keep them in touch with others in their local field.

Government Resources for Seniors in Raleigh

Wake County and the State of North Carolina both offer online resources to help seniors and their caregivers manage the demands of daily life, both in and outside of assisted living.

The State of North Carolina operates a vast online portal with links to services for seniors and their caregivers. From the Department of Health and Human Services website, NC seniors can connect with caregiver training, low-income assistance programs, placement services and the state Ombudsman for senior care.

Wake County Human Services' Senior and Adult Services offers links from its website for seniors looking to connect with:

• Placement services
• Case management services for people receiving Special Assistance/In-Home funds
• Monitoring of adult care homes and day care programs
• Protective services to disabled adults who may be at risk of being abused/neglected/exploited, and who are in need of protection.

Raleigh Demographics

Raleigh is a major urban area near the middle of the state. Over 440,000 people call the capital city home, and around 75,000 of them – or about 18.7 percent – are over age 65. While many of these aging citizens live independently, thousands more live in assisted living in and around the city of Raleigh.

Raleigh Weather

As a city in North Carolina, Raleigh gets Southern summers and Atlantic winters. Summer days can be very humid here, and sudden showers are just part of the background for most people. Spring and fall are both marked by long, clear days with increasingly cloudy nights. Daily highs in Raleigh average 71.3°F, while lows reach 50.3°F. Annual rainfall averages 46.58 inches, and droughts are uncommon.

Transportation in and Around Raleigh

GoRaleigh provides bus and rail service to the residents of Raleigh. The local public transportation network reaches out of the city and connects with several routes in nearby Durham, so transit between cities is relatively easy. Seniors and students get discounted fares on the GoRaleigh network, and monthly passes are available from the transit authority’s downtown office.

Fun Facts About Raleigh

• Raleigh was conceived as the state capital before the first stone was laid, in 1792, but the capitol building itself was a lucky accident. Originally conceived as a tomb for the wife of Governor Montfort Stokes, the building grew out of all reasonable proportions until the state legislature decided to appropriate it for its own use.

• Raleigh was originally supposed to be surrounded by a wall and several large forts. As plans were being drawn up, however, a local lobbying group urged city planners to reconsider. They had already laid out and surveyed the land where the wall was to be built, however. At long last a compromise was reached, and the ring around the city that was originally plotted out for fortifications became a beltway instead.

• Raleigh has a lot of places for people to take in culture. More than 40 local museums and art galleries are free to the public. The list of attractions includes the 19th-century water tower, which used to hold 100,000 gallons of fresh water for the city, and which is rumored to have once housed a proposed “death ray” as part of a UNC project to blow up German U-boats. Sadly, the death ray never seems to have worked.