Greenville Senior AdvisorWhat should we know before moving a parent to a Greenville assisted living facility from another state?
South Carolina licenses assisted living as community residential care facilities under its own Regulation 60-84, with admission limits, staffing ratios and payment programs that differ from other states, so confirm that a Greenville CRCF can meet your parent's specific needs before assuming the move is like-for-like.
A parent who qualifies for assisted living in one state may be outside a South Carolina CRCF's limits, for example if they need sliding-scale insulin given by staff. Share the current care plan and medication list with each facility you consider.
Will a parent's Medicaid transfer to South Carolina?
No. Medicaid is run separately by each state, so a parent moving to South Carolina must become a South Carolina resident and apply for Healthy Connections Medicaid, and should keep their old state's coverage until the new coverage begins.
The same applies to Optional State Supplementation and the Community Choices waiver, which are South Carolina programs. Medicare and VA benefits are federal and move with the person, though a Medicare Advantage plan may need to change.
What records should we bring?
Bring a recent physical examination (a South Carolina CRCF requires one within 30 days before admission), the medication list, powers of attorney, insurance cards, recent hospital and specialist records, and advance directives.
The CRCF will also ask your parent to establish care with a South Carolina-licensed physician within 30 days of admission. Ask your parent's current doctor for a summary letter to make that transition smoother.
Where in the Upstate should we look?
Choose by who will visit most: if you live on the Eastside, look at Greenville's Pelham Road area, Greer and Taylors; south of the city, Simpsonville, Mauldin and Fountain Inn; west, Easley and Powdersville; and in Anderson County, Anderson itself.
DPH's data lists 68 licensed CRCFs in the four counties with 3,996 licensed beds; 7 of them are small community residences run by county disabilities boards or the Department of Mental Health, leaving 61 senior-serving CRCFs, 33 of them in Greenville County. Our area pages list every licensed option in each part of the region, with straight-line distances to the nearest hospitals.
How do we manage the move itself?
Plan for the move to be tiring and disorienting: bring familiar furniture, photos and bedding, keep the first weeks' schedule simple, visit often but briefly at first, and tell the staff about your parent's routines and preferences in detail.
The CRCF's assessment within 72 hours and care plan within seven days are the moments to share that knowledge. Ask to take part in the care plan meeting.
At a glance
| Moves with the parent | Must be re-established in South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare | Original Medicare coverage | Some Medicare Advantage plans |
| VA | VA pension and health care | — |
| Medicaid | — | Healthy Connections Medicaid, OSS, Community Choices |
| Doctors | Records and history | A South Carolina-licensed physician within 30 days |
Sources include S.C. Code Regs. 60-84, DPH Healthcare Quality and SCDHHS pages and bulletins, CareScout, CMS and VA rate tables as cited above; see our editorial standards.
