Memory Care in Columbia, SC
Columbia has 8 state-licensed memory care communities. These are the communities South Carolina’s licensing records flag for dementia or memory care. Many other assisted living communities also run secured memory care, so ask.
Free guide · 17 pages
Choosing Memory Care
For families of a parent living with dementia, in the order you'll need it.
- How memory care is set up and what it costs
- Signs it may be time
- Questions, a tour checklist and a worksheet to print
- A section for you, the person doing the caring
All 8 licensed memory care communities in Columbia
Every memory care community South Carolina licenses in Columbia, from state records. Being listed is not a rating: Lilisity scores only communities with verified interviews (the Top Communities). Communities with verified testimonials are listed first, then by size.
8 shown
| Community | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Vitality Living Columbia1951 Clemson Rd | Large118 residents | $4,550 to $7,050/moLilisity estimate |
| Harmony Collection at Columbia (Al/Mc)2300 Clemson Rd | Large110 residents | $4,550 to $7,050/moLilisity estimate |
| Palmettos of Parklane7811 Parklane Rd | Large85 residents | $4,550 to $7,050/moLilisity estimate |
| Mill Creek Manor651 Polo Rd | Large59 residents | $4,750 to $7,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Wildewood Downs Assisted Living Community731 Polo Rd | Large57 residents | $4,750 to $7,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Brookdale Harbison51 Woodcross Dr | Large52 residents | $4,750 to $7,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Merrill Gardens at Columbia2205 Gregg St | Large52 residents | $4,750 to $7,350/moLilisity estimate |
| Harmony Collection at Columbia (Il)2232 Clemson Rd | Mid-size25 residents | $4,750 to $7,350/moLilisity estimate |
Independent living in Columbia
Also in Columbia: 6 independent living, life plan and 55+ communities in Columbia and 11 income-restricted senior apartment buildings. 3 of them come from public records; independent living is usually not licensed by the state.
How much does memory care cost in Columbia?
The median cost of assisted living in South Carolina is $5,350 a month ($64,200 a year), below the national median of $6,200. That’s CareScout’s 2025 survey, collected July to November 2025. If more care is needed: nursing home costs in South Carolina, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates nursing homes publish. Memory care usually costs more than assisted living, because of extra staffing and a secured setting, so treat the assisted living median as a floor.
Medicare does not pay for memory care. People pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or VA Aid and Attendance (up to $29,093 a year for a veteran in 2026), and some qualify for Medicaid help with care costs at communities that accept it. Who actually pays for long-term care.
Free tools: how long will the money last? · home care or assisted living? · VA Aid and Attendance estimator
Tour Columbia memory care at 11 a.m., ask about 3 a.m.
- How many staff are awake overnight, and for how many residents?
- How often is she checked at night, and is it written down?
- If she falls at 3 a.m., who responds, and when do you call me?
- What do you do when she’s up and wandering at night?
There’s no federal staffing ratio for memory care; each state sets its own rules. The night questions to ask, with a free printable (PDF).
Check a Columbia community’s license
South Carolina publishes licensing records, and in most cases inspection or complaint reports, for every community on this page. Look up any community on the state’s site: dph.sc.gov. Ask the community for its most recent inspection report too; they have to keep it.
Columbia memory care questions
South Carolina licenses 8 memory care communities in Columbia as of November 2026.
The median cost of assisted living in South Carolina is $5,350 a month (CareScout 2025), compared with $6,200 nationally. Memory care usually costs more than assisted living. Prices vary with the room, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet. The table on this page shows each community's published price or a Lilisity estimate where we have one, and our free guide lists the questions to ask about cost.
Medicaid doesn't pay rent or meals in memory care. Most states offer a Medicaid waiver or program that can pay for care services at participating communities for people who qualify; not every community takes it, so ask each one. South Carolina's Medicaid agency or your local Area Agency on Aging can tell you what's available.
South Carolina publishes its licensing records at dph.sc.gov. You can also ask any community for its most recent state inspection report.
This page lists communities South Carolina's licensing records flag for dementia or memory care. Many assisted living communities also offer secured memory care without a separate license flag, so the assisted living list is worth checking too.