6 Assisted Living Communities in Haywood County, North Carolina

The average cost of assisted living in the county is $4,491 a month. This guide is a starting point covering the cost of assisted living care in the county, as well as financing options to pay for it. You’ll find in-depth information on 6 Assisted Living Communities in Haywood County and several in surrounding areas. The Cost of Senior Care in Haywood County, NC

• Assisted Living: $4,491
• Nursing Home Care: $7,680
• In-home Care: $3,909
• Adult Day Health Services: $1,083

Genworth’s 2018 Cost of Care study documents monthly senior care costs nationwide. It shows that at $4,491 per month, assisted living prices in Haywood County are higher than the state ($3,693) and national ($4,000) averages. 

Costs are significantly lower in nearby Hickory ($3,300), while further east, prices are similar in Winston-Salem ($4,215), Greensboro ($4,883) and Greenville ($4,700). Costs are lower south of Haywood County in Charlotte ($3,803), and much lower in areas to the north, such as Burlington ($2,800) and Rocky Mount ($2,750). 

Note: Senior care cost data wasn’t available for Haywood County, so data for the closest city, Asheville, was used. 

Monthly senior care costs in Haywood County range from $1,083 for adult day health services to $7,680 for semiprivate nursing home care. The broad price range reflects the variations in care level, amount of hours of direct service and what’s included in the cost.  At $4,491 a month, assisted living costs are somewhat higher than 44 hours of weekly in-home service from a homemaker or home health aide, however, as with nursing home care, assisted living prices include room and board. 

Medicaid is the national health coverage program that’s jointly funded by state and federal governments and administered by each state. It provides low-income seniors, adults with disabilities, parents and children with access to a broad range of health services, including emergency, primary and long-term care. 

In North Carolina, seniors who receive Supplemental Security Income benefits automatically qualify for NC Medicaid Aged, Blind and Disabled coverage. All other seniors must complete an application process that includes verifying income and resources (assets). 

Current income limits are $1,041 per month for individuals ($1,410 per couple) and includes all wages, pension payments and alimony. The asset limit is $2,000 per applicant and $3,000 per married couple if both spouses are seeking NC Medicaid coverage. Countable assets include all cash on hand, bank account balances, investments and real estate except for an owner-occupied home valued at or below $585,000. 

If only one spouse in a married couple applies, the non-applicant spouse is entitled to $3,160.50 per month under the minimum monthly maintenance needs allowance, which can be deducted from the applicant’s income. A non-applicant spouse can also keep up to $126,420 worth of shared assets under the community spouse resource allowance. 

Seniors with excess monthly income and high ongoing medical expenses may be eligible for coverage under the Medically Needy pathway. Also known as Medicaid spend-down, this program lets seniors deduct qualified medical costs from their monthly income to reach Medicaid limits every six months. 

Personal Care Services

Seniors who reside in an assisted living setting, have Medicaid coverage and need help with two or more activities of daily living may be eligible for assistance up to 3.5 hours per day and 60 hours per month through the Personal Care Services program. As a Medicaid entitlement program, all seniors who meet program criteria receive services. 

ADLs include toileting, eating, dressing, bathing and mobility. 

To qualify, seniors must meet one of the following criteria: 

• Need limited help to perform three out of the five qualifying ADLs
• Need extensive help performing one ADL and limited help performing another
• Be entirely reliant on assistance from another person to perform one ADL and need some help performing another ADL

PCS assessments are performed by NC Medicaid employees or designated Medicaid agents, and program services are assigned according to an individualized service plan. 

Seniors who need additional services may qualify for up to 80 hours of care per month under the PCS-Plus program with approval from a physician. 

For more information on NC Medicaid, the Medically Needy pathway and the PCS program, contact Haywood County, Health and Human Services at (828) 452-6620 or apply in person at 157 Paragon Parkway in Clyde. 

State-County Special Assistance Program

Seniors who collect Supplemental Security Income benefits and reside in an assisted living facility with 24-hour staffing may qualify for additional funds through the State-County Special Assistance In-Home program. 

This program provides SSI top-up funds for the room-and-board portion of assisted living costs for a combined federal/state benefit of up to $1,228 per month. 

For more information call the Haywood County Social Work Services Division at (828) 452-6620. 

VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance

The VA Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance are two VA pension top-up programs which supplement the regular VA pension for eligible veterans and survivors. Applicants who were previously denied a VA pension due to excess income may qualify under the increased rates provided with these programs. 

Note: A Disability or chronic illness doesn’t need to be service-related, and applicants may only collect benefits from one of these programs. 

To qualify for Housebound, applicants must have a permanent disability that largely limits them to their place of residence. 

For Aid and Attendance, applicants must meet one of the following:

• Have a visual field limited to 5 or fewer degrees

• Be bedridden due to illness

• Live in a nursing facility to receive care for cognitive and/or physical impairment

• Have corrected eyesight of 5/200 or worse

• Need help from a caregiver to perform activities of daily living

For more information and application assistance, contact the Haywood County Veterans Officer at (828) 452-6634. 

Veterans and dependents can contact the Haywood County Veterans Office for information on VA programs and help submitting VA benefit applications and appeals. VA health services, including primary, acute and extended care, are available at the nearby Asheville VA Medical Center. The county is also home to American Legion Post 47 and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5202, which host social events for veterans. 

Haywood County Veterans Office
215 North Main St., Suite 312, Waynesville, NC 28786
(828) 452-6634

Asheville VA Medical Center
1100 Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 298-7911

Senior Homes has an extensive directory of senior living options, with care and living providers across the United States.