Home Care in South Carolina: Licensed In-Home Care Agencies by City

Aging at home in South Carolina

Almost one in five South Carolinians, about 19.8 percent, is 65 or older. The state's regions pull in different directions: the Lowcountry around Charleston and Hilton Head Island, the Midlands around Columbia, the Upstate around Greenville and Spartanburg, and the Grand Strand around Myrtle Beach. Longtime residents are aging in place in neighborhoods like Columbia's Five Points and Rosewood and Charleston's West Ashley. Families arranging in-home care usually find that the coast, the Midlands and the Upstate each work differently, and that hurricane season is part of every plan. Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach add resort-town settings to the mix.

19.8% of South Carolina residents are 65 or older. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates, Vintage 2024, July 1, 2024 (civilian population, computed from single-year-of-age file; the Vintage 2025 file puts it at 21.2).

Cities, towns and neighborhoods we cover

Charleston's peninsula, James Island, Daniel Island and West Ashley form one dense market, with North Charleston's Park Circle and Ashley Phosphate area right beside it and the Ravenel Bridge linking Mount Pleasant. Inland, Columbia centers on the Congaree Vista, Old Shandon and Five Points. Greenville's Falls Park area and Spartanburg lead the Upstate, and Florence serves the Pee Dee. Along the coast, Myrtle Beach, Beaufort and Hilton Head are resort and island communities, so a family choosing a caregiver there should confirm availability throughout the year, not just in peak months.

• Charleston: West Ashley, James Island, Daniel Island, Downtown peninsula
• Columbia: Five Points, Congaree Vista, Old Shandon, Rosewood, Cottontown
• North Charleston: Park Circle, Ashley Phosphate, Northwoods

Regions

• Lowcountry: The southeastern coastal plain with salt marshes, estuaries and the Sea Islands, including Charleston, Beaufort and Hilton Head
• Midlands: Central South Carolina around Columbia, which sits near the geographic center of the state at the fall line
• Upstate: The state's largest metropolitan region, including Greenville and Spartanburg, reaching toward the Blue Ridge Mountains
• Pee Dee: The northeastern coastal plain, with Florence as its main city
• Grand Strand: A 60-mile stretch of beach in the northeast centered on Myrtle Beach

Familiar places

Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor; Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, Charleston to Mount Pleasant; Congaree National Park, near Columbia; Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, Columbia; Brookgreen Gardens, near Murrells Inlet; Hunting Island State Park, near Beaufort; Falls Park on the Reedy, Greenville.

Planning care around South Carolina's seasons and geography

For South Carolina families, planning begins in early summer. Hurricane season starts June 1, and the stretch from early August to early October is the most dangerous for the coast, with Hugo, Florence and Helene as reminders. A coastal household should settle in advance who contacts the client, where they will go, and how a caregiver reaches them if a road floods. Summer heat and humidity arrive statewide, which affects outdoor errands and midday visits. Winters are mild, with occasional small snow events in the Upstate.

• Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and the peak for the southeast Atlantic coast is early August to early October; hurricanes Hazel (1954), Hugo (1989), Florence (2018) and Helene (2024) all hit the state.
• Summers are hot and humid across most of the state, while the Upstate has a subtropical highland climate with cooler conditions toward the Blue Ridge.
• Snow is rare on the southern coast, where several years can pass without measurable snowfall near and below Charleston, but the Upstate typically sees two to three small snow events a year, mostly along and north of Interstate 85.

South Carolina resources for families

• Licensing. Yes. The department licenses In-Home Care Providers under the Licensure of In-Home Care Providers Act (S.C. Code 44-70-10 et seq.) and Regulation 60-122; the department describes an in-home care provider as an entity that provides or arranges in-home care services for compensation. Confirm current requirements with the state before you hire. South Carolina Department of Public Health, Bureau of Health Facilities Licensing
• Aging services. Call the Department on Aging at 1-800-868-9095 or search GetCareSC.com for providers and for the regional agency that serves your county. South Carolina Department on Aging
• Help paying. South Carolina's Medicaid home and community-based program for older adults is Community Choices Waiver (South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services). Eligibility is based on income and care needs.