Senior Living Apartments in Charlotte, NC

Private funds are commonly used to pay for senior apartments in Charlotte, North Carolina. This could look like savings you’ve been building up over time, as well as any extra proceeds obtained from numerous resources.

Additionally, seniors with access to their retirement income can use these funds to pay for a senior apartment. Certain forms of retirement income are subject to different tax rules in North Carolina, so you’ll want to be mindful of the following before turning to these sources:

• Social Security income isn’t taxed.
• Other retirement income is taxed, whether from pensions or IRA/401k withdrawals.^[02]

Other sources of funding could include options such as these:

Almost half of Charlotte’s veteran population is made up of seniors aged 65 and older.^[03] The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (DMVA) both offer benefits that can be used for senior apartment expenses. We highlight some benefits that may be available to qualified veterans or their surviving spouses below.

VA pensions

Qualified veterans and their surviving spouses may be able to receive monthly payments through VA pension benefits. This benefit serves as supplemental income that can be used to help veterans and their spouses pay rent at a senior apartment. There are different types and many conditions to a VA pension. Veterans may be eligible if they meet at least one of the following criteria:

• They collect Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
• They have a permanent disability that’s unlikely to go away.
• They receive care in a nursing home because of mental or physical debility.
• They are age 65 or older.^[04]

Veterans also need to meet service and financial eligibility requirements to be eligible for VA pensions.

Aid and Attendance benefit

Veterans with disabilities that receive the VA Pension may also be eligible to collect the Aid and Attendance benefit in addition to their monthly pension amount. Aid and Attendance can be used to pay for any living costs that benefit a veteran’s quality of life, which can include rent at a senior apartment community.

To be eligible for this benefit, veterans must already be enrolled in a VA pension, have a disability recognized by VA health care, and meet a minimum of one of the following conditions:

• The senior veteran has poor vision.
• The senior veteran requires assistance with daily tasks.
• The senior veteran is a nursing home patient because of a mental or physical disability.
• The senior veteran is bedbound for all or most of the day.^[05]

Requirements for the Aid and Attendance are complex, and there are also a few other types of benefits for veterans. The VA will take into account your entire service career as well as the specifics of the disability to understand which benefits you qualify for. Some pay out more than others, like disabilities related to wartime service.

Housebound Allowance

The Housebound Allowance is another supplemental benefit available to veterans enrolled in VA pensions. Here are some things you need to know about the housebound benefit:

• It is paid on top of a veteran’s monthly pension.
• It can’t be collected while also receiving Aid and Attendance.
• It can be used to pay for in-home care services when a veteran can’t leave their home because of a disability.
  • This disability doesn’t have to be related to wartime service and can develop from natural, age-related causes.

HUD-VASH

Qualified veterans may also be able to receive rental assistance through the Housing and Urban Development VA Supportive Housing (known as HUD-VASH) voucher program. HUD-VASH works similarly to HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program, formerly called Section 8, which reduces the rental rate to 30% of the household income in communities that participate in the Housing Choice Voucher program.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF)

Support for veterans runs deep in North Carolina, and it’s quite evident based on the number of local nonprofits that offer their support and services. The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) is a region-wide effort to prevent homelessness among the veteran population. In addition to providing stable housing for low-income veterans and families, SSVF helps with acquiring VA benefits and other services, such as those listed below:

• Temporary financial assistance with rent, utilities, and security deposit payments
• Substance abuse treatments
• Housing search and placement
• Eviction prevention
• Case management^[06]

The Veterans Services of the Carolinas, a division of Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM), is one of the local veteran organizations involved with the program. Additionally, Veterans Bridge Home and Catholic Charities Diocese of Charlotte partner together to help veterans in Mecklenburg County access these benefits and resources.

Help with VA benefits

Finding and applying for VA benefits can be a lengthy and complex process, but the local organizations in Charlotte can provide benefits and claims assistance. NCServes is the statewide resource that can help provide benefit navigation and connect veterans and families to several local services. You can also look into other nonprofits, like Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapters, which can assist and advocate for veterans filing benefit claims.

You can find the contact information for these programs in the resources section below.

NC Medicaid is the North Carolina’s Medicaid program. Medicaid can’t be used to cover the rent at a senior apartment in Charlotte. However, in-home care services may be covered if there’s a medical need for them. Through Long-Term Services and Supports (also known as LTSS), NC Medicaid services seniors with functional limitations that affect their ability to take care of themselves. Read on to learn more about the state’s LTSS that can be received from home if the need arises.

Personal care services

Personal care services offer help with activities of daily living inside a senior’s home. These services are intended to support seniors who struggle to do the following on their own:

• Eating
• Dressing
• Bathing
• Going to the bathroom
• Moving from place to place^[07]

Home health services

These services offer seniors an alternative to an institution-like setting, where medically essential services can be provided from within their homes. Home health services include the following:

• Physical, speech, and occupational therapies
• Skilled nursing services
• Medical supplies
• Home health aide^[07]

Private duty nursing

Private duty nursing provides nonstop skilled nursing care in the home of Medicaid beneficiaries considered medically fragile. These services provide additional care services to someone already being cared for at home by family or another caregiver. Private duty nursing services give a person’s caregivers the additional support needed to help them remain at home instead of being transferred into a nursing home.

Medicare is the federally funded health insurance program for seniors age 65+ or people with certain disabilities. Like NC Medicaid, Medicare can’t be used to cover the cost to live in a senior apartment community. Seniors may be able to receive short-term home care support if there’s a confirmed medical need for the services, which can include the following:

• Specialized therapies
• Medical supplies for home use
• Home health aide care or part-time skilled nursing care
• Medical social services^[08]

To qualify, seniors need to already be enrolled in Medicare Part A and/or Part B and have a doctor verify that they meet all of the following criteria:

• The senior needs specialized therapy to treat a specific condition and/or intermittent skilled nursing care.
• The senior has a regularly reviewed care plan and is under the care of a doctor.
• The senior is unable to leave their home because of a condition.^[08]

North Carolina’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (also known as SHIIP) is part of the North Carolina Department of Insurance. SHIIP offers the North Carolina Senior Medicare Patrol (NCSMP) program to help educate seniors about Medicare benefits. This educational program is taught by fully trained SHIIP counselors who help seniors understand their Medicare benefits and recognize billing errors and other types of discrepancies.

Public housing assistance gives low-income seniors a means of support, so they can afford quality housing in Charlotte. Check out some local and federal programs for housing and income assistance below.

HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher Programs (HCVP)

Commonly known as Section 8, the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program subsidizes private rental units for low-income seniors. It provides access to safe and adequate housing resources at a reduced rent, which should not exceed 30% of a household’s monthly income. The remaining rent is paid directly to a landlord by INLIVIAN, Charlotte’s housing authority, using federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Eligibility for the voucher program is based on factors like income and household size. You’ll also need to check that a senior apartment community accepts Section 8 vouchers. To apply for a Housing Choice Voucher or to ask general questions, you can contact INLIVIAN or the nearest HUD office in Greensboro. You can find their contacts in the resources section below.

Social Security benefits

Social Security benefits provide supplemental income to eligible individuals. This income can be used to pay for any living expenses, including rent at a senior apartment in Charlotte. There are different types of Social Security benefits, each with its benefits and application processes. It’s important to learn which ones apply to your situation or your benefits may be denied. Find out more details on which benefit you may qualify for below.

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is provided to individuals and certain family members who meet specific disability and work credit requirements.
• Social Security Survivors Pension doesn’t require a disability and is intended to help a widow or widower of eligible workers.
• Social Security in Retirement (SSR or Social Security Retirement benefit) replaces some of a person’s monthly income if they retire or work less.
• Supplemental Security Income (also SSI) is intended to assist people who have a disability, are very low income, and don’t have work credits.

Contact your local Social Security Administration office for more information about these benefits.

Local support

Charlotte has emergency housing assistance organizations to help people who face homelessness or need financial support. The Crisis Assistance Ministry is a local nonprofit that provides immediate emergency rent and utility assistance to people at risk of being evicted or facing homelessness. You can also dial 2-1-1 for help with rent and utilities.