Myrtle Beach Manor

Can a single building handle a parent's needs from light daily help through dementia care and skilled nursing? Myrtle Beach Manor, at 9547 Highway 17 North in Myrtle Beach, offers each of these, along with short respite stays of 14 to 29 days. Phoenix Senior Living operates the community, which suits families who want to avoid a second move later.

Assisted living residents get help with bathing, dressing and other daily tasks, plus oversight of medications they take themselves. Memory care is a separate setting for residents living with Alzheimer's disease or another dementia. Skilled nursing relies on the physical, occupational and speech therapy offered on site. Trained staff are available around the clock, and an emergency response system is in place.

Rooms are private or semi-private, with roomy bathrooms and kitchenettes. Meals come 3 times a day plus snacks in a restaurant-style dining room, and a private dining room works for birthdays and family visits. Housekeeping, linens, high-speed internet and concierge help are handled for residents, and landscaped grounds with walking paths, a salon and barber shop, and a steady calendar of social events fill the week.

Grand Strand Medical Center is the hospital the community points to, and the beaches, golf courses, theaters and seafood restaurants of the area give outings some variety, with scheduled transportation for trips and appointments. Ask how residents move between levels of care, then look at senior living in Myrtle Beach for comparison.