Nearly a quarter of all North Carolina residents will be 65 or older by 2060. For many, remaining in their homes through old age is the primary goal, but it’s not always feasible. Aging experts encourage people to plan ahead to help with making tough decisions later in life. The News & Observer’s guide aims to help. Here’s how to begin that search and what to know to ensure loved ones have a safe place to live.
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Finding long-term care can be challenging for seniors and their loved ones, especially in the aftermath of an illness or fall.
Many seniors don’t begin their search for long-term care until a need has already arisen, and experts interviewed by The News & Observer warn that it can be difficult to find a quality long-term care facility that meets a person’s needs on a quick timeline.
“Statistically we need some sort of care in the last few years of our lives,” said Rae Dawson, who teaches a popular course on finding long-term care at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Duke University, in a previous interview with The N&O.
The federal government provides one-to-five star ratings for some long-term care facilities including nursing homes. Nursing homes or skilled nursing homes provide 24-hour medical care for long-term or rehabilitative stays for people who need the highest level of medical care a person can receive without going to a hospital.
That database, found at medicare.gov/care-compare, looks at health and fire safety inspections, complaint inspections, staffing levels and infection control inspections, among other things. However, some of the information is self-reported by the facilities.
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Each facility is given a one through five-star rating and people can search based on zip code, city and state.
The annual cost for a private room in a skilled nursing facility in North Carolina was $129,575 a year or $10,798 a month, according to Genworth Cost of Care survey data.
The News & Observer also reported the one-star-rated nursing homes in the Triangle and Charlotte areas.
Here are the five-star-rated nursing homes in the Triangle as of Sept. 14, 2026:
The following are questions or ideas to consider when visiting a long-term care facility or researching locations. Many advocates suggested to The News & Observer visitors use all their senses during the visit.
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Portions of this story were previously published in The News & Observer.
This story was originally published September 14, 2026 at 10:06 AM.