Carter-May

CLOSED PERMANENTLY
Founded in 1929, Carter May was the first and only Catholic assisted living facility in South Carolina and provided assisted living services for adults age 60 and older. It closed in 2024. Please read the letter below from Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, regarding this closure.

     April 4, 2024
     My Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ, 
     It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the decision to close Carter-May Senior Living Home, a Catholic care residence for the elderly in Charleston. This follows the determination made by the Board of Catholic Charities of South Carolina and the recommendation of the Presbyteral Council, who voted back in April 2010 to cease operations. 
     Originally known as the Charleston Home for Senior Ladies, Carter-May has served the aged in our communities since 1929 as the only Catholic assisted living facility in the state. The decision to close the home continues to be the ever-expanding financial deficit and changes in the norms and expectations around senior care, with which we cannot keep pace. There is a great need for multitiered care solutions due to the increasingly long life-expectancies of current and prospective residents. 
     There are fifteen seniors living at Carter-May, and for the time being, we are ascertaining the most effective housing solutions for our residents. The timeline for the closing is currently undetermined, but it is our plan to work with families individually to determine the best options for their relatives. We want to ensure that every person in our community is cared for well and with dignity. 
     We will continue to serve the elderly across the state, and the diocesan leadership team and I have determined that we can allocate our financial resources for elder care more efficiently in other capacities, through other missions and in partnership with parishes. 
It will be critical for us to find ways to honor and memorialize the legacy of Carter-May as we move through this process. Information will be forthcoming about how and where this will happen. 
     I am grateful to and thank all staff and volunteers who have tirelessly given of themselves in the service of our residents and especially in recent history. May God bless all caregivers who serve others with generous hearts.
     In Christ's love,
     Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS
     Bishop of Charleston