Clemmons and Bermuda Run: Senior Care on Both Sides of the Yadkin River

One area, two counties

Interstate 40 crosses the Yadkin River between Clemmons and Bermuda Run, and for most families the river is just scenery. Clemmons is a village of about 22,808 in Forsyth County; Bermuda Run and Advance are in Davie County, a mix of golf communities, retirees and newer neighborhoods. People shop, worship and see doctors on both sides.

For senior care, though, the county line matters. It decides which department of social services handles Medicaid, Special Assistance and Adult Protective Services, and whether PACE is available.

What is licensed in the area

Every adult care home and nursing home with a Clemmons, Bermuda Run or Advance address on the state's lists:

Source: N.C. DHSR rosters and star ratings; CMS Care Compare for nursing homes.

One Clemmons adult care home on the list carries a Davidson County address, because Clemmons ZIP codes reach across the county line to the south-east. Several nursing homes here sit on retirement campuses with adult care beds on the same license.

Assisted living and dementia care in Clemmons

Clemmons is where families west of Winston-Salem usually look first for assisted living. Its adult care homes tend to be larger, purpose-built buildings, and several have special care units, including one that is licensed entirely as a dementia home. State star ratings for the Clemmons homes range from two to four stars, so read each home's survey documents before touring.

Nursing care on both sides of the river

Nursing homes in Clemmons, Advance and Bermuda Run vary widely in their CMS figures. One Clemmons home is listed by CMS as a Special Focus Facility candidate, the federal designation for homes with a persistent record of serious problems, while others hold four stars. Davie Medical Center in Bermuda Run, part of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, is the nearest hospital for much of the area. Check each home's page for its staffing, turnover and latest survey against the five-county median.

How to plan a search that crosses the river

Start with the care level, not the town. If a parent needs assisted living, the realistic choices are the Clemmons adult care homes plus those in Mocksville and south-west Winston-Salem, all within a short drive. If a dementia unit is needed, the Clemmons homes with special care units and the dementia-only homes in Mocksville and Kernersville are the main options. If daily skilled nursing is needed, the nursing homes on both sides of the river and in Winston-Salem are all in play.

Then think about the county. For a family that expects to need Medicaid and wants PACE, a Davie County address opens that door; for one that relies on Senior Services Inc.'s meals and home care, the Forsyth side does. Neither is better in general. The point is to know which programs follow which address before signing a lease or a residency agreement.

Finally, check distance from the relative who will visit most. A home ten minutes from that person will be visited far more often than one forty minutes away.

Services that change at the county line

On the Clemmons side, Forsyth County DSS (336-703-3800) handles Medicaid and Special Assistance, APS is 336-703-3503, and Senior Services Inc. provides meals and home care. On the Bermuda Run and Advance side, Davie County DSS in Mocksville (336-753-6250) handles the same programs, and Carolina SeniorCare's PACE program (336-746-3500) is available, which it is not yet in Forsyth. A family weighing PACE might reasonably factor the county into a move. See our Clemmons and Bermuda Run and Advance pages.