Georgetown County, SC Senior Help Directory: Georgetown, Pawleys Island, and Andrews Programs for Seniors and Families (2026)

Free, plain-English help for seniors and families in Georgetown County, SC. Education, not advice. Verify before you rely on it.

Start here (works anywhere)

211 (dial 2-1-1), Eldercare Locator 1-800-677-1116, BenefitsCheckUp.org, Medicare 1-800-633-4227, Social Security 1-800-772-1213, VA 1-800-827-1000, Alzheimer's 24/7 Helpline 1-800-272-3900, National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-372-8311, Crisis Lifeline 988

Three local front doors: 211 | Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services (the county's own senior agency: six senior centers, home-delivered meals, in-home help, and transportation; 1610 Hawkins Street, Georgetown; 843-545-3196) | Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging (the regional aging agency for Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg, headquartered right here in Georgetown: Medicare counseling, family caregiver support, information and referral, ombudsman; 843-546-8502)

A note on how Georgetown County is different from Horry: Georgetown County runs its own Bureau of Aging Services as a county department, and the regional Area Agency on Aging is headquartered in the city of Georgetown. So for most senior services you have a county office and a regional office within a few miles of each other. Start with the Bureau for meals, centers, and rides. Start with the AAA for Medicare and caregiver questions.

Property tax relief (Georgetown County Auditor, P.O. Box 421270, Georgetown, SC 29442; 843-545-3021)

South Carolina's senior property tax break is the statewide Homestead Exemption, and in Georgetown County you apply for it at the County Auditor's Office. There is no NC-style June 1 deadline, you can apply at any time, but apply before the tax bills go out to get the break for that year.

South Carolina Homestead Exemption (S.C. Code Section 12-37-250): exempts the first $50,000 of fair market value of your primary residence from ALL property taxes. If your primary residence is valued at $50,000 or less, it is fully exempt. To qualify, as of December 31 before the tax year you must be age 65 or older, OR totally and permanently disabled (declared by a state or federal agency), OR legally blind (certified by a licensed ophthalmologist), and a legal resident of South Carolina. There is no income limit for this exemption.
How Georgetown splits the two offices: the Auditor (843-545-3021) takes the Homestead or disability exemption application. The Assessor (843-545-3017, 129 Screven Street, Georgetown) takes the separate Special Assessment as Legal Residence application. They are two different breaks and you can have both. Bring proof of age (a driver's license or birth certificate) or proof of disability or blindness.
The 4 percent legal-residence classification taxes an owner-occupied home at the lower 4 percent ratio instead of 6 percent and removes school operating taxes, and it often saves more than the homestead exemption itself. The Assessor accepts the application by mail, by fax, or in the dropbox at the historic courthouse entrance. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This matters more in Georgetown County than almost anywhere else in the state. Pawleys Island, Litchfield, and DeBordieu carry a lot of second homes and inherited beach property, and anything that is not the owner's occupied legal residence sits at 6 percent, not 4. If a parent's house passes to an adult child who does not live in it, the ratio changes and the tax bill goes up. Ask the Assessor before you assume the old rate carries over.
Note: a bill to expand senior property tax relief was moving through the South Carolina General Assembly in early 2026. As of this writing it is a pending proposal, not current law, so the $50,000 Homestead Exemption above is the program in force. Confirm the current year's rules with the Georgetown County Auditor.

Food

The Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services delivers meals to homebound seniors 60 and older throughout the county and serves group meals at its six senior centers. Call 843-545-3185 for meals and center locations, or 843-545-3196 for the main office. The Bureau is at 1610 Hawkins Street, Georgetown, open Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Meals on Wheels of Horry & Georgetown County, Inc. is a separate nonprofit that delivers meals to homebound, elderly, and terminally ill residents in both counties, free to qualified applicants regardless of ability to pay; call 843-970-2330.
Helping Hands of Georgetown County runs a client-choice food pantry at 1813 Highmarket Street, Georgetown, open Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to noon; call 843-527-3424. They provide roughly three days of balanced food sized to the household, including milk, eggs, bread, cheese, produce, and meat.
The Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging funds and coordinates senior nutrition across Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg counties and can assess an older adult for meals and in-home help; call 843-546-8502.
SNAP (food stamps) is income-based, not age-based, so working families qualify too. Apply through Georgetown County DSS (330 Dozier Street, Georgetown; 843-546-5134) or online through the South Carolina DSS benefits portal. SC Thrive can help you fill out the application for free.

Energy and utility help

LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) in Georgetown County is run by the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council (WEOC), the community action agency serving Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg counties. LIHEAP helps with home heating and cooling costs and crisis (past-due or disconnection) situations, with priority for elderly, disabled, and young-child households. The LIHEAP office is at 1261 US 501, Suite D, Conway, SC 29526 (843-234-4130). Both homeowners and renters may apply, and application windows open and close, so call to confirm they are taking applications.
For statewide energy-assistance questions, the South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity is at 803-734-0662, and the state energy-assistance portal is energy.sc.gov.
211 is the fastest way to find a local crisis fund or church ministry with money for a past-due utility bill, and your utility (such as Santee Cooper or Santee Electric Cooperative) may offer its own customer assistance for past-due accounts.

Medicare, Medicaid, prescriptions

South Carolina's SHIP program is branded I-CARE (Insurance Counseling Assistance and Referrals for Elders). Free, unbiased one-on-one help with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D drug plans, Medigap, enrollment, appeals, and fraud. In Georgetown County, I-CARE counseling is delivered through the Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging (843-546-8502), which is headquartered in Georgetown at 1230 Highmarket Street. You can also reach the statewide line at the South Carolina Department on Aging, 1-800-868-9095, or find a counselor at GetCareSC.com. Start here before any Medicare decision.
Medicaid in South Carolina is called Healthy Connections, run by SCDHHS. It can help pay Medicare premiums and long-term care costs for those who qualify. Apply online at apply.scdhhs.gov, by phone at 1-888-549-0820 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.), or through Georgetown County DSS.
Medicare Savings Programs (help paying Part A and B premiums) and Extra Help / the Low-Income Subsidy (lower Part D drug costs) are screened and applied for through I-CARE or Healthy Connections.
South Carolina has no flat statewide drug-payment program, so use I-CARE to apply for Extra Help and BenefitsCheckUp.org to find manufacturer and nonprofit patient assistance programs for specific medications.

Home repair and safety

Weatherization Assistance Program: free energy-efficiency work (insulation, air sealing, weatherstripping, and heating and cooling repair or safety fixes) at no cost to income-eligible households, with older adults, people with disabilities, and families with young children served first. In Georgetown County this is run through the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council weatherization office at 1261 US 501, Suite C-1, Conway (843-234-4140). Note that weatherization and LIHEAP are two different programs at two different phone numbers.
USDA Section 504 Home Repair: grants up to $10,000 for very-low-income homeowners 62 and older to remove health and safety hazards (loans are available too) in eligible rural areas of Georgetown County, including much of the area around Andrews and the rural western part of the county. Check eligibility with USDA Rural Development.
Dial 211 for local ramp-building and accessibility-modification help from area nonprofits, and ask the Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services (843-545-3196) about in-home services, or the Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging (843-546-8502) about minor home modifications tied to its in-home programs.

Rent, housing, emergency cash

211 is the fastest route to temporary rent and utility help near you and will point you to whichever local ministry or fund has money right now.
The Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council runs basic-needs, family self-sufficiency, and energy programs across Georgetown County; LIHEAP 843-234-4130, weatherization 843-234-4140.
Helping Hands of Georgetown County (843-527-3424) provides emergency assistance alongside its food pantry.
Georgetown County DSS (843-546-5134, 330 Dozier Street, Georgetown) administers emergency assistance and adult services.

Transportation

The Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services provides transportation for its senior center activities, shopping, field trips, and in-county medical needs. This is the first call for a senior who needs a ride and lives in the county; 843-545-3196.
Coast RTA Paratransit is the door-to-door, advance-reservation ride for people whose disability keeps them from using regular fixed-route buses. It covers areas of Horry and Georgetown counties within three-quarters of a mile of a Coast RTA fixed route, which in Georgetown County means the northern end near Murrells Inlet and Litchfield rather than the whole county. You must be pre-qualified and certified. To apply or schedule, call 843-488-0865, as far ahead as you can, and cancel at least two hours before pickup.
Residents with full Healthy Connections Medicaid and no other way to travel may qualify for free non-emergency medical transportation to covered appointments; ask Healthy Connections (1-888-549-0820) or Georgetown County DSS.

Legal help

South Carolina Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible residents on elder-law issues like powers of attorney, wills, Medicaid and public benefits, housing, consumer and finance problems, and scams. Georgetown County is served by the Conway office at 1201 B Creel Street, Wing A1, Conway, SC 29527, reachable directly at 843-381-8182 or 1-866-597-0100. The statewide intake line is 1-888-346-5592, answered by a lawyer or paralegal from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Household income generally must be at or under 125 percent of the federal poverty level.
The Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging (843-546-8502) offers free benefits counseling and legal-assistance referrals for older adults, and hosts the regional Long-Term Care Ombudsman for nursing-home and assisted-living complaints.
The Georgetown County Veterans Affairs Office (537 Lafayette Circle, Georgetown; 843-545-3330) helps veterans and surviving spouses file for VA benefits, including Aid and Attendance, which can help pay for in-home care or assisted living.
The South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service can connect you to a private attorney; 211 can route you there.

Caregiver support

The Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging runs the regional Family Caregiver Support Program for Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg counties: one-on-one support, respite, counseling, training, and help navigating services. Call 843-546-8502.
The Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services offers homecare assistance with housekeeping and personal care, which gives a working family caregiver real relief; call 843-545-3196.
Tidelands Community Hospice, the locally based nonprofit hospice serving Georgetown, Horry, and Williamsburg counties for four decades, provides hospice and palliative care along with family and bereavement support.
The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (1-800-272-3900) is there any hour for dementia caregiving questions.

Staying at home instead of a nursing home

Georgetown County does not currently have a local PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) center. PACE wraps all medical care, therapy, a day center, home care, and home-delivered meals into one program for people 55 and older who meet a nursing-home level of care but can live safely at home with help. South Carolina's PACE sites serve Anderson, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Dorchester, Greenville, Lexington, Orangeburg, Pickens, and Richland counties, none of them on the Waccamaw Neck. If you want to ask about the nearest option or any new site, call the Eldercare Locator (1-800-677-1116) or SCDHHS.
The main route to staying home in Georgetown County is South Carolina's Medicaid home and community based care. Healthy Connections Community Long Term Care can provide in-home personal care, adult day services, and other supports for people who would otherwise need a nursing home. Ask Healthy Connections (1-888-549-0820) or Georgetown County DSS about Community Long Term Care and the Medicaid waiver.
The Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services homecare program and the Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging (843-546-8502) can help you weigh in-home options. Home-delivered meals, in-home help, and county senior transportation also help an older adult stay in the home longer.

Frequently asked questions

My mom is 70 in Pawleys Island and her property tax feels impossible. What is the one call to make? Call the Georgetown County Auditor at 843-545-3021 and ask about the South Carolina Homestead Exemption. If she is 65 or older and the home is her primary residence, the first $50,000 of fair market value comes off all property taxes, with no income limit. There is no annual deadline, you can apply any time, but apply before bills go out. Then call the Assessor at 843-545-3017 and ask whether her home is coded at the 4 percent legal-residence ratio. On the Waccamaw Neck that second question is often the bigger one, because a home that is not an occupied legal residence sits at 6 percent.

Dad is homebound in Andrews and can't cook anymore. How do we get him meals? Call the Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services at 843-545-3185 and ask about home-delivered meals for homebound seniors 60 and older. Meals on Wheels of Horry & Georgetown County (843-970-2330) is a second option. If you need food sooner, Helping Hands of Georgetown County (843-527-3424) runs a pantry at 1813 Highmarket Street, Monday to Thursday mornings, or dial 211.

My parent can't drive and needs rides to the doctor. What does Georgetown County offer? Start with the Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services at 843-545-3196, which provides in-county transportation for medical needs, shopping, and its senior centers. Coast RTA Paratransit (843-488-0865) serves the parts of the county within three-quarters of a mile of a Coast RTA fixed route, which is mostly the northern end. If your parent has full Healthy Connections Medicaid, ask about free non-emergency medical transportation at 1-888-549-0820.

We want to keep Mom at home but her care is getting complex. What is the option here if there is no PACE? Georgetown County has no PACE center, so the main path is South Carolina's Medicaid home and community based care. Ask Healthy Connections (1-888-549-0820) or Georgetown County DSS about Community Long Term Care, which can bring in personal care, adult day services, and other in-home supports for someone who would otherwise need a nursing home. The Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services (843-545-3196) and the Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging (843-546-8502) can help you compare options.

Sources

Georgetown County Auditor, Homestead Exemption (P.O. Box 421270, Georgetown, SC 29442; 843-545-3021; Auditor takes the Homestead or disability exemption): https://www.gtcountysc.gov/271/Auditor and https://www.gtcountysc.gov/279/Tax-Relief-Exemptions
Georgetown County Assessor, Legal Residence (4 percent) special assessment (129 Screven Street, Georgetown, SC 29440; P.O. Drawer 421270, Georgetown, SC 29442; 843-545-3017; Mon-Fri 8:30-5): https://www.gtcountysc.gov/259/Assessor and https://www.gtcountysc.gov/270/Special-Assessments
South Carolina Department of Revenue, Exempt Property / Homestead and legal-residence assessment ratio: https://dor.sc.gov/property/exempt-property
Georgetown County Bureau of Aging Services (1610 Hawkins Street, Georgetown, SC 29440; 843-545-3196, meals and centers 843-545-3185; Mon-Fri 9-1:30; six senior centers, home-delivered meals for 60+, homecare, health promotion, in-county transportation): https://www.gtcountysc.gov/183/Bureau-of-Aging-Services
Waccamaw Area Agency on Aging / Waccamaw Regional Council of Governments (1230 Highmarket Street, Georgetown, SC 29440; 843-546-8502; serves Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg; Medicare counseling, caregiver support, long-term care ombudsman): https://wrcog.org/aging_services/index.php
Meals on Wheels of Horry & Georgetown County, Inc. (843-970-2330; serves both counties): https://mowhc.org/
Helping Hands of Georgetown County, client-choice food pantry (1813 Highmarket Street, Georgetown, SC 29440; 843-527-3424; Mon-Thu 9 a.m. to noon): https://www.helpinghandsofgeorgetown.org/food-pantry/
Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council, LIHEAP (1261 US 501, Suite D, Conway, SC 29526; 843-234-4130) and Weatherization (Suite C-1; 843-234-4140); serves Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg: https://www.findhelp.org/provider/waccamaw-economic-opportunity-council-inc--conway-sc/4510033360453632
South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity, LIHEAP (803-734-0662) and energy.sc.gov: https://oeo.sc.gov/managedsites/prd/oeo/liheap.html
Coast RTA Paratransit (apply and book 843-488-0865; serves areas of Horry and Georgetown counties within 3/4 mile of any Coast RTA fixed route; advance reservation required, cancel at least 2 hours ahead): https://coastrta.com/paratransit-service/program-details-and-application/
South Carolina Legal Services, Conway office serving Georgetown County (1201 B Creel Street, Wing A1, Conway, SC 29527; 843-381-8182 or 1-866-597-0100; statewide intake 1-888-346-5592, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon-Thu; 125 percent FPL): https://sclegal.org/locations/ and https://sclegal.org/contact-us/
Georgetown County Veterans Affairs Office (537 Lafayette Circle, Georgetown, SC 29440; 843-545-3330): https://palmettovets.org/find-a-cvao
Georgetown County DSS (330 Dozier Street, Georgetown, SC 29440; 843-546-5134): https://dss.sc.gov/contact-dss/pee-dee-region/georgetown/
SCDHHS Healthy Connections Medicaid and Community Long Term Care (apply.scdhhs.gov, 1-888-549-0820): https://www.scdhhs.gov/members/getting-started
SCDHHS PACE county availability (available in Anderson, Bamberg, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Dorchester, Greenville, Lexington, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland; Georgetown NOT served): https://www.scdhhs.gov/partners/managed-care/program-all-inclusive-care-elderly-pace
Tidelands Community Hospice (nonprofit hospice serving Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg): https://www.tidelandshospice.org/
South Carolina Department on Aging / SHIP-I-CARE statewide line 1-800-868-9095; GetCareSC.com: https://aging.sc.gov/programs-initiatives/medicare-and-medicare-fraud
Verified August 19, 2026.

Verified August 19, 2026. Program names, phone numbers, income limits, and deadlines change. Confirm directly with each program before you rely on it.

Ryan Riggins, NC Real Estate License #361546, eXp Realty. Riggins Strategic Solutions is an education and media company, not a real estate sales business. Not financial, tax, medical, or legal advice. Programs and contacts change, confirm directly before relying on them.