The Forest at Duke
The Forest at Duke is a nonprofit continuing care community at 2701 Pickett Road in Durham, on 47 acres next to Duke University, that has served residents since 1992. Residents pay an entrance fee and a monthly fee under a life care agreement, and the campus has a small house health center, opened in 2023, for assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.
The Forest at Duke at a Glance
What Does The Forest at Duke Offer?
The Forest at Duke is a full life care community. Residents move in independent, and the Cohen Center for Health on campus provides assisted living, memory care, and nursing if they need it later. Assisted living also accepts people moving in directly.
Independent living
Classic apartments, newer apartments in The Terraces, opened in 2025, plus cottages and single family homes.
Small house health center
The Cohen Center for Health, opened in 2023, has 90 private rooms in nine small houses: 32 assisted living units, including a licensed secure memory care household, and 58 skilled nursing beds.
Home care
The Forest at Home provides help in residents' own apartments and homes.
What Daily Life Looks Like
Residents eat under the meal plan they choose across four venues, from a casual café with a pizza oven to a fine dining room, a bar, and a bistro in The Terraces.
- A 17 meter indoor saline pool, hot tub, and 24 hour fitness center
- A woodshop, art studio, greenhouse, gardens, and library
- An auditorium and a lifelong learning program with Duke
- Weekly housekeeping, all utilities, basic cable, and wireless internet included; only phone service is extra
- Transportation anywhere in the Triangle on weekdays
- On site primary care doctors and therapy
How Does The Forest at Duke's Pricing Work?
The Forest at Duke charges an entrance fee plus a monthly fee under a life care agreement, with an entrance fee that is partly refundable, with the refund going down each month and ending after 50 months. It doesn't publish its rates, and an early acceptance agreement lets you join the waitlist. You can read its latest disclosure statement filed with the state. Ask me for current pricing and I will walk you through the options.
How Is The Forest at Duke's Health Center Rated?
The nursing center holds 4 stars on Medicare Care Compare, with 5 stars for health inspections. Its February 2026 inspection found no health citations, though it did cite 9 fire safety and emergency preparedness items, more than the state average. It has had no federal fines in three years. Medicare rates staffing at 1 star, partly because only a handful of its 58 nursing beds are Medicare certified and few Medicare residents are counted. You can see every measure on the Medicare Care Compare page for The Forest at Duke.
The community took on new debt to build the health center and The Terraces, and its latest filing shows lower debt coverage than before, though its audit was clean. A new CEO, Gregory Garrett, took over in 2026.
What I'd Ask on a Tour
These are the questions I make sure get answered when I tour The Forest at Duke with a family.
- Which entrance fee plan fits your situation, and what the refund terms are
- How the 2026 fire safety items were fixed
- Whether Medicare covers a short rehab stay in the health center
- How long the waitlist is for the home you want
- What has changed since the new CEO arrived
Similar Communities Nearby
- Croasdaile Village: northwest Durham, another nonprofit continuing care community
- Bartlett Reserve: south Durham, a monthly rental with no entrance fee
- Glenaire: Cary, a nonprofit continuing care community with a 5 star nursing center
- Springmoor: Raleigh, a nonprofit continuing care community
The Forest at Duke Questions
Is The Forest at Duke a life care community?
Yes. It is a nonprofit full service life care community with an entrance fee and a monthly fee, and assisted living, memory care, and nursing on campus.
Is The Forest at Duke part of Duke University?
No. It is an independent nonprofit next to Duke's campus and medical center, with programs that connect residents to Duke, including a lifelong learning program.
Can someone move directly into assisted living at The Forest at Duke?
Yes. The Forest at Duke now accepts new residents directly into assisted living.
Who can move into The Forest at Duke?
Residents must be 65 or older, or 62 for a co resident, able to live independently, and covered by Medicare or similar insurance.
Compare it with the full lists of top independent living in Durham and top independent living in Raleigh.
Ask Me About The Forest at Duke
This is not the community's official website. Triangle Senior Placement is an independent placement service. Details come from the community's own materials and North Carolina state records, and you should confirm them on your tour.