Continuing Care

What is a Continuing Care Retirement Community?

A Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) — sometimes called a Life Plan Community — brings independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care together on a single campus. The appeal is simple: a resident can move in while still fully independent and, as their needs change over the years, transition to a higher level of care without having to leave the community, uproot their social life, or search for a new provider under pressure.

Because a CCRC spans the full continuum of care, the campus itself tends to be larger and more amenity-rich than a single-level community, with separate wings or buildings dedicated to each level of care. Most communities also require residents to enter at the independent living level and pass a health and financial screening before signing a contract, since the model depends on residents being well enough to live independently at the outset.

This "age in place" structure is why continuing care has become one of the fastest-growing categories of senior housing: it removes much of the uncertainty families face when planning for care that may be needed five, ten, or twenty years down the road.

Features of Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Every CCRC structures its levels of care and amenities a little differently, but most communities provide the following, either all-inclusively or for an additional fee:

• Independent living apartments, cottages, or villas
• Assisted living for residents who need help with daily activities
• Skilled nursing and rehabilitation on-site
• Priority access to memory care, where offered
• On-site meal programs and dining venues
• Housekeeping and laundry services
• Wellness and fitness centers
• Transportation services
• Social, recreational, and continuing-education programming
• A Service Coordinator to help residents move between levels of care

Our Continuing Care Checklist can help you compare communities by walking through questions about lifestyle, health considerations, and the level of care you or your loved one may need now and in the future.

Financial Matters

Continuing care is priced differently than most other senior housing options, since residents are paying for access to future levels of care as much as for their current living arrangement:

• Most communities charge an upfront entrance fee, which can range from tens of thousands to well over a million dollars depending on the community and unit, plus an ongoing monthly service fee.
• Entrance fees are typically structured under one of a few contract types: Type A (life care), which bundles future care into one predictable rate; Type B (modified), which includes a set amount of future care; or Type C (fee-for-service), where residents pay for higher levels of care as they use them.
• Some communities offer entrance fees that are partially or fully refundable to the resident's estate; others do not. This is an important detail to confirm before signing a contract.
• Long-term care insurance may offset costs at the assisted living or nursing care level, but entrance fees and independent living costs are generally paid privately.
• To get a true estimate of the cost of continuing care, contact the communities listed on AlternativesforSeniors.com and inquire. A friendly associate will gladly assist you.

Other types of senior care exist for those who don't need the full continuum a CCRC offers, including standalone independent living communities, senior apartments, assisted living and residential care, nursing and rehab centers, and memory care for those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

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