Moved into CCRC today

[RunningBum]

Sorry, but I disagree. I know quite a few folks in CCRCs who do their own cooking and only occasionally visit the dining room for a meal. The situation you described is unusual.

If they do their own cooking they don't have to worry about a $5 delivery fee.

I don't think my parents have that fee but they do encourage dining room dining and discourage deliveries.

Edit: I see you were not commenting on the fee but rather the forced move to assisted living. That seems extreme, but I assume they are still talking about someone getting regular deliveries. Someone cooking their own meals is probably under their radar, and I doubt they show up with hand trucks to move you without discussion.

 

[harllee]

Here at my CCRC if you want to cook your own meals you have the option to sign up for the zero meal plan. But if you set off the fire alarm several times they will remove your stove.

 

[SecondCor521]

The IL vs. AL thing seems to be sort of a gray zone at my Dad's CCRC.

He probably needed it, and the resident coordinator was suggesting it, for a few months before we as his three kids were ready to agree with their assessment. We also have since figured out that my Dad, like most people probably, was concealing some of his declining abilities, probably out of pride/ego.

Eventually he had a moderate medical crisis which landed him in the ER, then the hospital, then acute PT/OT rehab for several weeks. At that point the collective decision was made and we moved his stuff from IL to AL and he "came home" to his new apartment. Seven months later he seems to be finally adjusting.

The kind of factors that can move someone into AL can be a mental or physical decline and can be of a variety of flavors. I *think* it boils down to needing regular help with the five ADLs and/or dementia.

My Dad's CCRC also has Home Health and Home Care services, and they have far fewer AL and MC rooms than IL. So they seem to manage and flex depending on the situation - someone like my Dad might just get (and pay for) extra Home Health and Home Care for a few months until an IL room opens up.

Nobody is forced, as far as I know, but they will ratchet up the conversations with the family and I suppose in the case of my Dad's fee-for-service type CCRC they could kick you out if they view your situation as a serious liability issue.

 

[harllee]

UPDATE--original poster here. I have been at my CCRC over 3 months now and all is going great. I am in much better physical shape because I am going to the fitness center almost every day and taking classes--one class is called Strong and Limber, a weight lifting class and it has literally been kicking my butt into shape. The food continues to be great, excellent chef and I am eating more healthy foods--salads, homemade soups and much more seafood. One negative--they make great bread and desserts so I have to watch that. Also they make the best bacon I have ever eaten, so I have to watch that too.

We are making many friends and get invited to join people for dinner every night. We are also going to many activities--movies in the in house cinema, lectures, music, dances, bus trips. There is a bus that is taking us to the basketball games at UNC and dropping us right off at the door. Sweet. There are hiking/walking trials on the grounds that we enjoy and there are organized nature walks with a resident expert botanist.

There are in house geriatric doctors and I am going to transfer to one of those.

We recently got notice of the annual rate increase. Of course it is going to be higher than usual due to inflation but it is about what we expected--around 6 %. In years past the rate increase was usually 3-4%. We do not tip the staff--there is a voluntary employee appreciation fund and we are going to make a generous gift to that fund since we think the staff does a great job.

DH has his second knee replacement scheduled in a few months and is making arrangements to stay a week or so in the short term read facility here at the CCRC. That will be a big help to me since I am also caregiver for my mother who has Alzheimers and lives an hour and a half away. There is a caregivers support group here at the CCRC I have been attending and that I am finding helpful.

 

[REWahoo]

That sounds great, harllee. Nice to hear everything is working out for you in your new home.

 

[MichaelB]

That sounds great, harllee. Nice to hear everything is working out for you in your new home.

+1

 

[pacergal]

harlee--
wonderful update, this sounds like just the perfect place for you and DH.

 

[Alex The Great]

Harllee, thank you so much for the update! Please keep us informed about your situation, although I'm sure everything is going to be great for you and DH at this CCRC.

 

[Koolau]

Thanks for the update. What a blessing to find just the right combination of amenities and advantages at a price you can afford.

 

[Cayman]

Harlee bravo! Your new community sounds wonderful. It's working out so well in no small part due to your planning. Thanks for your updates, I look forward to them.

 

[Koolau]

Note to self: There are two really nice CCRC(?) on Island that we have not actually "toured." We have known residents and visited enough to know they are fabulous places. BUT, we need to find out if we qualify and if we would be able to afford them, etc.



Thanks to Harllee for the impetus for renewing our search. Aloha

 

[harllee]

There are more women at my CCRC than there are men. DH has joined a group of the "younger" guys who meet on Thursdays at lunch. They mainly talk sports and otherwise try to solve the world's problems. There is also a poker group, golf group, billiard group, etc. Today I saw there was a meeting of the Bourbon Club.

 

[Koolau]

There are more women at my CCRC than there are men. DH has joined a group of the "younger" guys who meet on Thursdays at lunch. They mainly talk sports and otherwise try to solve the world's problems. There is also a poker group, golf group, billiard group, etc. Today I saw there was a meeting of the Bourbon Club.

Yeah, I've always said (subsequent to visiting an assisted living or CCRC, etc.): THIS would be the place for us old guys to cruise for eligible widows!

 

[harllee]

Yeah, I've always said (subsequent to visiting an assisted living or CCRC, etc.): THIS would be the place for us old guys to cruise for eligible widows!

A couple of weeks ago there was a wedding for a couple who had met here at the CCRC, so it does happen. It is significantly less expensive for 2 people to live in one apartment rather than each having their own apartment. But you are not required to be married to share an apartment. I know of 2 sisters sharing an apartment. We also have several same sex couples sharing an apartment.

 

[Koolau]

A couple of weeks ago there was a wedding for a couple who had met here at the CCRC, so it does happen. It is significantly less expensive for 2 people to live in one apartment rather than each having their own apartment. But you are not required to be married to share an apartment. I know of 2 sisters sharing an apartment. We also have several same sex couples sharing an apartment.

I suppose same or opposite sex couples could move in together for the savings - not necessarily to get married or have an intimate relationship. Makes all kinds of economic sense.

 

[harllee]

I suppose same or opposite sex couples could move in together for the savings - not necessarily to get married or have an intimate relationship. Makes all kinds of economic sense.

You would need to be very good friends I think--my apartment is only 1200 square feet.

 

[bmcgonig]

If two are sharing and after so many years one passes, does the other stay in the same two bedroom and pay the extra fees, or stay and pay the single fee?

 

[SecondCor521]

If two are sharing and after so many years one passes, does the other stay in the same two bedroom and pay the extra fees, or stay and pay the single fee?

Not @harlee, but my parents shared a similar sized independent living apartment for about 16 years until my Mom passed.

The way their fee was structured the room was $X a month, and there was an additional "second person fee" which was maybe $500 or $750 a month and pretty much seemed to cover the additional food. When my Mom passed away, the "second person fee" stopped and my Dad continued to pay $X a month.

There were different sizes and configurations of apartments, though. So after the first person passes, the surviving spouse could downsize into a smaller apartment if they wanted and reduce their $X that way. My Dad chose to stay in the same apartment for continuity's sake and he could afford it.

 

[nwsteve]

Not @harlee, but my parents shared a similar sized independent living apartment for about 16 years until my Mom passed.

The way their fee was structured the room was $X a month, and there was an additional "second person fee" which was maybe $500 or $750 a month and pretty much seemed to cover the additional food. When my Mom passed away, the "second person fee" stopped and my Dad continued to pay $X a month.

There were different sizes and configurations of apartments, though. So after the first person passes, the surviving spouse could downsize into a smaller apartment if they wanted and reduce their $X that way. My Dad chose to stay in the same apartment for continuity's sake and he could afford it.

+1 Same model for our Type A CCRC-second person fee goes away when co resident passes.

 

[harllee]

If two are sharing and after so many years one passes, does the other stay in the same two bedroom and pay the extra fees, or stay and pay the single fee?

At my CCRC there are 2 fees when a couple share the apartment, a larger first person fee and a smaller second person fee. Might be around $4000 for the first person fee and $1500 for the second person fee. When one dies the first person fee stays the same and the second person fee drops off.

 

[Koolau]

You would need to be very good friends I think--my apartment is only 1200 square feet.

Heh, heh, DW and I have been good friends since 1954 (with benefits - not quite as long.) We live in 1100 SF! I think we could make do with 1200sf.

 

[braumeister]

The way their fee was structured the room was $X a month, and there was an additional "second person fee" which was maybe $500 or $750 a month and pretty much seemed to cover the additional food.

That's the model at all the CCRCs I have investigated. The second person fee ranges from $300 to $1,500, depending on the size/type of home/apartment.

And it's normally possible to switch to a smaller (or larger) place, with a very modest fee for moving your stuff. When a vacancy occurs, current residents have priority on it, ahead of those on the waiting list.

 

[Dreamer]

I was just wondering the other day how everything was going for you. Thanks for the update. It sounds wonderful.

 

[harllee]

My best advice for anyone considering a CCRC is this --Don't wait too late! Get on the wait list sooner rather than later. To get in a nice Class A CCRC like mine you will have to meet health requirements and pass a cognitive test (our was suprisingly hard) at the time of admission. We know several people who were rejected to do health issues and some that could not pass the cognitive test. Rumor at our place is that about 30% of all applicants do not pass the cognitive test.

 

[Sunset]

You would need to be very good friends I think--my apartment is only 1200 square feet.

Impressive, it's bigger than our house, which is only 1,000 sq ft.

We could up-size