Moved into CCRC today

braumeister said:
I'm on the waiting list at four different, widely separated CCRCs, and I think I would be very happy at any of them. But the lists move slowly, so it will be years in the future.

I've tried to interest a number of friends in at least considering a CCRC, but so far haven't managed to generate any interest at all. "Too far in the future, not enough certainty, I like where I am, I won't ever need that, etc., etc."

It seems you have to be a particular kind of person to consider that kind of lifestyle. I don't know exactly what that means -- lifestyle, health status, relative affluence, personality type, something else?
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I am sure that being extroverts makes a CCRC be more appealing to DH and I. In my case another big factor is seeing what my mom has been through. She moved in to a CCRC in her late 70s and loved it. Now at 92 she is having many health problems and the CCRC has stepped up and provided her with caretakers, meal deliveries, transposition, etc. I don't know what the family would have done without the CCRC.
 
harllee said:
My best friend from college is on the waiting list. We will have a GREAT time if she ever gets to move in.
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I’m so happy for you and your DH, Harlee! Sounds like you’re having a blast already, and will have even more fun when more of your friends move in!
 
My first big problem at the CCRC--the pub is closed! Several of the kitchen staff are out sick (Covid!) and the bartender was needed to help in the kitchen so they have temporarily closed the pub. DH and I have gotten use to stopping in the pub most evenings for happy hour on the way to dinner. What will we do now??
 
harllee said:
My first big problem at the CCRC--the pub is closed! Several of the kitchen staff are out sick (Covid!) and the bartender was needed to help in the kitchen so they have temporarily closed the pub. DH and I have gotten use to stopping in the pub most evenings for happy hour on the way to dinner. What will we do now??
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You will have to let us know!
 
harllee said:
My first big problem at the CCRC--the pub is closed! Several of the kitchen staff are out sick (Covid!) and the bartender was needed to help in the kitchen so they have temporarily closed the pub. DH and I have gotten use to stopping in the pub most evenings for happy hour on the way to dinner. What will we do now??
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Oh, the horrors!:)
 
Update--we have been at the CCRC over a month and really liking it. I feel like this was a great decision for us. Food is too good --I have gained a couple of pounds so I have to watch that. I am trying to go to the fitness center mosts days so that should help. I have been to a couple of movies in the cinema, enjoyed that. We continue to meet nice people. Our minister teaches a monthly class on enjoying poetry, I have never really gotten into poetry but this class will help. I have bought a patio umbrella that I like --I have a separate thread on that, also a separate thread on a good mosquito repellant.

DH is scheduling his second knee replacement and we met with the nursing staff on that. The CCRC can provide transportation to all appointments and to the hospital and there is on site PT. DH can stay for free in rehab a few nights after the surgery and he is considering that because he had some medical issues after his first surgery. Being in the CCRC is going to make his recovery from the knee surgery much easier on both DH and me. I can have all meals delivered and we get weekly housekeeping which will help me.
 
I am really glad you like it so much. I could see where having good food cooked for you daily would be a problem for the waistline:)).
 
harllee said:
Update--we have been at the CCRC over a month and really liking it. I feel like this was a great decision for us. Food is too good --I have gained a couple of pounds so I have to watch that. I am trying to go to the fitness center mosts days so that should help. I have been to a couple of movies in the cinema, enjoyed that. We continue to meet nice people. Our minister teaches a monthly class on enjoying poetry, I have never really gotten into poetry but this class will help. I have bought a patio umbrella that I like --I have a separate thread on that, also a separate thread on a good mosquito repellant.

DH is scheduling his second knee replacement and we met with the nursing staff on that. The CCRC can provide transportation to all appointments and to the hospital and there is on site PT. DH can stay for free in rehab a few nights after the surgery and he is considering that because he had some medical issues after his first surgery. Being in the CCRC is going to make his recovery from the knee surgery much easier on both DH and me. I can have all meals delivered and we get weekly housekeeping which will help me.
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This sounds fantastic. So happy for you. Best wishes for your husband's successful surgery and rapid rehab/recovery.:)
 
Sounds like the perfect situation for you and your DH. So glad you’re happy there!
 
Sounds like a great place and glad it has worked out do well for you both. I could see myself do living in a place like that some day also.
 
Update--we have been here in our CCRC for a couple of months and we are loving it. We have finished all unpacking, hanging pictures etc and our apartment looks great. We are enjoying our patio now that it is cooler. We bought some patio furniture and a patio umbrella with neat solar lights.

We have made many new friends, everyone is so friendly. Food is great, we are eating too much but we are going to the fitness center classes most every day to help offset the calories.

We had an issue with the washing machine-it kept getting off balance. It was a brand new washer, the maintenance people here at the CCRC worked on it with no luck. So the head of maintenance just called GE and told them the washer was defective and GE brought us a new one. All good. I guess the CCRC buys enough appliances from GE that they have some pull there.

We just had friends over who are considering moving to a CCRC, took them to brunch and gave them a tour. They told us they loved our place and they are getting on the waiting list Monday.

We are enjoying all the activities. Yesterday the librarian (our CCRC has a large library with a full time librarian) gave the monthly book talk about a new book. It was held in the pub and the book talk was accompanied by drinks that were drunk by the characters in the book. Neat.

DH is scheduling his second knee replacement surgery. He plans to go into the rehab facility here at the CCRC after the surgery. That will make life much easier on me, especially since I am having to spend so much time with my mother. No way I could be a caregiver for my husband and mother at the the same time. I am still battling with my mother's long term care insurance company. They are refusing to pay. I have consulted an attorney who specializes on LTC insurance claims, I guess that is the route I will have to go.
 
Thanks for the update. Sounds like you’re having a great time in the new place. I’m happy for you.

Sorry you’re still having problems with your mom’s LTC insurance. I hope a lawyer can make it right.
 
So glad things are working out well. I will definitely look into this option at some point in the future, so it's very helpful to hear your experience and the things that you find helpful.



Good luck to DH with the surgery.
 
So glad the CCRC has worked out so well for you.
 
Your CCRC sounds perfect for you. I love the idea of drinking the same drinks that the characters in the book were drinking. Fun idea.
 
Great update. Your new home sounds like a wonderful place for you and DH.
 
What a great update! Thanks for sharing and here is hoping that it only gets better.:flowers:
 
It’s wonderful that you love your new life in the CCRC so much! It sounds like they have a lot of fun and creative activities to keep people engaged.
 
Scuba said:
It’s wonderful that you love your new life in the CCRC so much! It sounds like they have a lot of fun and creative activities to keep people engaged.
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There are so many things to do --we are learning to prioritize what we want to do so we don't get overwhelmed. We are trying to go to the fitness center most days. We are taking 2 classes--on Tuesday and Thursday we take Full Body Stretch and on Wednesday and Friday we take Strong and Limber (45 minutes of free weights). We are the oldest people in these classes --the fitness center is open to the public and we have not seen any CCRC residents in these 2 classes. We are also taking some dance classes and walking and biking.

It is interesting--I think there are about 500 people here in independent living but it seems we are seeing the same people over and over again at the activities. Someone said that only about 200 people do the activities and that there are many residents who don't leave their apartments. My mother has gotten like that--she use to love doing all the activities at her CCRC and now does not want to leave her apartment. She is afraid of falling and getting lost. Her caretakers have to talk her into getting out of the apartment for a walk.
 
At my grandparents CCRC those residents in independent living apartments had to come to the dining room for at least one meal a day or they'd be transferred to assisted living.
 
harllee said:
My mother has gotten like that--she use to love doing all the activities at her CCRC and now does not want to leave her apartment. She is afraid of falling and getting lost. Her caretakers have to talk her into getting out of the apartment for a walk.
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@harllee, glad to hear you're thriving in your new retirement living place!

On your Mom, is she in AL or IL at this point (you might have said but I don't track those details well)?

My 87yo Dad moved from AL to IL this spring, and while it was a somewhat rough transition, he is physically and medically better off because he's being taken care of how he needs to be. We resisted the move for a while and in retrospect it might have been somewhat better had he moved proactively rather than after a medium-sized medical crisis that landed him in the ER then hospital for a week and PT/OT rehab for two weeks.

Also, from a financial point of view, I plan to deduct all of his rent and care fees on his taxes now that he is in AL, so on a net basis, it's actually cheaper for him to live in AL. Go figure.
 
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