Have you come across a great CCRC?

[HarryHawk]

They are breaking ground for this all new development this spring

https://resthaven.org/farmstead/

Resthaven is a faith-based non-profit organization that has been providing living options for seniors for the past 70 years.

 

[nwsteve]

Does your contract actually "lock in" your monthly cost?
.

Yep--no matter whether we are in Assisted living, skill nursing or memory care, our monthly fee does not change. Furthermore, should one spouse need a higher care level, the remaining spouse can remain in Independent Living and total monthly cost does not change. Our only caveat is a move to Asst Living from Independent will get an adder for State required three meals per day service. It is my understanding this is pretty much the norm if you are in a Life Care CCRC

 

[RetiredHappy]

Nice places which require no buy-ins and have on campus transitions from independent to assisted to full nursing care are called CCRC's. The financial arrangements (contracts) are a separate issue.

You might want to check your understanding of the financial models. You've made some statements (perhaps I'm misunderstanding) that indicate you may have some misunderstanding of terminology, etc.

I am not saying these are not CCRCs, but there is no initial buy-in. Without putting in a huge sum of money to move in, the resident can move out if the condition becomes unsatisfactory.

 

[Calico]

They are breaking ground for this all new development this spring

https://resthaven.org/farmstead/

Resthaven is a faith-based non-profit organization that has been providing living options for seniors for the past 70 years.

Resthaven? Seriously?? Could they have found a name that sounds more like a cemetery?

 

[HarryHawk]

Resthaven? Seriously?? Could they have found a name that sounds more like a cemetery?

I guess when this faith based non-profit organization started over 70 years ago to help the hard-working simple folks they were there to serve, they didn't think about calling it something hip and happening. How could they have been so stupid?

Guess that shows how far we have progressed as a society. They probably should update their name to include some reference to drugs, sex and non-stop partying to better appeal to today's seniors. Maybe we can help them come up with a new name. Any suggestions?

 

[JoeWras]

They probably should update their name to include some reference to drugs, sex and non-stop partying to better appeal to today's seniors. Maybe we can help them come up with a new name. Any suggestions?

"Haight and Ashbury Today" ?

Back on track... Someone mentioned N. IL. We briefly (1 hour) visited The Garlands, looking for dad. Nice. Expensive. But ultimately dad chose regular old month by month independent living (then assisted later). I cannot comment on The Garlands, but it may be worth a trip to their website by the OP, especially since it is close to cheesehead country.

The issue with the CCRC was we just didn't know what the transition from independent to higher levels of care would be.

And I guess for myself, that's my concern. What will the facility and management be like in 15 years?

 

[ImaCheesehead]

Thanks for the discussion and specific property names. I will look at them.

There certainly are a variety of opinions and experiences out there. With no kids, and no locked in geographic region, there are so many choices out there.

 

[ImaCheesehead]

Before you fret over choosing a particular CCRC, make sure you have a strong understanding of the various types of financial arrangements (contracts) that exist for CCRC's. Are you looking for a LTCI component to the financial arrangement? Do you think you might want to move to another geographical area at some point? Etc. After that, worry about the details of an individual facility or Corp.

At this point I am looking at Type A contracts. We have no descendants and will need to set ourselves up for our elderly years, me especially. While anything can happen, my husband is the older one and is in poorer health. It might just be me going in on my own at some point. Since we can’t take it with us, the best use of our money seems to be to try to get a place arranged before we are in a position where we are not able to be making these complicated decisions.

 

[athena53]

The issue with the CCRC was we just didn't know what the transition from independent to higher levels of care would be.

And I guess for myself, that's my concern. What will the facility and management be like in 15 years?

I agree- the earlier story about the LTC part being full when needed is pretty scary. My grandpa and his second wife moved to a CCRC in FL but after his second wife died and his health deteriorated (well, he was 95), he really fought going in to the "health center" (their euphemistic term for the LTC facility). He had home healthcare workers 24/7 at a significant extra cost until he ran out of money and HAD to go into the LTC unit, which didn't cost anything extra.

I'm going to go for maximum flexibility even if it comes at a higher monthly cost, so I can go elsewhere if my needs change or the place deteriorates.

 

[HarryHawk]

At this point I am looking at Type A contracts. We have no descendants and will need to set ourselves up for our elderly years, me especially. While anything can happen, my husband is the older one and is in poorer health. It might just be me going in on my own at some point. Since we can’t take it with us, the best use of our money seems to be to try to get a place arranged before we are in a position where we are not able to be making these complicated decisions.

I was primarily motivated to be sure if something happened to me, my wife would be in a stable environment in which she could carry on with minimal disruption. Being able for her to stay in the same community with the people with whom we have become friends is reassuring,

Having assisted care and dementia facilities just a short walk away from our home also provides piece of mind in case something happens to one of us.

I've dedicated my entire adult making sure the needs of my family members are met. Now that my son is done with school and having a successful career, my only fear would be worrying on my deathbed what was going to happen to my wife. I think our current plans will hopefully allow me to go to sleep peacefully.

To me, it is just another investment towards the future.

 

[harllee]

At this point I am looking at Type A contracts. We have no descendants and will need to set ourselves up for our elderly years, me especially. While anything can happen, my husband is the older one and is in poorer health. It might just be me going in on my own at some point. Since we can’t take it with us, the best use of our money seems to be to try to get a place arranged before we are in a position where we are not able to be making these complicated decisions.

Same for us. I like the fact that with a CCRC if one of us had to go to the memory care or nursing home section the other spouse would just be a short walk away. My widowed 90 year old mother is in a CCRC, still in an Independent apartment and she has made so many friends there. It has been a blessing for me to have here there, especially during Covid.

 

[Amethyst]

To me, it connotes an old folks' home, which it is.

Cemetery names, to me, are landscapey ones like Forest Lawn, Meadowlands, Oaklands, etc.

Resthaven? Seriously?? Could they have found a name that sounds more like a cemetery?

 

[Lsbcal]

What do you do if you get into a CCRC near your adult children and grand kids but they decide they have to move elsewhere perhaps because of jobs?

 

[aja8888]

What do you do if you get into a CCRC near your adult children and grand kids but they decide they have to move elsewhere perhaps because of jobs?

Visits will be fewer, for sure. But there is facetime, email, phone calls, etc.

 

[ocean view]

My parents moved into a CCRC (type B) in the Sacramento area when it opened in 1992. DM is still there in independent living. 30 years so far. She loves it. She was the youngest resident for a number of years. They moved early because DF had Parkinson’s and they knew he would need the levels of care. I always say that it’s like living on a cruise ship.

I don’t have anything to compare it to, but except for a few minor cosmetic items, it seems very well maintained and very clean. The food is good and they’ve done very well adapting during the pandemic.

https://www.eskaton.org/eskaton-village-carmichael-senior-living-retirement-community

 

[athena53]

https://www.eskaton.org/eskaton-village-carmichael-senior-living-retirement-community

Now THAT's name for a retirement community! "Eskaton" is the Greek word for "last days" (as in eschatology).

 

[harllee]

The CCRC where I plan to move is called Galloway Ridge because they have Galloway cows (the Oreo looking cows) and they are on a ridge.

 

[Sunset]

What age do people consider moving into a CCRC ?

I haven't started SS yet, and think of myself as too young to be in an old folks home.

 

[nwsteve]

What age do people consider moving into a CCRC ?

I haven't started SS yet and think of myself as too young to be in an old folks home.

At our Type A CCRC, our youngest couple is 65/68. More typical new residents are showing up in their late 70's+. Spouse and I did an approximation of our CCRC residents' age, and we are estimating about 25% of our neighbors are under 75. Our oldest resident is mid-90's. Our property is only 4 years old, so our average age is still on the young side. (Under 80). A sister facility near Seattle which is over 25 yo, average age is 82-3. We moved in at 72-73 primarily because we were not interested in making 2 moves. (We were moving regardless to be near grands at the time and opted to go straight to the CCRC)

 

[Walt34]

The CCRC where FIL stayed is Homewood at Williamsport, in MD near Hagerstown, if you're familiar with that area. That one is one of five different locations they have, including two in Frederick, MD, and one each in Hanover, PA, Martinsburg, PA, and Everett, PA.

My older sister's MIL lived for ~30 years at the Martinsburg, PA location and they thought very highly of it. Likewise, DW and I were impressed with the care that FIL received at the Williamsport, MD location. It was not cheap. He was in full nursing care and DW was writing checks for between $9k and $14k a month, and that was eight years ago. But as I said, the care was excellent; we never had any concerns.

We are on a waiting list for one of those locations although I'll admit that since COVID we are reconsidering.

Homewood foundation home page: https://homewood.com/foundation

Locations: https://homewood.com/locations

 

[Koolau]

What do you do if you get into a CCRC near your adult children and grand kids but they decide they have to move elsewhere perhaps because of jobs?

Welcome to our world. Before we even made our big move, the kids made theirs. It's the way things work these days. We made up our minds years ago that we wouldn't try to follow the kids around the country. They can come see us - or not. BUT Zoom has been nice! YMMV

 

[harllee]

What age do people consider moving into a CCRC ?

I haven't started SS yet, and think of myself as too young to be in an old folks home.

Well it is tricky. You don't want to go into early and be the youngest person there. On the other hand you don't want to wait too long and be disqualified because of a medical condition. At the CCRC where we are on the waiting list you must be in good health to get in and pass a cognitive test. You will be disqualified if you have Parkinsons, MS, cancer in the last 5 years, etc. We know several people who have waited too long and then could not get in because of a medical condition. We are age 70. I am in excellent health but DH has some health issues. Our plan is to move to the CCRC before age 75. We have sold our house and now live in a rental and we have the $$$ set aside for the entrance fee. Another reason we want to go sooner is so we can take advantage of all the activities. Before Covid we got invited to many of the activities because we were on the waitlist but now outsiders are no longer invited.

 

[Lsbcal]

Welcome to our world. Before we even made our big move, the kids made theirs. It's the way things work these days. We made up our minds years ago that we wouldn't try to follow the kids around the country. They can come see us - or not. BUT Zoom has been nice! YMMV

We live in a beautiful area and have a house with a view and lots of trails for exercise just behind our house. In 2021 we became grandparents and are separated by about 500 miles but not too bad a plane flight. At this stage it works and we won't have to be on call for baby sitting duties.

Maybe we will consider a CCRC in 10 to 15 years but no plans to move just yet. Still it's interesting to hear the thoughts of others here.

 

[lem1955]

We have thought a lot about CCRC's and have decided to put a deposit down on the only LifeCare facility in our state. We thought about moving elsewhere, but decided we have too many friends, professional connections, and three out of four kids in this state. With 9.5 yrs difference in our ages it will be early for me to go at 71 but hopefully not too late for DW at 80 (almost 81). It's a big decision, a lot of money, and a considerable down-size in space. But it will give us much closer access to an excellent hospital, airport, supermarkets, shopping, restaurants, and new opportunities for volunteering. We live in a very rural area now.

 

[Act2]

The CCRC route was excellent for my parents. By the time the later of the two had passed, our family had experience with every option in the community - independent, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care. And we had hospice in place in memory care for my Dad at the end. Although Covid visit limits were very difficult and changed frequently, there is no doubt that this was the best option for them. At the front end, both enjoyed the wide variety of social and leisure opportunities and wonderful dining, as well as an easy and delightful lifestyle. Had they come earlier, that great phase would have been longer. The other phases were exactly what was needed at the various times. The CCRC approach is my plan for myself as well. I expect to go in by age 75, which is still over a decade off for me. Not opposed to going a little earlier. My parents should have moved in about 4 years earlier to really enjoy it for as long as possible. They moved in at ages 86 and 83. They had been very limited at their house as far as social life and getting around, and this was not an issue at the CCRC. If I find I’m not getting out and about enough and not socializing or getting to enjoy new experiences as much as I’d like, I’ll move earlier. If any younger family member is willing to check in on me I’ll move to a CCRC nearer to them. But if not, I will stay in the community near friends, who also are looking at a CCRC.