Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs): An All-in-One Senior Living Option

Life plan communities or continuing care retirement communities, also known as CCRCs, are places where people can retire that provide independent living, nursing home care, or assisted living. A senior adult can live the remainder of their life in a CCRC and move to levels as needed.

The majority of humans would like to grow old in place. This means that most people prefer to live at home on into their senior years. CCRCs are ideal for that because they offer various kinds of care. They provide an alternative way to age in place.

If you only want to move once, a CCRC is suitable for that too. For example, you move to a different area, but, ultimately, it’s the same place. When you choose a CCRC, look at what services they offer. Look at the positives, the negatives, and the costs. Also, review the contractual obligations of the CCRC.

More on What a Continuing Care Retirement Community Is:

To be a CCRC, it has to be a retirement community that offers independent living, nursing home care, and assisted living, all in one place.

It depends on the community, but CCRCs can include homes, clusters, cottages, duplexes, townhomes, and apartments.

The settings vary, but CCRCs feature:

• A dining room where everyone can meet
• Activity centers
• Gyms
• Swimming pools and other outdoor recreations
• Social events that include theaters, museums, and outings to events

Lifecare Communities and Alternative Names for CCRCs.

Other names for CCRCS include:

• Lifecare communities
• Life plan communities
• Lifetime communities
• Continuing care communities

What to Pay Attention to in a CCRC:

Besides the continuing care agreement, if you’re interested in a CCRC, you should thoroughly investigate the CCRC you’re considering.

Some CCRCs have received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities or CARF. It is the only accrediting body for CCRCs in the United States – CARF-CCAC or the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission. The accreditation is a long process and must renew every five years. Therefore, a credited CCRC has an ongoing and annual reporting process during the five years.

When you visit a CCRC, it’s essential to keep these questions in mind:

• When an assisted living and nursing home facilities are full, what happens?
• Is there a reciprocal agreement that the CCRC has with a nearby community?
• What is the training level of the staff? Are criminal background checks used for the staff members?
• For each live setting, what is the staff-to-patient ratio?
• Is the CCRC clean, safe, and well-maintained.
• Does it have an Alzheimer’s unit or a memory impairment service?
• As a resident, how can he or she participate in the community decision-making? Do residents have a role if they wish to be involved?
• Does the culture of the CCRC match the residents? Is the environment formal? For example, do male residents have to wear blazers in the dining room. Or, is the climate casual?

Potential residents need to explore the complete range of health and wellness activities and social events on and off the campus. Don’t limit your investigations to just independent living quarters. Also, investigate assisted living and nursing home facilities.

Feel free to contact your Lavender Springs care facility today. Also, if you want to get our home office in Texas, you can reach us at (512) 698-7285. We would love to hear from you!