You know the old truism, “If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ’em all”? That’s definitely not true when it comes to senior living communities. Why is that? Consider these examples:
- Some senior living communities offer a full continuum of care with multiple levels of care; some offer only independent living.
- One retirement community may provide long-term skilled nursing care, while another only provides care for short-term stays.
- A Continuing Care Retirement Community, or CCRC, is also the same thing as a Life Plan Community — both can be either for-profit or not-for-profit, may offer either all-inclusive or a la carte services and amenities, and may feature either refundable or nonrefundable entrance fees.
- This community may be a Life Plan Community offering a Life Care contract; another community may also be a Life Plan Community, but doesn’t have a Life Care contract.
That’s a lot to absorb! But it perfectly illustrates the point that if you’ve seen one senior living community, you’ve really just seen one.
If you’re looking for a senior living community that offers you independent living with a full continuum of care, perhaps you should look into a Life Plan Community.
What a Life Plan Community is
You may have seen the term Continuing Care Retirement Community, or CCRC, and wondered how that differs from a Life Plan Community. The truth is, they’re the same: CCRC is just an older term. The name used to describe these types of communities simply evolved to be more in line with what older adults are seeking: independent living and a lifestyle rich with services and amenities, along with access to an on-site continuum of care if they need it, so they can age in place. But you’ll find all that whether the community calls itself a CCRC or a Life Plan Community.
Let’s break down that phrase a bit more:
Independent living — An active lifestyle free from the worries of home maintenance or upkeep. Residents enjoy their own private residence; the community provides them with an array of common spaces to enjoy, such as a fitness center, pool, library, game room, creative arts studio and dining venues, along with a calendar loaded with events, programs, classes and activities.
Lifestyle rich with services and amenities — These usually include services like housekeeping and flat laundry service, interior and exterior maintenance, scheduled transportation, most utilities paid and more. Amenities may include multiple dining venues, landscaped grounds with gardening areas and rooftop gardens, an on-site market, beauty salon, business center and woodworking shop. Services and amenities are usually provided as part of a resident’s monthly service fee.
Access to on-site continuum of care — Here’s where things get interesting. Not all Life Plan Communities offer the exact same levels of care. At a community like Friendship Village, for example, in addition to independent living, you’ll find assisted living for an extra level of support, skilled nursing that provides short- and long-term care, rehabilitation after an illness or injury, and memory care for those with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. These are all examples of higher levels of living that you might find at a Life Plan Community.
Age in place — This is the goal for many older adults who don’t want to make another move each time their health needs change. By choosing a Life Plan Community, residents have access to the entire continuum of care on the same campus where they’re currently living independently. So if they need any of those levels of care, they have the necessary assistance and professional staff support in their community.
Why choose a Life Plan Community
Lots of older adults choose a Life Plan Community because they want the maintenance-free lifestyle and the social connections with the assurance of future care. They also appreciate the peace of mind and security their choice gives them and their families.
Some Life Plan Communities offer other benefits, such as multiple floor plan options in independent living, potential tax advantages, and flexibility for spouses who may need different levels of care.
And while we haven’t touched on the multiple contract options you might find at a Life Plan Community, it’s worth noting that you may encounter a few different types of contracts in your senior living search. One contract type you may want to strongly consider is Life Care.
Why select a Life Plan Community with Life Care
The simplest way to explain Life Care is that it’s care for life, at predictable costs for the rest of your life. Your entrance fee and monthly service fee help ensure that you have:
- a predictable plan for future health care needs
- Priority access to care when you need it
- a way to preserve assets and estate plans
There’s a little more to Life Care, of course. But if you’re looking for Life Plan Communities in the St. Louis, MO, area offering Life Care, you’ll find only two options (both very good ones): Friendship Village Sunset Hills and Friendship Village Chesterfield.
Here’s a great way to learn more about Life Care, Life Plan Communities and Friendship Village. Simply contact us. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about our safe and engaging independent living lifestyle and our faith-based, not-for-profit senior living community.
We can explain our full continuum of on-site care — which includes Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation. And we can talk you through the value of having it all available to you at one predictable monthly rate. Reach out any time or just fill out this short form and we’ll be in touch!