The Truth About Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Continuing Care Retirement Communities area home within the Continuing Care Retirement
communities used by senior citizens after retirement.Communities complex.
They offer a choice of living situations and services.CCRC's are often sponsored by non-profit
Based on changing needs, retirees can move backorganizations. These are sometimes affiliated to
and forth between independent living, assisted livingreligious orders, fraternal organizations and ethnic
and nursing home care.groups
Often unexpected medical expenses can radicallyContinuing Care Retirement Communities are
alter your vision of a self-sufficient retirement.different from assisted living. In CCRC's the individual
Continuing Care Retirement Communities are ancontracts for a lifetime of care regardless of what
option that deals with this. Innovative livinghis future needs may be. In assisted living the
arrangements combine the security of long rangeindividual moves in the facility when necessary and
planning with the ability to live independently.begins to pay at that point. The care provided may
Continuing Care Retirement Communities allow seniorbe the same.
citizens to "age in place." The health and housingThe advantages of a CCRC include that there is no
accommodations are designed to take care of theirmoving required. If the person becomes well he can
needs as these needs change over time. Peopleresume independent living. Virtually all seniors are
entering CCRC's have typically signed a contract thatgood candidates for Continuing Care Retirement
takes care of residential and nursing needs all at oneFacilities. These include those seniors who are healthy,
place.require assistance and those who require skilled
Most people enter Continuing Care Retirementnursing care.
Communities while they are healthy and active. TheyThere are three types of housing arrangements
do this in the knowledge that they will be able toprovided in Continuing Care Retirement Communities.
receive nursing care if and when it becomesThese include independent living units for healthy,
necessary. Such seniors have planned for retirementactive seniors. There are also assisted living
and have the means to support their plans.arrangements for people who need assistance in daily
CCRC's are also known as Continuing Careactivities but who also need independence. The third
Retirement Facilities, Life Care Communities and Lifetype of accommodation is nursing home facilities for
Care Facilities. Seniors living in such communities live inthose who need skilled nursing care.