A Life Plan Community (or Continuing Care Retirement Community, CCRC) can be a wonderful solution for active older adults. These communities offer independence for active adults but also provide peace of mind and a plan for the future.
A Life Plan Community is the only type of retirement community that contractually provides access to services spanning the full continuum of care. These services begin with independent living and progress to assisted living and around-the-clock skilled nursing care. Christwood is proud to be a Life Plan Community, offering exceptional care to seniors in all health stages. As a Life Plan resident, you’ll have access to care services in case you should ever need them.
These include:
- skilled nursing
- assisted living
- rehabilitation
- memory care
Yet, Life Plans are not all created equal. Resident payment plans can vary dramatically from one provider to another. No single option type is right for everyone. Therefore, it is important to understand the differences and make an educated decision regarding your unique situation.
Key Features Of Life Plan Options
Life Plan options are often considered an all-inclusive model. They are essentially a form of insurance against the future costs of healthcare services. Entry-fee Life Plan Communities will typically require a slightly higher monthly fee while a resident is living independently.
The benefit, however, is that the resident has better predictability of monthly expenses over their lifetime. This is because the monthly rate will only modestly increase to reflect the cost of healthcare services when such services are required. Keep in mind, other factors can also influence the monthly rate. These include amenities, the size of the residential unit and geographic region.
In addition, the lifestyle opportunities offered are a huge benefit for those who prefer to stay active. Christwood’s 117-acre campus offers the freedom to discover a new passion with our many clubs and activities. Plus, the Community Center allows you to focus on whole-person wellness. Offering different fitness programs, educational opportunities and healthy dining, the opportunities for healthy living are abundant.
Other Considerations
Residents who choose a Life Plan option are paying in advance for assisted living and/or health care services that they may or may not need in the future. To help alleviate this concern, many Life Plan options also offer partially or fully refundable entry fees. Another consideration is that some portion of the entry fee and/or the monthly fee may be tax-deductible as a pre-paid healthcare expense.
Tip
If you do not own comprehensive long-term care insurance and you seek protection against out-of-pocket costs for extended healthcare needs, a Life Plan option may be right for you. (Those who already own long-term care insurance may still be able to use it in a Life Plan community under certain situations.) The benefit of Life Plan is often magnified in the case of double occupancy because the monthly rate under a Life Plan option will likely be substantially less than the cost of two people paying separately for care at market rates over an extended period of time.
Questions?
If you’re interested in learning more about a Life Plan option at Christwood, we encourage you to contact us by filling out a form. We would also love to show you around our community and answer any questions you may have. Come see the community for yourself! Schedule a visit to experience our campus and community lifestyle.
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