The continuing care retirement community, or CCRC, offers an innovative life-style that appeal to many older adults. This type of community combines the housing and care options mentioned above within a continuum of care that includes nursing care, usually on one site, to meet residents’ needs in a familiar setting. The three most common levels of accommodation are retirement housing, assisted living/personal care, and skilled nursing care.
Services: CCRCs provide a comprehensive array of services tailored to individual residents’ needs, abilities and preferences. Typical services and amenities may include: nursing and other health services, meals and special diets, housekeeping, transportation, emergency and personal assistance, and recreational and educational activities, dining services and wellness programs.
Payment: CCRCs offer their residents a contract that generally secures living accommodations and services, including health care, over the long term. There are three common types of contracts.
1. The first type may offer unlimited nursing care for little or no substantial increase in the usual monthly payment.
2. The second type may include a specified amount of nursing care, beyond which the resident is responsible for payment.
3. The third type may require residents to pay full daily rates for all long-term nursing care required.
CCRCs often require a one-time entrance fee and monthly payments thereafter. Fees vary from one community to another, depending on the type of housing and services each offers and the extent to which long-term care is covered.
CCRC residents may take advantage of a wide variety of activities and services conveniently offered within the community. Many residents continue to work, travel, volunteer and enjoy life outside the CCRC.
In Georgia, CCRCs are licensed by the Department of Insurance and may seek voluntary accreditation from the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission in Washington, D.C. The Commission reviews those CCRCs that apply and accredits those that meet its standards.
When considering whether continuing care is affordable, review your present expense, income and assets, noting that many expenses would no longer be incurred, and compare these to what the cost would be in the retirement communities that interest you.
