Why a Life Plan Community Might Be Your Best Option
Searching for the perfect place to spend your retirement may feel like a step back in time to interviewing for your first job. Testing the waters to find the right location, the right fit and the right amenities to suit your interests is an important part of the process. As you explore your options, you’ll likely encounter many different types of communities. Many retirees find the benefits of Life Plan Communities are an excellent fit with their retirement goals and dreams.
What is a Life Plan Community?
A Life Plan Community, which you may also hear referred to as a continuing care retirement community or CCRC, is a senior living community that offers multiple progressive levels of care. Typically, these living options include independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care. Residents of a Life Plan Community have access to a variety of lifestyle amenities, wellness programming and services such as maintenance-free living and housekeeping. But more importantly, if their health changes while they’re living in the community, a resident can transition to the appropriate level of care while remaining within familiar surroundings.
Benefits of Life Plan Communities
A Life Plan Community offers many advantages for a senior considering a new retirement lifestyle.
Wellness
As a resident of a Life Plan Community, you’re likely to find a culture of wellness that helps you achieve a greater quality of life in areas like fitness, nutrition, active living and your overall well-being. Regular exercise, healthy meals and remaining connected to peers and a community all factor into a happier, healthier lifestyle.
Stability
If you find yourself in need of additional health care, the last thing you want to worry about is moving to someplace unfamiliar to get that care. Choosing a Life Plan Community in your early retirement years allows you to find a home you love and trust, so if you do need additional support, you can be confident you’re in the right place and not making a reactive decision under pressure.
Predictability
Living in a Life Plan Community — especially one that offers a LifeCare® contract — gives you a realistic idea of your upfront and ongoing retirement expenses, which makes it easier to plan and budget.
Why a Life Plan Community Might Be Your Best Choice
While many different types of communities may suit your needs at a singular point in time, one of the key benefits of Life Plan Communities is the way they provide resources to support you at every point in life, for as long as you live in the community. That knowledge can be incredibly comforting for you and your loved ones as you transition into this next stage of life.
In addition, Life Plan Communities often offer contract options that allow you to provide for your estate if you wish to do so. What’s more, while your tax advisor can give you specific information based on your unique circumstances, you should also know the entrance fee and monthly fees associated with Life Plan Communities could offer some tax benefits.
How Life Plan Communities Differ
By definition, all Life Plan Communities offer a continuum of care, and you can expect to pay a one-time entrance fee and an ongoing monthly fee at any Life Plan Community you choose. However, you’ll find some significant differences in the contract options from one community to the next. Here are the three types of financial contracts you may encounter when exploring a Life Plan Community or CCRC:
- Type A (LifeCare®) – Your monthly fees stay relatively flat over the years, regardless of the type of care you need (as is the case at Blakehurst).
- Type B (Modified) – Your monthly fee provides for a set number of days of health care (with additional days available at market rates) or you have access to ongoing, minimally discounted care.
- Type C (Fee-for-Service) – Your health care is not included in your monthly fee; it will be billed separately at market rates as needed.
Learn about LifeCare® at Blakehurst
In addition to unlimited access to all available health care at a monthly fee that won’t change substantially if your needs change, we offer different contract options to match your financial goals. Learn more about the benefits of Life Plan Communities and how LifeCare® at Blakehurst can give you and your family peace of mind.