There is a lot of terminology in the senior living field, and it can be confusing for people researching their options. While the industry has begun replacing the term “continuing care retirement community” with “life plan community,” this change has added another label to an already complex vocabulary.
Because “life plan” sounds similar to “lifecare,” I often see those two terms used incorrectly — not just by consumers but sometimes by sales and marketing staff at communities as well.
This article explains the differences among these terms in clear, straightforward language to help you make sense of them.
Continuing care retirement community (CCRC)
CCRC stands for “continuing care retirement community.” Definitions vary by state, but in general CCRCs offer independent living plus assisted living and/or skilled nursing and related health services. They require a residency contract that lasts longer than one year and often extends for the resident’s lifetime.
CCRC residency contracts come in different forms, each offering trade-offs between what you pay while living independently and what you would pay if you later need care services. Some contracts require higher up-front or monthly fees in exchange for predictable or reduced costs for future care; others keep initial costs lower but expose residents to greater future expenses.
Life plan community
“Life plan community” is another name for a continuing care retirement community. The terms mean the same thing.
In 2014, a task force called Project NameStorm — a collaboration between leading senior organizations — studied how older adults perceived the phrase “continuing care retirement community.” After research and discussion, the group proposed “life plan community” as a term that more accurately reflects the broader purpose of these communities.
Adoption of the new term has been gradual. Many communities now market themselves as life plan communities, while state regulators and legal documents still often use the term “continuing care retirement community.” As a result, you may see both labels used for the same community depending on the context.
Lifecare
“Lifecare” describes a specific type of residency contract within a CCRC or life plan community. Sometimes called a Type A contract at the regulatory level, a lifecare agreement typically requires higher payments while a resident is independent in exchange for stable monthly fees if they later need assisted living or nursing care.
Although lifecare contracts resemble long-term care insurance in how they shift more cost to the present to limit future care expenses, they are usually regulated differently from traditional insurance. States vary in how they treat these contracts; some refer to them as quasi-insurance products and apply specialized oversight rather than standard insurance rules.
Learning the lingo
The senior living industry has evolved rapidly, creating a range of housing and care options. That progress has introduced new terms to differentiate services and contract types, which can feel overwhelming when you’re researching choices.
If the vocabulary has felt like a foreign language, it helps to start with these core distinctions: CCRCs and life plan communities are the same type of community; lifecare refers specifically to a contract model that shifts more cost to the present to control future care expenses. Understanding these basics makes it easier to compare communities and residency agreements.