As the COVID-19 pandemic entered its third year, the United States approached a devastating milestone of nearly 1 million deaths. Older adults have borne a disproportionate share of that burden. Ironically, many seniors also experienced harm from some safety measures designed to protect them, including increased isolation and disrupted routines. Despite these challenges, new research … Read more

If you’re researching continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), also called life plan communities, you’ve likely noticed both for-profit (FP) and not-for-profit (NFP) options. Most life plan communities operate as not-for-profit organizations, but for-profit providers are expanding their presence. Seniors are often drawn to CCRCs because they offer long-term security—residents can expect care if they later … Read more

By Claudia Rumwell When my husband and I began researching continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), our friends were puzzled. They thought we were too young to be thinking about retirement communities and casually dismissed our plans as preparing for an “old folks home.” Our motivation came from personal experience. Over many years I traveled frequently … Read more

Hurricane Beryl recently left more than 2.2 million homes and businesses in Houston without power—some for nearly two weeks. After the storm’s direct hit on July 8 as a Category 1 hurricane, more than a dozen residents died from heat-related causes, many of them vulnerable older adults. This event highlights how increasingly severe natural disasters, … Read more

Continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), also called life plan communities, frequently require an entry fee that secures lifetime housing and priority access to healthcare services. Often a significant portion of that entry fee is refundable to the resident if they move out, or to the resident’s heirs after death. Prospective residents commonly ask whether a … Read more

Many people associate Medicare primarily with hospital stays (Part A) and physician services (Part B), but it also influences decisions about senior living. When I speak with groups considering retirement communities—especially continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs)—I’m frequently asked how Medicare affects those choices. I will address Medicare’s role in choosing a retirement community in a … Read more

Many new senior living residents use equity from the sale of a home to cover most or all of their move into senior living. But some people no longer own a home or sold their house earlier when downsizing to an apartment, and now must consider other ways to fund the move. This choice is … Read more

Research consistently finds that most older adults prefer to “age at home.” Still, many choose a retirement community—such as a CCRC (continuing care retirement community, also called a life plan community)—because it better aligns with their long-term goals and offers peace of mind. One of the strongest reasons people move to a CCRC is access … Read more

  Thanks to review sites and consumer advocacy organizations, it’s easier than ever to learn which businesses keep their promises and which fall short. Fewer people, however, know about a government-supported resource that helps evaluate senior living providers in your area: the long-term care ombudsman program. Support for senior living residents’ rights Long-term care ombudsmen … Read more

As we’ve written previously, residents of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs or “life plan communities”) may be eligible to deduct a portion of their monthly fee — and in some cases a non‑refundable portion of the entry fee in the first year — on their federal income tax return. That deduction falls under Section 213 … Read more