Life plan community, naturally occurring retirement community, retirement village, active adult community — if you’ve been researching senior living and care options, the industry’s vocabulary can start to feel like its own language. Those similar-sounding terms often create confusion for people trying to compare choices and understand what each option provides.
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A new problem for a new generation of seniors
As senior living has evolved, so has its terminology. New models and service levels have emerged, prompting a range of descriptors to differentiate communities, care levels and contract types. To help cut through the confusion, we created a clear, alphabetized glossary that explains the most common terms you’ll encounter.
Our resource, The Ultimate Guide to Senior Living Terminology, is available on myLifeSite and defines industry vocabulary in straightforward, easy-to-understand language so you can make better-informed decisions.
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What you’ll learn in this free guide
The guide explains more than 20 commonly used—yet often misunderstood—terms. Below are a few examples that illustrate the kind of clear definitions you’ll find:
♦ Active Adult Community: An age-restricted, planned neighborhood for people typically 55 and older. These communities usually feature single-family homes or townhomes and shared amenities such as a clubhouse and pool. Residents generally pay homeowners’ association dues to cover outdoor maintenance and shared services.
♦ Advanced (High-Acuity) Assisted Living: A level of assisted living designed for people whose care needs exceed what traditional assisted living provides but do not require full-time skilled nursing. This option supports residents with more complex medical or personal care needs while still offering a residential setting.
♦ Home Care Services Provider: Non-medical in-home care that assists with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as bathing, dressing, meal preparation and light housekeeping. Some providers offer companion services. Licensing requirements vary by location. Home care providers may also be contracted to support residents living in independent communities whose needs have increased.
♦ Lifecare Community: A type of life plan community (also called a continuing care retirement community) that offers a lifecare contract. Under this contract, certain long-term care services and nursing care are provided with little or no additional charge beyond the contracted fees, helping residents plan for future care needs.
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Download the guide for free!
This sampling represents just a portion of the terms defined in The Ultimate Guide to Senior Living Terminology. If you’ve ever felt like materials about senior living and care are written in a foreign language, this guide is designed to give you clarity and confidence as you compare options and plan for the future.