What to Know About Continuing Care Retirement Communities

Friends Talk Money

Have you given some thought to where and how you’d like to live in your retirement years? Many insist on staying in the family home – without thinking about logistics of stairs and navigating the bathroom in later years. Maybe you’ll just downsize to a smaller home. Others decide to move into a senior community, making new friends in these settings with like-minded and active adults. The latest enticing option is Continuing Care Retirement Communities, which offer initial living in townhomes or condos, while guaranteeing acceptance for one or both spouses into assisted living or even memory care as the need might arise.

This is a financial, as well as logistical and emotional decision, as many of these CCRCs require a large up-front deposit, typically funded by the sale of the family home. Guarantees are involved, but you need to read the fine print. You’ll find an explanation and details in Terry’s recent column.

On this podcast, we will speak with Dana Smith, Chief Marketing Officer for Lifespace Communities (https://www.lifespacecommunities.com/), a non-profit company that has 18 communities in seven states, ranging from Florida to Texas, and Illinois to Kansas. As you’ll hear in this podcast, Dana has the answers to so many questions, ranging from how to get that deposit back to what happens if you run out of money. And she has tips on what to look for and what questions to ask if you are considering moving to a Continuing Care Retirement Community.