Affording a CCRC

Did you know… St. Anne’s Retirement Community (SARC) is a Continuous Care Retirement Community (CCRC), meaning that we want you to stay when you come here to SARC. We offer three levels of living Independent Living, Personal Care, and Skilled Nursing. Within our Care and Skilled Nursing units, we have a secured Memory Support unit that offers help for Residents diagnosed with Dementia.

It is easy to get settled into the community but paying for it can be confusing. Here are some helpful tips, three to be exact, that you didn’t know about paying for a CCRC. First, there are financial advantages to a CCRC. Second, you and your investment are protected. Finally, you can afford a CCRC in multiple ways.

Financial Advantages of a CCRC:

• If you move at an appropriate age, then amortize what you’d pay over a long period of time; it’s often cheaper over the long term.
• Entrance fees tend to fund long-term improvements within the community. Invest into your own future with the entrance fee. Also, the entrance feemakes for a reduced monthly service fee.
• A benevolence fund is part of the mission. If your loved one runs out of money, the care will not. Think of it as a form of insurance.

You and Your Investment are Protected:

There are three types of contract models.

1. The extensive life-care model, where your fees don’t go up as you travel through the care continuum.
2. Modified month-to-month model
3. Pay-as-you-go model

There are multiple ways you can afford a CCRC:

Private pay – This is where residents or their families are responsible for the bills.
Long-term Care Insurance – It usually won’t cover residential living expenses, but a few policies cover assisted living. Each policy is written differently, so check with the insurance carrier to see what they will and will not cover.
Medicare – Can be used to pay for some services. It doesn’t cover long-term nursing care; it does cover services that a CCRC resident might receive. A few examples are physician visits and a hospital stay. Check with your provider to see what might be covered at a CCRC. For information regarding Medicare visit, gov: the official U.S. government site for Medicare | Medicare.
In the end, a CCRC can be confusing at the beginning when you’re researching the next step for you or your loved ones. However, the best thing to do is do your homework when trying to make the correct decision regarding your next level of living. Always get all of your questions answered, and remember you hold the ultimate decision on where you live next!