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A Smart Guide to Comparing CCRCs
Industry:
Client:
LevLane: Generations at Shalom Park
Subject:
Comprehensive Guide to CCRCs
Retirement & Senior Housing Consulting
A Smart Guide to Comparing CCRCs
When seniors start to consider their retirement options, they often find that CCRCs – Continuing Care Retirement Communities – offer a lot more than staying at home or than “stand-alone” single-service retirement communities.
One of the best parts of doing your research is taking the opportunity to visit several communities in person. CCRCs – also known as Life Plan Communities – have a lot to show you and tell you. This Smart Guide to Comparing CCRCs gives you a list of all the best questions to ask when you visit CCRCs. Use this guide to compare your options and pick the perfect community for you and/or your loved ones!
Location:
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Do you love the setting? Whether you are looking to stay in your home town or whether you are considering a “destination retirement community”, you want to LOVE where you live. Does the setting comfort you, delight you, and are the environment, location, and weather what you want?
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Do you want to be near family and friends – or not? Where you go is your choice. But remember that friends and family may not have the time, resources, or inclination to visit as often as you think they should.
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Are there nearby medical facilities? Is the CCRC close to a good hospital? Is your doctor nearby or are there medical professionals close by that you can consult?
Residences:
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What type of Independent Living residence will best meet your needs? Most CCRCs require that you move in when you are still able to live independently. Independent living options include cottages, houses, as well as varying sizes of apartments. People are often quite surprised when they visit CCRCs, to discover how carefully designed residences are. From open floor plans that promote mobility to ADA-accessible bathrooms and showers, to kitchen counters placed at accommodating heights, independent living residences are often quite easier to live in than one's home.
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How much of your furniture and possessions do you require taking with you? Any move is challenging. Particularly when you are downsizing. Be vigilant with yourself and your spouse about how much space you really need and want, relative to your health and your social expectations.
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Can you decorate your residence according to your personal taste?
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Does the community provide extra, on-site storage if needed?
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Is there adequate resident and visitor parking?
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Are pets welcome? And what happens if you become unable to care for a pet?
Make sure you take the time to visit residences in higher levels of care. You may never need to move to a higher level of care, but seeing them first-hand and understanding that they are residential in look and feel, rather than medical is reassuring and comforting.
Amenities:
Which amenities are important to you? Truly, the list of amenities offered at CCRCs can be endless. But what's most important is do they offer enough of what you want?
Dining & Shopping
Casual Dining Options
Formal Dining Options
Coffee Shop B
Gift Shop
Catered Dining
Spiritual Wellness
Walking Trails
Dog Parks
Pet Friendly
Religious Services/Spiritual Center
On Campus Mental Health Counseling
Social Wellness
Transportation Services
Planned Social Outings
Intergenerational Opportunities
Dating / Matchmaking Services
Physical Wellness
Fitness Center Continuing Swimming Pool
Beauty Salon/Barber Shop Outdoor Gardening
Yoga
Massage
Tennis / Golf
Biking/ Hiking
Walking Trails
Intellectual Wellness
Continuing Education Courses
Teaching/Mentoring Opportunities
Coffee Shop Beauty Technological Assistance & Learning
Library / Book Clubs / Book Exchanges
Art Galleries / Art Studios
Speakers Series
Theatrical Venues
Do They Offer a Full Continuum of Care?
CCRCs, like Generations at Shalom Park, offer a continuum of care, which simply means
several levels of care on the same campus. Inherent in that “continuum” is the promise that you will never have to move out or leave the campus to receive any health care, other than critical or emergency hospital care. Residents of CCRCs are assured that all current and future healthcare needs are met in one community. A “full” continuum means that none of the following levels of care are missing from a particular CCRC.
What Levels of Care Are Offered?
Independent Living
Assisted Living
Memory Care
Skilled Nursing Care (including hospice care)
Short and/or Long Term Physical Rehabilitation
Questions about Nursing and Caregiving Staff:
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What is the ratio of resident to caregiver in Assisted Living? In Memory Care? In Skilled Nursing?
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Do staff undergo screenings and background checks prior to employment?
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Does staff receive continuous training on lifesaving procedures?
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Does staff receive continuous training for medical emergencies, natural disasters, and other crises?
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Ask to meet a few staff members! That will tell you a great deal.
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What if a resident has a complaint about a staff member? How is that handled?
What is the CCRC's Guiding Principle or Mission?
Beyond whether a CCRC is for-profit, or not-for-profit, the mission of a CCRC tells you what makes it unique and different from its competitors.
At Generations at Shalom Park our guiding principle is “L'DOR V'DOR: WORDS WE LIVE BY”. As a faith with a history of almost six thousand years behind it, Judaism prizes both the wisdom of the elders and the curiosity of youth. In families and in communities, it is a sacred responsibility to pass down the knowledge, the lessons, and the traditions from the previous generation to the next. This principle, known in Hebrew as L’dor V’dor, or “from generation to generation” is a cornerstone of the Generations community.
Current Resident Satisfaction:
One of the most important conversations you can have when you visit a CCRC is with a current resident – or two or three! Make a point to interact with other residents and their family members. Ask questions. This is a terrific opportunity to find out from actual residents what you really want to know.
What can they tell you about the community?
How long have they lived there?
Why did they choose this community?
What do they love about living here? What would they change?
What surprises did they encounter when they moved here?
What advice would they give you?
What do their family members think about the community?
Learn More!
To learn more about the unmatched offerings at Generations at Shalom Park, visit us online at https://generationsatshalompark.com/ Generations at Shalom Park has collaborated with Aldersgate Life Plan Services, a renowned senior living provider in the Charlotte region, on the construction of 125 new independent living residences unlike any other in the Charlotte area.
Set to open in 2023, Generations at Shalom Park, will be a culturally Jewish CCRC that inspires, comforts and rejuvenates while embracing and honoring residents of all faiths, backgrounds, and ages. Call (704) 532-5400 today to learn more about us, and about becoming a Charter Member.