A CCRC (continuing care retirement community) provides a full continuum of care on one campus—including independent living, assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing—so residents can stay in the same place even as their care needs change.

Independent living communities that are not CCRCs do not automatically include higher levels of care if needs increase, and many times assisted living and skilled nursing are not conveniently located on the same campus.

In a CCRC, residents move seamlessly to higher care levels without leaving the community. In short, a CCRC differs from an independent living community because CCRC residents enjoy independent living amenities while having access to more advanced care levels as needed, plus the added financial security of planning ahead. Moving to different levels of care in other retirement communities often comes with a staggering price increase!