Contract Types: CCRC & Life Care Communities
All life care retirement communities are continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), but not all CCRCs are life care retirement communities.
Sounds like a riddle - but actually, there are some important similarities and differences between these senior living community options that you should know about. Keep reading to learn what they are!
What Are Continuing Care Retirement Communities?
The AARP calls CCRCs “part independent living, part assisted living and part skilled nursing homes.” Essentially, CCRCs accommodate senior adults in any stage of aging — and they also adapt to those adults’ needs as they continue to change. This allows seniors to live in one place for the duration of their lives, without needing to move in order to have their needs met. CCRCs are a valuable option for aging adults — but it’s important to know how they’re similar to and different from life care retirement communities, which is why we’ve broken down the details below.
CCRC & Life Care Retirement Community Similarities
Both CCRC retirement communities and life care retirement communities provide residents with a lifestyle that includes on campus conveniences, services and amenities, such as banks, beauty salons, fitness centers and more. Most importantly, both types of continuing care communities can provide residents with a complete range of lifestyle accommodations, from independent living to assisted living and skilled nursing care.
Life Care & Continuing Care Retirement Community Differences
The real distinction between a CCRC senior living community and a life care retirement community comes down to the kind of contract the community offers. There are generally three types of continuing care retirement community contracts:
1. Extensive contracts: also called Type-A Contracts, provide residents with unlimited, lifetime access to independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care with little or no increase in the monthly fee as the result of a need for a higher level of care.
2. Modified contracts: provide residents with a discounted rate for independent living and a limited period of assisted living or skilled nursing care. Should the resident need a higher level of care beyond that limited period, they pay a daily rate for their care.
3. Fee-for-service contracts: also called rental contracts, provide a lower monthly service fee for independent living residents, but charge a daily rate to residents needing assisted living and skilled nursing care services.
The Acts Life Care Retirement Program
All Acts communities are life care retirement communities. Our Type-A extensive life care retirement contract assures that your monthly fee will never increase based solely on if a higher level of care is needed at any one of our communities.
And, because Acts has such a large network of communities – 26 campuses in nine states – you can visit or even relocate to another Acts CCRC senior living community, and enjoy all the benefits and conveniences associated with being an Acts resident – from meal plans to health care.