The Shared Mindset of Life Plan Communities

When older adults begin exploring senior living options, they often focus on the obvious factors: cost, services, amenities, healthcare access, and location. These are definitely important considerations, but after many years of talking with prospective senior living residents and visiting retirement communities of every variety across the country, I’ve noted another factor that may be just as meaningful … something that is harder to measure but often deeply felt by residents. It’s the shared mindset among people who choose to move to a life plan community.

Residents of life plan communities (traditionally called continuing care retirement communities, or CCRCs) often arrive with a common perspective about their future. They have made a proactive decision to plan ahead and choose a community that they intend to call home for the rest of their lives. That decision, and the mindset behind it, can shape the culture of the community in ways that are worth considering for anyone evaluating the different senior living options.

A community built around a ‘life plan’

A life plan community is intentionally designed around the idea that residents can age in place within the same community, even if their needs change. Typically, a life plan community offers independent living residences along with higher levels of care such as assisted living, memory care, and/or skilled nursing care, under a continuing care agreement.

One of the things that makes this senior living model distinctive is that residents often move in earlier than other communities that lack entry requirements, and they come with a long-term plan in mind. Instead of waiting until care is necessary, many people proactively choose a life plan community move while they are still relatively healthy, active, and independent.

Industry analysis reflects this pattern. While data on entry age is inconsistent, depending on the source you reference, it generally shows that the average person moves into a life plan community between 75 years old and 85 years old. Data from LeadingAge puts the average age for new life plan residents at 81 … close to the middle of this age range.

Regardless of which data source you lean on, the bottom line is that new life plan community residents are often younger than residents entering most other types of senior housing. For instance, according to 2023 research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), when looking at all types of senior living communities, the average move-in age is 84. Broken down by community type, the average new resident of an independent living-only community is 82. For assisted living, the average age at move-in is 85, and the average age for new residents of nursing homes is 83.

This younger average move-in age for life plan communities is due in part to the common requirement that new residents be healthy enough to live independently at move-in to qualify for a life care contract. However, this younger average move-in age also reflects a shared mindset: Oftentimes, new life plan community residents are not responding to an immediate need; rather, they are making a long-term lifestyle decision.

For many residents, the decision to proactively move is motivated by a variety of factors: peace of mind about future care, a desire not to burden family members, easy access to services and support (if/when needed), opportunities for wellness and social engagement, and the comfort of knowing they will not have to move again.

Because they provide residents with these desired attributes, life plan communities frequently attract people who view their decision not as a temporary step but as a permanent move to a long-term home and community.

The power of a shared mindset

Over time, this shared perspective among many life plan residents can shape the culture of a community in meaningful ways.

Residents often arrive knowing that the people around them have made a similar senior living decision: They have chosen to plan ahead, invest in their future, and become part of a community where they expect to remain for life. That shared understanding can create a sense of stability and mutual support. Indeed, in many life plan communities, you’ll hear residents express something like, “We’re here together to support each other and thrive.”

Among other benefits, that communal mindset can encourage deeper relationships. When people expect to remain in the same community for years (or even decades), they may be more inclined to invest time in friendships, community activities, volunteer work, and shared initiatives. In practice, this often translates into strong resident organizations, active clubs and committees, and a culture where neighbors look out for one another.

Why commitment shapes community culture

One important reason for the strong sense of community among life plan residents is the nature of the commitment involved. Many life plan communities require an entrance fee in addition to a monthly service fee. These entrance fees can be substantial, depending on the contract and the community.

Because of that financial commitment, residents typically do not move into a life plan community with the expectation that they might relocate again in a few years. Instead, they tend to view the move as a long-term choice about where they want to live and age.

This level or resident commitment contrasts somewhat with many rental senior living communities or long-term-only care communities, where residents may move in later in life or stay for shorter periods of time, creating more frequent resident turnover.

Industry research compiled by National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) shows annual senior housing turnover rates have a wide range, with assisted living and Alzheimer’s/memory care communities experiencing the highest turnover (around 56% each year) and independent living rental communities averaging around 37% annually.

By comparison, CCRCs/life plan retirement communities tend to have much lower turnover rates — approximately 22% annually — reflecting the long-term nature of their life care model and the intention of many residents to remain in the community for the rest of their lives.

What’s more, a recent J.D. Power survey found that, on average, the longer a resident had lived within a life plan community, the more satisfied they became with it. And the combination of lower resident turnover and longer tenure can make it easier for life plan residents to build meaningful relationships and feel rooted in their community.

The importance of senior living research and fit

The flip side of this long-term commitment is that choosing the right life plan community matters more. Because prospective residents often expect to stay for the rest of their lives, careful research and due diligence are essential.

Before making a decision, people should evaluate a number of factors, including the financial structure of the contract, the organization’s financial stability, the quality of healthcare and services, and the culture of the community itself.

In my experience, every life plan community is slightly different from one another. Some emphasize wellness and lifelong learning, others focus heavily on healthcare services, and many combine both approaches. For this reason, spending time in the community — meeting current residents, attending on-campus events, and understanding the day-to-day culture — can be just as important as reviewing the financial and contractual details.

When people plan to make a community their home for life, finding the right fit really matters.

Comparing life plan communities to other senior living options

There’s an important caveat to note: A life plan community may be the ideal senior living choice for some people, but they won’t be right for everyone.

The senior living landscape includes many types of communities (e.g., independent living rentals, active adult communities, assisted living and memory care residences, and smaller residential settings, such as Green Houses, etc.) with each option serving different needs and preferences. Rental communities, for instance, usually offer more contractual flexibility and typically require a lower upfront financial commitment. For some people, that flexibility is exactly what they want.

It is also important to recognize that not all life plan communities operate at the same level. As with any organization, some communities perform exceptionally well while others may have room for improvement.

My goal here is not to suggest that one senior living option is universally better than another. Rather, it is to highlight a characteristic that often distinguishes life plan communities: the shared mindset of residents who intentionally plan to make the community their long-term home.

A different way to think about ‘community’

When people talk about senior living, the conversation often focuses on services, amenities, and healthcare, and those elements are certainly important. But the social environment … the culture created by the people who live there … can be just as meaningful.

In life plan communities, residents frequently share a sense that they have chosen their community deliberately and for the long term. That shared outlook can foster stronger relationships, deeper engagement, and a sense that neighbors are truly invested in one another’s wellbeing.

For many residents, that may be one of the most valuable aspects of the life plan community model. After all, planning for the future is not only about healthcare or housing. It is also about choosing the kind of community and support system you want around you in the years ahead.

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