Study Shows CCRC Residents ARE Happier and Healthier
I often talk and write about the many benefits that come with living in a continuing care retirement community (CCRC, or “life plan” community). Travelling to CCRCs across the U.S., I am fortunate to witness firsthand the ways so many of these communities enhance the lives of their residents, and also provide compassionate care if [...]
Contrasting Approaches to Planning for Long-Term Care Needs
In last week’s post, I highlighted a recent article that discussed the advice that caregivers of a family member who has Alzheimer’s disease would share with others who are newly embarking on this labor of love. Much of the advice centered around the emotional and financial challenges that caregiving can present and the need to [...]
Firsthand Advice on Caring for Someone with Alzheimer’s
Some journeys you get to pick; others are chosen for you. Such is the case for people who are caring for a loved one who is suffering from a degenerative mental condition like Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common form of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.7 million Americans are currently living with [...]
Transfer to a Higher Level of Care at a CCRC: Who Decides?
When you make the decision to move to a continuing care retirement community (CCRC or “life plan community”), you are taking the initiative to prepare for the unknowns of your future. You are putting a plan in place to ensure you will receive the care you need in the event of an unexpected injury or [...]
What to Ask About a CCRC’s Emergency Preparedness
I have to confess: I was a little surprised by the responses I received from last week’s blog post on CCRCs’ elevators. In it, I discuss how less expensive (and thus slower) elevators may be selected by a commercial developer as a cost-savings measure, but it is a building’s residents who pay the price for [...]
What an Elevator Says About a CCRC
“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that’s the stuff life is made of.” —Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1746 We’ve all been there: You push the up or down button on the elevator, and then you wait. And wait. And wait. You heard the pulleys and gears grinding, and then finally: [...]