Refundable Entry Fees: Time for a Change
I am a big fan of continuing care retirement communities (also known as CCRCs or life plan communities), specifically the ones that are well-run, financially sound, and put residents and staff first. Compared to the myriad challenges and uncertainty that often come with aging at home, particularly when one’s mobility or cognitive functions decline, CCRCs provide [...]
4 Ways CCRCs Help Seniors Stay Healthy
A quick glance at the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA’s) World Factbook, which tracks life expectancy at birth for every country in the world, revealed a surprising truth: In 2016, with a life expectancy of 79.8 years, the United States was only ranked 42 out of 224 countries. I don’t know about you, but I would [...]
4 Must-Dos of Retirement Planning
A recent study conducted by Merrill Lynch (in collaboration with Age Wave) sought to determine which areas of life are the top priorities of Americans so that financial planners could offer better advice on retirement planning. While of course people’s priorities shift and evolve over time, this “Finances in Retirement: New Challenges, New Solutions” study [...]
Are CCRC Refundable Entry Fee Contracts a Good Deal?
According to data collected at myLifeSite, about three quarters of all continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs, or “life plan communities”) require an entry fee, and about 80 percent of these offer a refundable entry fee, with 50 percent and 90 percent refunds being the most popular. It isn’t uncommon for one community to offer a [...]
Home Healthcare Provider vs. Home Care Provider
While the retirement community industry continues to grow, a majority of older adults still say they prefer to stay in their own homes–at least as long as possible. While this decision to stay in the existing house may seem like the most economical option on the surface, cost-effectiveness can quickly diminish if home care services [...]
Do Your Loved Ones TRULY Understand Your End-of-Life Wishes?
Our recent blog post on the importance and value of compassionate hospice care got a lot of attention. In it, I talk about how hospice caregivers can help people have a good life, all the way to the end, making life’s final stages as meaningful as possible, free of suffering, and helping the person [...]