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myLifeSite Blog Archives

myLifeSite Blog Archives provides information and guidance on senior living, life plan communities, CCRCs, independent living, and closely related topics from myLifeSite.

A Little-Known Detail about Medicaid Qualification and Paying for Long-Term Care

For fiscal year 2020, 76.5 million Americans were enrolled in Medicaid, including 6.4 million seniors. Medicaid is the single largest payer for long-term care in this country. In part, that’s because the cost of long-term care can be so exorbitant — averaging $51,600 a year for assisted living and $93,000 for a semi-private nursing home [...]

By |2023-08-05T09:47:10-04:00August 31st, 2021|
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Four Steps to Choosing the Right Retirement Community

So, you’ve been thinking a retirement community could make sense for you. It can be an attractive senior living option for a number of reasons: the social interactions and relationships, activities and amenities, care services (when available), peace of mind … and the list goes on. But how do you choose the right community for [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:25-04:00August 24th, 2021|
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Is the Pandemic’s “Severely Lonely” Senior Living Resident a Myth?

As I’m sure you’re aware, COVID-19 cases are surging as a result of the Delta variant. In many areas, hospitals are exceeding capacity as more and more people — especially the unvaccinated — fall seriously ill. It is easy to feel forlorn reading headlines about another round of potential restrictions, remembering the isolation and loneliness [...]

By |2024-06-21T18:37:23-04:00August 16th, 2021|
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Partnerships Between CCRCs and Universities Benefit Both

You’ve probably seen the “help wanted” signs at businesses across the country. Many industries are desperate to hire enough staff to meet demand and are looking at different ways to entice prospective employees to apply. Yes, higher starting wages is one obvious incentive, but some companies are offering education reimbursement as well. Perhaps most notably, [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:26-04:00August 2nd, 2021|
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Benefits of the Retired Clergy Housing Allowance in a CCRC

I recently wrote about potential tax deductions for residents of a continuing care retirement community (CCRC, or life plan community). In short, depending on your individual tax situation, a deduction may be available to you on a portion of your CCRC entry fee, as well as a portion of your ongoing monthly fees since they [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:27-04:00July 27th, 2021|
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Rediscovering Your Life’s Purpose Later in Retirement

This past week, I was reminded of why I find such fulfillment in my work. I had just finished an educational presentation for prospective residents at beautiful Ventana by Buckner, a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Dallas, Texas, and was enjoying lunch at a table with four of the attendees. The two delightful ladies [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:27-04:00July 20th, 2021|
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Look Beyond the Age of CCRC Senior Living Residents

A lot of people ask me about the average age of residents in a CCRC senior living community. For continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs, or life plan communities), we know the average age at move-in is in the early 80s. Of course, this is an average. Newer communities normally have a younger average move-in age; [...]

By |2024-06-21T12:42:33-04:00July 13th, 2021|
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The Challenge of Turning Retirement Communities Into “Home”

“There’s no place like home,” Dorothy says at the end of The Wizard of Oz, after she wakes up safe and sound in her bedroom in Kansas. Many people share Dorothy’s sentiments about their own home. For me, no matter how much I enjoy a trip or vacation, there’s a part of me that is [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:28-04:00June 29th, 2021|
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Special Considerations Surround Unpaid Dementia Caregiving

Taking on the role of unpaid family caregiver can be difficult even under the best of circumstances. But caring for a loved one who suffers from dementia can present a unique set of challenges. In addition to the burnout and stress faced by many caregivers, dementia caregiving is rife with unpredictability, safety concerns, behavior issues, [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:28-04:00June 22nd, 2021|
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A Positive Aging Mindset May Slow or Even Reverse the Aging Process

“Age is just a number.” “You’re only as old as you feel.” “Age is a state of mind.” Such clichés may seem trite, but there’s more and more evidence that these sentiments about aging may be quite accurate. A man-made time warp Ellen Langer is a renowned Harvard social psychologist who has been researching the [...]

By |2023-08-03T09:51:29-04:00June 14th, 2021|
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