CCRC and Senior Living Basics: What You Need to Know

Virtually all senior living planned communities — including active adult neighborhoods, rental retirement communities, senior apartments, continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), etc. — are 55+ communities.

Although 55 and older housing has been around since the 1950s, the rules for age-restricted senior living communities that are in place today  were established as a special carve out of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing Act (FHA). The Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) protects senior housing communities from being sued for age discrimination by those who are under the community’s minimum age requirement.

Indpendent living retirement communities are also often referred to as rental retirement communities. This senior living option usually takes the form of an apartment-style planned development for older adults who are able to live fully or mostly indpendently; i.e. they do not require assistance with daily activities of living or more advanced care. However, most indpendent living retirement communities do offer some level of care support for residents whose needs change over time. This may come in the form of assistance in the resident’s independent living apartment, or in some cases the indpendent living community may even have separate units licenses for assisted living and/or memory care. This is why you’ll sometimes hear independent living retirement communities referred to as “indpendent plus” or “indpendent living with services.”

Although there is no industry-standard definition, a continuing care retirement community- also known as a CCRC or “life plan community”- provides residents with access to a continuum of care via a continuing care residents contract, beginning with independent living and usually including assisted living, memory care, and/or skilled nursing for a period greater than one year, and often for life. Continuing care contracts are regulated at the state level and; therefore, the definition of continuing care and contract requirements may differ from one state the the next. More on CCRCs.

The primary difference between a continuing care retirement community- also known as a CCRC or “life plan community”- is the continuing care contract. In many cases, only those residents with a continuing care contract have access to the other levels of care within the community. Also, in accordance with the type of residency contract, residents of some continuing care retirement communities may pay discounted rates for available care services when those services are needed.

One of the main reasons why people choose a CCRC is because they do not want to be a burden on their adult children or other family members in the future. For those who do not have adult children or other family members nearby, it’s particularly important because a CCRC can help ensure that they have a plan in place for themselves if their situation should change. Additionally, CCRCs tend to offer a wider array of services, amenities, and wellness programs compared to other senior living options and this is attractive to many retirees who seek an easier lifestyle with plenty of opportunities for social engagement. Learn more by reading How Do I Choose a Life Plan Community.