Daughter hugging her senior mother

Why You Should Move Your Parent into a Life Plan Community

As an adult child of an elderly parent, your first priority during this time is keeping your loved one safe. As you likely know by now, older adults are the most at-risk population for COVID-19. So why should you move your parent into a senior living community despite the current outbreak? To put it simply, a Life Plan Community can give your parent the health care, safety and lifestyle options that can’t be matched in at-home care. When your parent is in a Life Plan Community, you can rest easy knowing your parent is genuinely cared for with every resource available to live their best life.

What is a Life Plan Community?

A Life Plan Community, also known as a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), offers more than one level of on-site care and an array of active lifestyle opportunities.  

There are generally three Life Plan Community options available in the senior living industry: LifeCare®, modified LifeCare®, and fee-for-service rentals. While each option offers various services and amenities, a LifeCare® community provides the greatest levels of care and most flexible lifestyle choices. 

  • Your parent will have guaranteed access to a full continuum of quality on-site care, including personal care, short- and long-term rehab, skilled nursing, and memory care, at predictable monthly rates that are far below market rates.
  • LifeCare® offers unmatched financial security:
    • Priority access to any level of living at significant savings compared to market rates.
    • Entrance fee may be refundable to your parent’s estate.
    • Your parent won’t be asked to leave if their financial situation worsens.
  • Services and amenities offered by LifeCare® communities would be very difficult to replicate at home.

Getting the Right Care for Your Parent

The different levels of care provided in senior living communities allow your parent to get the care they need right where they live. The ability for your parent to move to a different level of care aligned with their health and lifestyle needs — be it independent living, personal care, memory support, rehabilitation, or skilled nursing long term care — is invaluable. Getting the proper care your parent needs in a community also means you and your family can avoid sacrificing your own time and energy. In a Life Plan Community, your parent also has immediate response available right in their home if they become ill or have an accident — giving you, your family and your parent peace of mind and the confidence to live fully.

It’s important to note that during this time, CCRCs are taking extraordinary measures to ensure the safety of their residents amid COVID-19. Communities are rigorously disinfecting their entire campuses daily, devoting resources to ensure those with underlying health conditions are protected, ceasing all outside visits and events, and much more. Additionally, senior living communities are better equipped than at-home care providers to address older adults’ mental health to avoid the negative effects of social isolation during times like this.

Lifestyle Benefits Your Parent Will Enjoy

Continuing care retirement communities are much more than health care facilities. They’re lifestyle-enhancing communities with a wide variety of benefits. Most Life Plan Communities offer private residences in any level of care designed for your parent to maximize their sense of independence. And having the appropriate care available 24/7 — like getting help with activities of daily living in personal care, for example — means your parent has more freedom to optimize their actual independence. A range of services and amenities also helps your parent keep the lifestyle they cherish:

  • Home maintenance duties are taken care of by the community staff.
  • Hobbyist groups and activities aligned with your parent’s interests keep their mind sharp and body healthy.
  • Dining services and venues, often directed by an executive chef and certified dietitian, ensure your parent is getting the proper nutrition.
  • Comprehensive wellness programs are in place at on-site fitness centers that promote vital dimensions of wellness,  including physical, social, intellectual and spiritual.
  • Plentiful opportunities abound to socialize with like-minded people through organized events, clubs and scheduled outings.
  • With a LifeCare® contract, your parent has overall peace of mind that they won’t be asked to leave the community if their health needs or financial status changes.
  • On-site security provides peace of mind for both you and your parent.

If you’re searching for the right living option for your parent’s future, Brandon Wilde is your perfect resource. As a premier continuing care retirement community with a full continuum of care, we know that this can be a difficult decision. We’ll be happy to share more information about our levels of living and all the benefits that come with a Life Plan Community. And with our cost calculator, we can walk you through your financial options here.