That is a really good factor to consider. I think that care communities can be for-profit or nonprofit… but I fear that both types are vulnerable to increasing expenses that risk their ability meet their contracted obligations. I suppose if you enter at very old age, risk is less… but then ability to appreciate the amenities is less.
And the cost may be higher if you enter at a very advanced age.
The one DH and I were considering also reviews your medical records and gives you a cognitive test. They won’t take you if you already have a neurological disease (ALS, MS, etc.) but don’t hold it against you if you develop it later. In other words, in our case, it was cheaper and more certain if we did it now, as opposed to five years from now.
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The retirement communities near me with these buy ins don’t have skilled nursing care on site. So, once you need that you have to get out (you will get your money back at that time). They only offer assisted living and memory care for later stages.
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The CCRC my folks went into had a long waiting list and had all levels of care. The catch was that once the patient and family agreed to a higher level of care than independent living, the facility got to choose where resident was put, even over objections of family & resident. Because of this we opted for expensive 24/7 companions for mom in independent living so she could remain there. It was an extra $6k/week on top of monthly CCRC fees of $7k/month.
My folks never made friends among the residents, though they belonged to same country club and also never got any of the transportation services or activities.
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$6000 a week? Ohmygoodness.
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Yup—and they weren’t all that great—agency took a huge chunk and paid the workers the rest. Private pay would have been cheaper but then you have to do worker’s comp, taxes, etc., plus personnel issues.
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I am seriously touring about 12 CCRC’s in the next two months. Even the ones near Boston are more affordable that what has been cited, for me, because I only need a one bedroom. And waiting lists are shorter too. Some of the two bedrooms I have seen are quite large, like 1500 square feet. I am 74 which is young to be doing this, but there is going to be a tsunami of interest in a few years. It is true that some CCRC’s are going bankrupt so their financial health is an important consideration. I know it is a cliche but I don’t want my kids to worry and they already are.
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I think that it’s very kind of you to be proactive and think about your children.
We also found that independent living was less expensive than we had been led to believe.
My mom first moved into a studio that she loved because she was out and about all the time. She now has a one bedroom which is very very nice and spacious.
The first place my mom was at, the people were younger and more active. There were many activities for those who wished at many different levels of ability. The one she’s at now, the people are older and have less mobility.
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I have started asking about the average age at each community I look at! The quality of activities seems to vary with that age, too.
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When my father moved into an assisted living facility, I was very impressed with the daily list of activities. However, despite being physically and mentally able to participate, he chose not to. You need to know yourself, will you go play bingo or do chair yoga with others, or stay in your room. Do the activities match things you are interested in or not?
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And do the people doing them seem like people whose company you would enjoy?
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My MIL moved into an assisted living place when she was 88. There were not many choices for her as she lived on the small island of Bermuda, but she ended up loving it. She had become very isolated in her large home when she could no longer drive. Once in assisted living she signed up for every outing (even if it was just to go get ice cream) and she made new friends. My kids said that their granny was happier when they would visit her there than she had been the last few years in her home.
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Oh, I’m definitely signing up for the ice cream field trip!! Good choice! 
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