Anyone Living in CCRC?

WIGO23

Is anyone on the forum living in a Continuing Care Retirement Community? If so, did you have to undergo health assessment because your LO has an ALZ diagnosis?

WIGO23

I see no one is living in a CCRC due to the lack of response. If any of you are interested, I found out that potential residents are health and cognitively screened for entry at most if not all communities. If your LO is assessed at assisted care level and you are not, you may or may not be allowed to live with them.

Personally, I will not give that much power to someone else, especially at the rates they charge. Just like the health care system, the community living system is all one sided and the consumer is on the losing side. They can do this because there is such need because of an aging population and demand. They can dictate so much! VENT OVER!

jgreen

Thanks for the info, @WIGO23

For those of us that are looking for alternatives to staying in current residence this is one more piece to the puzzle each of us is constructing.

My uncle (age 94) is caregiver for his wife with Alz. They are in such a community. He had the foresight to purchase long term care insurance and has a caregiver (private company) come in 4 hours a day, 5 days a week to give him some respite. I do not know if both had to have the cognitive screening done, but probably so - just to make sure he was competent to care for her. They live together in a 1 bedroom apartment and seem to like these arrangements. And yes, the price is steep!

iowagirl1961

For a couple of months this winter my dh and I rented an apartment in a CCRC. We did not do a buy in, rather rented month to month. I looked at several communities that also offered month to month rentals. I tried it because my dh, who is beginning Stage 6 Alz, does so well when he’s around a lot of people. My story as to why we didn’t stay is long, but to answer your question, we filled out health forms that our pcp helped complete and sign but that was it for assessment as we were renting an independent living apartment.

Victoriaredux

It was some time ago but a childless couple- family friends- spent years getting the husband "in shape" to be approved by the CCRC that the wife was determined to move into. [Her parents had lived there- we visited when I was a child- they went from a giant house in a park like setting to a tiny narrow room ].

Finally the husband's weight and BP met the chart and they paid for a fancy private cottage at the CCRC. He passed with a couple of years , the wife was diagnosed with dementia and she ended up in a plain ugly ward. The family's money gone and the cottage went to the next patient.

I've always wondered what happens if the CCRC is badly managed , is sued etc and has to close .

Oh, found this

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/continuing-care-retirement-community-bankruptcy-fee-refunds/

harshedbuzz

@WIGO23

I don't live in a CCRC, but I did investigate some locally when I paired my parents back to the area when dad was diagnosed. I also have friends and the parents of friends with experience in such places.

Some things that surprised me.

The nicest of the places near me, the population is almost exclusively retired professionals, does a cognitive exam and does not admit a person/couple if they don't do well.

Another community did the same. They were religiously affiliated and claimed the cognitive assessment was necessary to allow their benevolent fund to help more people.

The one my aunt was in accepted people into all levels of care based on screenings. A couple could stay together in a more independent setting if the spouse was 100% doing the caregiving or hired it in.

My friend's mom lived in the cottages at a CCRC for almost 20 years. During COVID the place restricted visitors even though mom lived in her own building and didn't mingle with others as the amenities and dining rooms were closed. She didn't see her daughter or grands for over a year. She broke her hip a year later and returned to the facility's SNF for a time during which the management leaned on her to give up her cottage (I'm sure a new resident would pay a lot more that she did years ago) and move to AL.

HB

Call me Gram

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/75684/anyone-living-in-ccrc

Thank you for starting this conversation. It is very eye opening. My DH and I are still living in our home, but considering our options as things progress. The information everyone has shared is very helpful!