‘Active 55’ ‘Independent Living’ ‘Assisted Living’ ‘CCRC’s’ ‘Retirement Community’ . . . What Do They All Mean? And Should I Even Care?

By Thomas Shrader
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

A myriad of resources, websites, and free publications seek to bring clarity to these questions. Ironically, these well-intentioned resources often add to the confusion in the convoluted topic of retirement living options.

For example, almost all resources provide skilled nursing facility references and Independent Living community references in the same presentation. Discussing these two categories together invariably sends conflicting messages to the reader.

Why? Although people of retirement age live at both types of places, the similarities end there. The differences are vast.

Use a simple strategy to bring greater clarity to the categories you read about in guides, websites, and advertisements. As you begin investigating options, you should ask yourself one simple question.

The All-Important First Question to Begin Your Research— Are you looking at a move of some sort for yourself or for someone else?
This question alone, as simple as it sounds, dramatically helps to clear the congestion.

I am looking for myself . . .
If you are looking for yourself, you can automatically eliminate Assisted Living and Nursing Care. Assisted Living facilities provide invaluable services for those people who should no longer live on their own. However, if you are looking on your own behalf to move from your house, you are almost guaranteed to not be a candidate for Assisted Living.

Understanding this one step alone should free your mind up from many of the confusing messages you see in advertisements and guides. Assisted Living and Nursing Care involve an adult child playing the lead investigative role.