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A Life Plan Community might be the most appropriately named senior living product you’ll ever come across. It’s quite literally:
- A retirement community that
- Provides you with a smart plan for your future, along with
- Opportunities for you to fully enjoy a more active, enjoyable, purposeful life
Yet you might be surprised that some seniors simply aren’t familiar with Life Plan Communities. Nor do some older adults fully understand the true value behind a Life Plan Community’s continuum of care – which at eliseo™ includes independent living, as well as assisted living, skilled nursing and memory care.
So let’s break it all down, from a full definition of a Life Plan Community to an exploration of the continuum of care you’ll typically find. We’ll also explain why choosing to live at a Life Plan Community like eliseo can be beneficial to both your overall personal well-being and your financial health.
WHY DOES A CONTINUUM OF CARE MATTER?
If you’ve started researching your senior living options, you might have heard the term Continuing Care Retirement Community. In truth, that’s the exact same thing as a Life Plan Community. It’s a residential setting for older adults, specifically designed to offer its residents services, amenities and opportunities for fulfillment, purpose and joy, along with assisted living, skilled nursing, rehabilitation and memory care (the continuum of care) to address residents’ changing needs as they age.
Why is continuing care so important? Consider a 2019 report, which found that 70 percent of adults 65 and older will need long-term care at some point in their lives. So while you may be active and healthy now, you can’t predict how your health needs or those of your spouse may change 10 years, five years or even one year from now.
That’s why a Life Plan Community is such a smart choice. It provides you with an independent lifestyle so you can fully embrace your freedom today without the responsibilities and hassles of home ownership.
It also offers you multiple levels of long-term senior care right on campus, so that someday, should you need that care, you don’t have to move away from the community to receive it. A Life Plan Community allows the opportunity for the healthy resident to stay in their independent living residence; the spouse who needs care may move into the level they need, right on the same campus.
WHAT ARE THE CONTINUUM OF CARE LEVELS?
First, it’s important to note something right up front: “Continuum of care” isn’t meant to suggest “only for those who are ill or need medical assistance.” It actually means that if you ever do need care, you’ll receive it – and as your needs change, the level of care changes with you. It also means that you’ll enjoy a high level of superb service and personal attention, from independent living and assisted living to memory care and skilled nursing.
Independent living is for the active older adult who wants to continue to live an independent lifestyle but who’s ready to let go of the burdens of home maintenance, housekeeping, daily meal preparation and other chores.
Typically, independent living residents enjoy their own private residence, as well as unlimited access to the community’s numerous common spaces. At eliseo, for example, residents choose from condo-style residences or apartments, with floor plans that range in size from studios to two-bedroom, two-bathroom options. Many residences boast stunning views of Mount Rainier, lush green gardens and the surrounding neighborhoods.
eliseo residents enjoy amenities like the saltwater pool and spa, gym and aerobic studio at the Emerson Wellness & Aquatic Center, chef-prepared dining, robust programming and events, and so much more. It’s all aimed at enhancing each resident’s emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.
Assisted living residents generally enjoy many of the services, amenities and high-quality lifestyle as they would in independent living. The difference is in the additional level of professional care they receive.
Assisted living provides residents with help in completing the activities of daily living – typically things like bathing and getting dressed, managing medications and ensuring they’re eating more nutritious meals, which may involve the guidance of a dietitian. The care is provided by highly trained nursing staff members.
At eliseo, residents can select either an efficiency, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment. Regardless of which size they choose, eliseo residents have the assurance of priority placement for occupancy into assisted living.
Short-stay skilled nursing offers care to residents who may have been released from the hospital after an illness or injury, but who aren’t quite ready to return to their residence. They may need help regaining their strength, mobility and confidence. At eliseo, our staff works closely with hospitals and doctors to develop a personalized care plan to get residents back on their feet and back to their lives, quicker. Residents may opt for a private or semi-private suite in our health center.
Long-term care is for seniors who need 24-hour assistance and medical care. Just like all our levels of care, our long-term senior care staff at eliseo is highly trained, respectful, compassionate and focused on providing personal attention, helping residents function at their highest level. Suites are both private and semi-private, but often residents choose to be out in our common spaces, enjoying a meal, socializing or enjoying an activity or event.
Memory care focuses on providing a safe, structured and secure environment for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Typically profesional, well-trained staff are on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and at eliseo, that’s no different.
What is different at eliseo is how we provide care. eliseo memory care staff members get to know residents like family, creating surroundings and activities customized to each resident’s interests and abilities. We also offer memory-stimulating technology to help residents hold onto more of the moments in their lives that matter.
WHAT ARE THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS?
Remember the report we quoted earlier that said 70 percent of people over 65 will need care at some point in their lives? That same study found that 25 percent of those people needed long-term care for more than two years. That care can be expensive, and Medicare often does not cover the expense. Which means you may be paying out of pocket.
This is why a Life Plan Community like eliseo may be the best financial solution. You pay a one-time entrance fee, which basically ensures you have a place to live, for the rest of your life. You also pay monthly service fees, which cover the cost of the maintenance on your residence and community grounds, transportation, your meals, upkeep of the amenities and monthly programs and events.
If you do need care, you have priority access to it, right on the eliseo campus. You also have predictable monthly payments that you pay in one check. And often, the care you receive at a Life Plan Community is charged at below-market rates.
We’d like to make it easy to discover whether a Life Plan Community like eliseo is the right fit for you, personally and financially. To get started, simply call us at 253-319-3947, or contact us to schedule your personal tour of our Tacoma, WA, campus.