When Is the Right Time to Move to a Life Care Community?
Category: Life Care or CCRC
Updated Sept. 2025 with updates from several people we know who have gone through this process. This article was originally published in 2021.
For most people, the answer to the question when is the right time to move to a Life Care community is, “when I get older”. It pretty much doesn’t matter how old the person is at the time; some undefined date in the future is always the answer. True, a minority make the decision when they are in their 60s or early 70s, but they are the outliers, often with a good reason for doing so.
Topretirements has some good friends who have wrestled with this decision for years. Their current situation, unfortunately, illustrates the problem so many people will face. He is in his mid 90s and she in her early 80s. She has wanted for some time to move from their town home into a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC, often known as a Life Care Community). He, however, is never quite ready. This opened a discussion about making irreversible decisions too late—how delaying action in both finance and health often leads to stress and diminished options. Fortunately, they did put a deposit down at a Connecticut CCRC, but used a decision to wait for one of the larger units as a way to delay the move. He just had a serious medical incident requiring an extended hospital stay with an uncertain future, so now he is ready to take any unit that comes up. Although it looks like their deposit has secured them a place, they are about to have a very rough patch ahead. Two elderly people with mobility problems are not going to have an easy time moving, let alone dealing with culling down a jam-packed town home’s contents to fit into a much smaller apartment.
Comments on "When Is the Right Time to Move to a Life Care Community?"
Greg W says:
A lot of facets to this article, but as to the question of “when to move”, for me the answer is when it gives me more independence than living in my own house/condo/apartment. My wife and I have just been through the 15 year journey with my in-laws and my father. All progressed through their form of dementia and other infirmities, and CCRCs have helped enable one or both more independence. They’re not perfect solutions (but aging isn’t a perfect condition), and are quite expensive, but they certainly helped with quality of life in the final years for all 3.
ljtucson says:
Greg W. That is probably the smartest answer I've heard. So many think about it in terms of what am I giving up. I think at some point we might recognize better what we might gain because the burdens of a home might be isolating, unsafe, and unhealthy. I have also been thru this with many people and parents. The worst outcomes are those who wait too long or those who jump in way too soon...it seems to have a nuance that might be hard to judge. The important thing for me is always to be aware of my area options and costs.
Kathleen says:
Per my family experience, the average age to enter "assisted living" is 84-85, which was true for my father entering a large CCRC. If he'd been a few years younger, he would have enjoyed Independent Living wing at the complex. Residents came from all over the country, snowbirds came back to where their adult children lived, others were local. The best reason to be in these communities is maintaining social contacts and continuity of medical care in the same community. This community did not require buy ins and was just rental so except for growing monthly costs as my father aged through the complex from assisted, to nursing to hospice, he did not have to move once settled in. Despite the complexes many advantages, as a family, we felt it was important to monitor care and oversee decisions for his care. We told him and we hope to remember our advice - you get to make the decisions now, or later, the decisions for your care will be made for you. Young retirees look for sunny and warm places to live, but in your mid 80s, social contacts and activities and quality of community health care are more important determinants in where to live.
Everette says:
I really liked Kathleen’s comments about using a strictly “rental” ccrc without a huge buy-in because a rental must maintain the same high quality of services.
I have seen the huge buy-in, called right to occupy, “trap”clients and friends into staying when services deteriorate with new management or financial troubles.
You can always move without financial penalties if the rental ccrc no longer meets your needs or expectations.
Just one caveat—you have to have LTC insurance or sufficient investments to cover the expenses through your life.
After a lot of research, my wife and I have decided that a rental ccrc would best meet our needs.
Sharon says:
Everette, I would like more information on rental CCRCs. Any articles or websites you can recommend?
Thanks.
Everette says:
Sharon,
To the best of my knowledge, there is no separate source that specializes in rental ccrc’s.
My research is based on visiting many ccrc’s and talking with friends and clients who live in ccrc’s.
Ccrc’s have two basic contracts: Life care and fee for service (rental contracts).
In a life care community, the ccrc contracts to care for you for life—even if you run out of money.
In a fee-for-service contract, the ccrc contracts to care for you as long as you have money—this the need for LTC insurance and/or wealth.
Take a look at Waltonwoods of Ashburn as an example of a ccrc with a fee-for-service contact.
Be careful with Erickson ccrc’s as they have a huge up front fee and large monthly fees but they are not life care communities. Instead, Erickson first consumes the up front fee and then relies on gifts funded by the residents.
Ccrc’s are complicated. You should read the GAO report on the financial risks of ccrc’s.
Sharon says:
Thank you for the information Everette.
HEF says:
I'm not sure that waiting until we're 85 is the best answer. OF COURSE, it is a personal decision but of the people we've talked to along the way - they all say they wished they had done it SOONER! My husband has Parkinsons so we plan to try to stay put for a few more years and move to the CCRC in our early 70s. We want to be able to enjoy all that it offers, while we still can! We will still be able to come and go, just like a condo or apartment, and continue to participate in our local groups. But, it will free up our responsibilities for the house and yard upkeep, that we have now. Our children and siblings are scattered and far from us so we want that security and camaraderie that such a community offers as well.
We have looked at several "rental" communities. The closest ones seem to be built and finished very cheaply and they don't have the amenities that a "buy in" community has. Financially, it does make sense but your "buy in" ultimately goes back to your estate and heirs while the interest keeps the community running. I get that.
Good discussion and good comments!
Admin says:
One of the problems about waiting to the "right" age is that medical conditions can happen overnight. A stroke or serious diagnosis can arrive suddenly, and then your world has really changed. No one can predict when and if it will happen to you or your partner.
Bill Bamber says:
Thank You as gives me some Direction.
HEF says:
Admin makes a good point about unforeseen medical issues. Be aware that these CCR Communities have WAIT LISTS. Some are up to 8 YEARS! Do yourselves a favor and tour a few and put your name on a couple NOW. They usually require a small deposit of $1000 - $3000. Most of them allow you to stay on the list and refuse an available opening unlimited times. When YOU are ready, you can remove your name and get your money back or move in!
Be also aware that some communities limit the number of times you can refuse. Good to ask questions now and take notes for later.
Roberta says:
That is very true about the wait lists at the continuing care retirement communities. There are a lot of us who are aging and want to go to one of these places before we get too sick etc to go. Go for the visits and tours and ask lots of people about the place. If you like it get on the waiting list for the type of unit you want. Most, if not all, deposits are fully refundable or at least 80% refundable.
K L Soper says:
Just a FYI: I visited a CCRC and put down an application fee (around $1000) to get on wait list. Was told it would be at least two years and I just couldn't wait that long so I sold my house and moved to the state of the CCRC's location. Two years have passed and I have been contacted three times and have postponed it. You need to wait for the unit/style that you're interested in to become available. I'm now just not ready - I guess it's having to face end of life and I'm not ready for that. Additionally, the application fee is not refundable and would not be applied to your costs once you commit.
Joann C says:
I'm interested in moving to a CCRC at some point but I'm having a problem making sense of it from a financial perspective, although I realize that this shouldn't be the deciding factor. I look at the entrance fee (minus any portion that's refundable) as an advance payment of rent, which is amortized over the period of time you are there. The older you are when you move in, the shorter period of time you have to amortize the entrance fee. The younger you are when you move in, the longer you are paying for services you may not need for several years, depending on what's included in the monthly fee. Even though I'm in my mid-70's, I'm just not ready to give up my house and my yard for my dogs, and move into an apartment situation. Moreover, I want to travel for several months of the year and assume that I would be responsible for the monthly fee even if I'm not there. Fingers crossed I stay healthy enough to stay in my home and that when the time comes that I need assisted living, I'll be able to find the appropriate situation.
Admin says:
I just had a conversation with a friend who is in his mid 80s. He is getting concerned about what he and his wife should do in the next phase of retirement. Wife doesn't like the idea of a CCRC, but they both they have to plan for the next phase of life. Maybe hiring an aide to come to the house? Or move from a 2 story single family to a single level apartment? Move to a a CCRC up north near relatives for the summer, and come to FL for the winter? We both agreed, this is a terribly complex decision! He wishes there was a TripAdvisor for CCRCs and Life Care Communities - it's too hard to evaluate them by yourself.
carla says:
Joan, We are in the same situation. As we have no children I think a CCRC would be a good place to be when one of us is alone. Most CCRCs require you pay toward meals so you would have people to at least eat dinner. My husband sees it as buying into "nothing" because to get your $ back after 5 yrs of a descending scale, you have to pay almost double $ to enter. He says you are basically paying for healthcare you might never need. My worry is what if the CCRC goes bankrupt especially if the CCRC is a stand-alone with no affiliated campuses to transfer residents to. If you wait too long you might not be accepted if you have a major health problem. Yes Admin a very difficult decision if you are one person but compounded if you are a couple!!