Continuing Care Retirement Communities

What is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC), and who is it for? It's a community that offers the full range of senior living on one campus — independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing — so you can move in while active and stay put as your needs change, without relocating to a new place each time. For people who want to plan once and age in one community, it's a compelling option.

The appeal is stability and peace of mind: you settle into a community, make friends, and know that if you need more care later, it's right there — no scrambling to find and move to a new facility during a health crisis. The trade-off is cost and commitment — CCRCs often involve a substantial entrance fee plus monthly fees, and the contracts are complex, so they reward careful comparison.

Every community listed here has been background-checked. Understand the contract type (they range from all-inclusive to fee-for-service), what the entrance fee covers and whether any is refundable, and the community's financial health (you're trusting them with decades of care). Tour, talk to residents at every care level, and consider having an attorney review the contract.