IS A CCRC RIGHT FOR YOU?

Continuing-care retirement communities provide a range of amenities and health care when you need it-at a hefty cost.

- LISA GERSTNER

Touring the grounds of Pine Run Retirement Community, in Doylestown, Pa., it's easy to see the appeal for its 450 or so residents. Opened in 2019, Pine Run's $13 million community center feels airy and modern. It's a one-stop shop where residents can enjoy a meal in a fine-dining room or casual café, grab a drink at the bar, work out at the fitness center, swim laps in the pool, catch a lecture or movie at the auditorium, or visit the library, sundry store or salon.

Elsewhere on the 43-acre campus, villagers can tend to plants at a greenhouse, tap into their creative side at the craft barn or stroll on a walking path safe from traffic. Villagers can sign up for day trips to area events and attractions and choose among more than 50 committees, clubs and special-interest groups to join, ranging from a bird-watching club to a group that creates programming for an in-house TV channel.

Like Pine Run, most continuing-care retirement communities strive to deliver a vibrant, active culture for residents. But the core mission of a CCRC—also known as a life-plan community—is to provide a setting where retirees can shift from independent living to higher levels of care as they age. When you’re still able to live independently, you may choose a stand-alone home or apartment, depending on the CCRC’s offerings. Typically, a CCRC also has assisted living for those who need some help with daily activities, a skilled-nursing facility—whether for shortterm needs, such as recovering from an illness or surgery, or for long-term care for chronic conditions—and a memory-care unit for those who have dementia.