What is a Life Plan community? We get this question often, and we understand that all the different types of senior living options can be confusing.
Many seem to offer the same services but call themselves different things. In an effort to further describe what makes a life plan community such a unique option, we have defined exactly what qualifies our communities, Hunt Community and The Huntington at Nashua, as life plan communities.
Various Living Options
One of the main differences that a life plan community offers in comparison with senior living facilities of the past is a variety of living options. A life plan community is the antithesis of an old retirement home and is more akin to a vibrant village. Some residents enjoy living in apartments in main campus buildings like we have at Hunt Community and The Huntington at Nashua. Other residents choose to retain more responsibility for their dwelling and opt for a townhouse, a condo, or a cottage like we have at The Huntington at Nashua. The different living options are designed to present all residents with an environment that enables the lifestyle they want to lead. If a resident is looking for a social environment with limited homemaking responsibilities than an apartment might be the best bet. If a resident is looking to maintain more of their previous lifestyle in a house of their own, then a cottage is the perfect choice.
Active Lifestyles and the Facilities to Support Them
The shift from retirement homes to more active life plan communities has been precipitated, in large part, by the influx of boomers that have begun looking for integrated living options as they’ve aged, not wanting to sacrifice their independence but looking for security nonetheless. Boomers have never been a group to do something just because it’s always been done a certain way, so it’s no surprise that they are putting their own stamp on the senior living industry. And what changes have been made to cater towards these boomers?
Boomers value an active lifestyle, and that has been the area where life plan communities have been the most innovative. This emphasis on an active lifestyle is at the very core of what makes a life plan community different from the various senior living options that have come before. Not only do they foster activity by hosting running or walking groups, seminars, dietitians, but life plan communities really enable their residents to continue their active lifestyles by providing amenities like pools, gyms with personal trainers, indoor pools, and wood shops.
Differing Levels of Care
Regardless of the attractive qualities of the living spaces and the amenities, the main impetus for people to join a life plan community is security. While they offer many levels of financial security, it is usually the security of trusted health care that brings people to our communities and communities like ours around the country. To be a true life plan community, and be officially allowed to present themselves as such, an organization must offer all three types of senior living care:
- Independent Living
- Assisted Living
- Nursing Care
As you can see, a member of a life plan community can comfortably transition through whatever stages of life they are presented with as they age, all within the community itself. In the event of temporary medical needs, resulting from surgeries or illnesses, for example, a resident can transition into the nursing facilities if necessary and then return back to their own residence.
It is this level of flexibility and security, combined with the lifestyle options and amenities, that make a life plan community the ideal option for people looking to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing every option is available to them as they age.
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What is a Life Plan community? We get this question often, and we understand that all the different types of senior living options can be confusing.
Many seem to offer the same services but call themselves different things. In an effort to further describe what makes a life plan community such a unique option, we have defined exactly what qualifies our communities, Hunt Community and The Huntington at Nashua, as life plan communities.
Various Living Options
One of the main differences that a life plan community offers in comparison with senior living facilities of the past is a variety of living options. A life plan community is the antithesis of an old retirement home and is more akin to a vibrant village. Some residents enjoy living in apartments in main campus buildings like we have at Hunt Community and The Huntington at Nashua. Other residents choose to retain more responsibility for their dwelling and opt for a townhouse, a condo, or a cottage like we have at The Huntington at Nashua. The different living options are designed to present all residents with an environment that enables the lifestyle they want to lead. If a resident is looking for a social environment with limited homemaking responsibilities than an apartment might be the best bet. If a resident is looking to maintain more of their previous lifestyle in a house of their own, then a cottage is the perfect choice.
Active Lifestyles and the Facilities to Support Them
The shift from retirement homes to more active life plan communities has been precipitated, in large part, by the influx of boomers that have begun looking for integrated living options as they’ve aged, not wanting to sacrifice their independence but looking for security nonetheless. Boomers have never been a group to do something just because it’s always been done a certain way, so it’s no surprise that they are putting their own stamp on the senior living industry. And what changes have been made to cater towards these boomers?
Boomers value an active lifestyle, and that has been the area where life plan communities have been the most innovative. This emphasis on an active lifestyle is at the very core of what makes a life plan community different from the various senior living options that have come before. Not only do they foster activity by hosting running or walking groups, seminars, dietitians, but life plan communities really enable their residents to continue their active lifestyles by providing amenities like pools, gyms with personal trainers, indoor pools, and wood shops.
Differing Levels of Care
Regardless of the attractive qualities of the living spaces and the amenities, the main impetus for people to join a life plan community is security. While they offer many levels of financial security, it is usually the security of trusted health care that brings people to our communities and communities like ours around the country. To be a true life plan community, and be officially allowed to present themselves as such, an organization must offer all three types of senior living care:
- Independent Living
- Assisted Living
- Nursing Care
As you can see, a member of a life plan community can comfortably transition through whatever stages of life they are presented with as they age, all within the community itself. In the event of temporary medical needs, resulting from surgeries or illnesses, for example, a resident can transition into the nursing facilities if necessary and then return back to their own residence.
It is this level of flexibility and security, combined with the lifestyle options and amenities, that make a life plan community the ideal option for people looking to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing every option is available to them as they age.
