America's #1 Marketplace
to Buy, Sell, or Rent

Less Stress. Less Worries.

No Credit Needed

Retirement Communities and Senior Housing

Welcome to the Retirement Communities and Senior Housing section of our Web site.  It includes listings for Active Adult Communities, Independent Living Communities, Continuing Care Retirement Communities, Assisted Living Communities, Nursing Care facilities and Alzheimer's Care facilities.  Its purpose is to assist seniors in locating the best retirement community or facility that will meet their needs and be their home for the next phase of their life.  Caregivers and adult children of seniors will find this retirement planning information particularly useful if they have the responsibility for assisting in the relocation process.

Retirement Communities and retirement homes of all sorts, including Active Adult Communities, 55+ Communities, Second Homes, Ranch Houses,  CCRC, even Assisted Living Facilities.  

Retirement Community and Facility Types

Active Adult Communities
Active Adult Communities include single-family homes, town homes, cluster homes, manufactured housing and multifamily housing.  There are two types: age-restricted and age-targeted.

Age-Restricted Communities are specifically aimed at persons age 55 and older.  Under rules set down by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) in the Fair Housing Act, the housing must include at least one person who is age 55 or older in at least 80 percent of the occupied units.  Anyone under the age of 19 is restricted from being a permanent resident.  Residents typically lead an independent, active lifestyle in a country club setting where they can take advantage of amenities such as a clubhouse, a golf course, walking trails, hobby centers, computer labs, and other recreational spaces.  These communities are usually not equipped to provide increased care or health-related services.  Outdoor maintenance normally is included in a monthly homeowner's association or condominium fee.

Age-Targeted Communities are similar to Age-Restricted Communities except their marketing targets adults age 55 or older but they are not explicitly age-restricted.

Leisure Communities are another option for retirees.  Homes in leisure communities are designed for empty nesters.  There are no age restrictions.  The environments often include amenities such as clubhouses, golf courses and community pools in resort-like settings.  These communities offer predominately two and three bedroom homes and are perfect for those whose children have grown and moved away although children are welcome.  They offer an array of homes that typically include features designed for a changing lifestyle.

Independent Living Communities
Independent Living Communities are designed for seniors who are active, healthy and able to live without assistance. They generally consists of homes, condominiums, town houses, apartments, and/or mobile and motor homes where residents maintain an independent lifestyle. Some communities offer only minimal services such as building and grounds maintenance, and security. The residential units may be rented on a monthly basis or owned as condominiums or cooperatives. Basically they are no different from other residential enclaves except that there is an age restriction (over 55) or an age target.

Continuing Care Retirement Communities
Continuing Care Retirement Communities are designed for healthy people who are looking for security. They meet the needs of seniors who don’t want additional worries about where they are going to live as they grow older and how they are going to cope with potential future illness or the frailty of extreme old age. If you move to a CCRC you know you can continue to live in the same development no matter what happens to your health -- and you know how much it is going to cost to take care of you.

A CCRC usually offers seniors a contract or contracts that provide residential living and various health care services for more than one year or the balance their life. Such facilities are also known as Life Care Communities. Residents in such facilities enjoy an independent lifestyle with the knowledge that if they become sick or frail, their needs will continue to be met.

A good reason to choose to move into a CCRC sooner rather than later is that you must be capable of living independently when you move in. If an accident or illness makes it impossible for you to live without help, then the CCRC option will probably be closed to you.

There are two defining characteristics of a CCRC. First, it provides a continuum of care that includes housing, services, and health care. That does not mean that all three levels of care (independent living, assisted living, and nursing care) are provided. Nursing care is always available, either on- or off-site, but assisted living is not always included.

The second defining characteristic is a contractual agreement between the resident and the CCRC that guarantees these services (or at least access to these services) for a minimum of one year, but usually for the lifetime of the resident. The contract may be set up in a variety of ways. The most common type of contract is an entrance-fee contract. Whether the contract is an extensive, modified, or fee-for-service type of entrance-fee contract, the resident pays a lump-sum entrance fee plus monthly fees.

Another type of CCRC contract involves an equity agreement where the resident purchases a condominium or cooperative unit instead of paying an entrance fee. In a third, but less common, type of CCRC contract, residents pay monthly fees only.

A key point to remember in distinguishing continuing care retirement communities with the many "look-alikes" is that CCRCs have a contract that guarantees services and care for an extended period of time.

CCRCs offer a great sense of community and residents often speak of themselves as being part of an extended family. Although nobody is obliged to participate in the community’s programs, there is often an array of social activities and facilities. They often have exercise equipment, and programs and classes in which to use them. Woodworking shops, hobby shops, greenhouses, and craft shops can be found in many CCRCs. Some are near country clubs with golf and tennis facilities. All have buses to take residents to whatever activities interest them, such as concerts, sporting events, and shopping.

Assisted Living Communities
Assisted Living Communities respond to the fact that many older people have trouble performing some activities of daily living without help. Licensed by the state, they are designed for seniors who need regular help with daily activities (bathing, dressing, toileting, walking, medication reminders) but who do not need a nursing care facility. Such facilities offer a custodial level of care for seniors with some functional impairments, either physical or cognitive. Each residential unit has an emergency call system supported by 24-hour security and staff availability. These facilities may also offer three meals a day served in a common dining room, housekeeping services, transportation, health promotion and exercise programs, medication management, personal laundry services, and social and recreational activities. In some facilities the basic fee covers all services. In others, the basic fee covers only limited services with additional charges for services on an as needed basis.

Virtually all assisted living facilities rent their living units. This fact goes a long way toward maintaining quality control. Everybody is free to leave on rather short notice if the quality of life deteriorates. Consequently, such facilities have a strong incentive to keep residents healthy and happy.

These facilities specialize in caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. In the early or mid-stages of the disease, patients may be able to live in an assisted living facility. Frequently, assisted living facilities have a separate Alzheimer’s unit.

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain resulting in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. It is only one of several forms of dementia. Alzheimer’s care facilities specialize in care of patients with dementia. Assisted living facilities or facilities offering congregate living, or board and care may be appropriate for residents in early or mid stages of the disease. But unless they have a specialized dementia unit, it will be necessary to transfer the person to another facility.

Nursing Care Facilities
There are two types of nursing facilities associated with residential facilities. Intermediate care facilities which provide custodial and intermediate care, and skilled nursing facilities, which provide custodial, intermediate, and skilled care. Defining some terms, custodial care is nonmedical care that includes around-the-clock supervision, as well as assistance with personal needs such as eating, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting, and mobility. Intermediate care provides basic medical care. Skilled care provides more intensive medical care.

Individuals are attended by professional nurses operating under the direction of physicians. They may be freestanding or part of a senior community, and are licensed by state and local health agencies.

An intermediate care facility is licensed by the state to provide 24-hour basic medical care under the supervision of a registered nurse who may be on call and not necessarily on duty. Basic medical care includes rehabilitative and recuperative care, but not more intensive medical procedures such as intravenous therapy and feeding tubes. The staff-to-patient ratio is lower than in a skilled nursing facility.

A skilled nursing facility is also licensed by the state and provides 24-hour nursing care with at least one registered nurse on duty during the day. Care is provided under the supervision of a licensed physician who is on call. The facility is equipped to provide more intensive medical procedures such as intravenous therapy and feeding tubes. This is subacute care, which is the highest degree of nursing care outside of a hospital.

A senior residential community, such as an assisted living facility or a continuing care retirement community, may provide nursing care on site or may contract with a nearby facility to provide care to its residents.