23 Sep Predictable, affordable senior living options? Westerwood has a plan.

Senior living options usually fall into one of two camps—dependent living or independent living.

The first group typically caters to older adults who require some type of assistance. This may range anywhere from assisted living to memory care to skilled nursing. Communities providing this type of care are often called nursing homes or long-term care facilities.

Independent living communities, on the other hand, offer senior living apartments, villas or cottages and a host of amenities that attract younger residents who are typically retired and looking to downsize their homes and their responsibilities—but not their activities. You may have heard them referred to as active adult communities or 55+ communities—a nod to the minimum age required to live at many of them.

Independent Living? Dependent Living? How About Both?

When it comes to today’s modern retirement communities, the two options aren’t mutually exclusive. You can find dependent and independent living options all on one campus. Traditionally known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), many of these communities have evolved to calling themselves Life Plan Communities—a newly coined term that reflects a greater emphasis on active living and planning for the future.

Both names are interchangeable and refer to communities that offer a continuum of care allowing residents to age in place in their Independent Living homes or transition to higher levels of care as their needs change—all without leaving the community or friends they love.

When it Comes to Affordable Senior Living, We’re Definitely Type A

Not all Life Plan Communities or CCRCs are created equal. What makes one community different than another is the contract or agreement that’s offered. The most comprehensive agreement available is a Type A Contract or Life Care Agreement, which you’ll find at communities called Life Care Communities.

As a nonprofit Life Care Community in the Columbus, Ohio area, Westerwood offers all the modern conveniences, amenities and activities you need to live life to the fullest today—and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that if your needs change in the future, your community doesn’t have to.

Our nonprofit status allows us to shift our focus beyond profits to reinvest back into our community and our residents. Benevolence funds may be available to help provide financial assistance to residents who qualify.

Finding Peace of Mind for the Rest of Your Life? Check That Off Your Bucket List

Our Life Care Agreement allows you to predict future health care costs and protect everything you’ve worked so hard to attain. By paying a one-time entry fee, in addition to your Independent Living monthly fees, you’ll be guaranteed our full continuum of care for life. That means if your needs change over time, you have unlimited access to the highest quality health care services right in our community, with limits on how much you’ll pay. This includes assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and long-term care.

What’s Included in Westerwood’s Life Care Agreement?

• The residence of your choice and access to all community amenities
• A full continuum of care should you need it at any stage of your life
• Predictable cost if you transition to a higher level of care at any time
• Protection against the risk or devastating expenses resulting from long-term care
• Control over your future health care decisions
• Peace of mind that you won’t be a burden on your family or put the stress of decision making on them
• Significant savings on care versus costs without a Life Care Agreement
• The ability to remain in the same community with your spouse even if one of you requires skilled nursing or memory care

Let’s Make a Plan Together

As we continue to age, it becomes increasingly clear that we never know what the future will bring. Planning ahead for any situation is often a good idea. Our Life Plan Agreement allows you to take control over your future care—today. By putting a plan in place, you can live your life in one of our beautiful Independent Living homes without worry of where you’ll go, how you’ll pay or whether loved ones will have to shoulder the responsibility should you need higher levels of care in the future.

If you have any questions about our affordable senior living options or want to set up a tour to see our beautiful, Columbus-area senior living community in person, call us at (614) 568-0503.