Carlyle Place, Navicent Health has announced its intent to adopt the designation of Life Plan Community in support of a national movement of similar communities to move away from being known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community.
 
“The designation Continuing Care Retirement Community has given people in our market, and nationwide, a misleading impression of what communities like Carlyle Place are. They have looked at CCRCs and thought they were focused on elder care, when in reality, residents at communities such as Carlyle Place know we’re all about getting the most out of life,” said Tom Rockenbach, Executive Director of Carlyle Place, Navicent Health.
 
The term Continuing Care Retirement Community was coined nearly 35 years ago to describe the growing number of communities that provide a continuum of living and care options for older adults, starting with apartments and homes in which residents could live independently, then providing assisted living and skilled nursing residences that residents could move into if and when their health needs changed.
 
“Today’s Life Plan Communities are nothing like those CCRCs of thirty or more years ago,” said Rockenbach. “While we certainly are proud of our healthcare services, we offer so much more. Carlyle Place offers large residential homes with full-size appliances and all the amenities found in new homes today. More importantly, we offer fitness and wellness programs, fine dining, creative enrichment programs, socializing opportunities, and much more. And of course, our staff handles home maintenance, housekeeping and yard work.”
 
The designation of Life Plan Community is the result of a multi-year effort coordinated by LeadingAge, a national association of not-for-profit aging services organizations, and Mather LifeWays, a not-for-profit organization which owns and operates two CCRCs. The new designation was reached after extensive nationwide research was conducted, including feedback from more than 4,100 survey respondents and 250 focus group participants.
 
“The new name really draws attention to our community being about full life, not just care. People who move to communities like Carlyle Place tend to be planners, people who like to know they’ve made the decisions they need to make to ensure they have a solid plan in place for their future. The most common thing we hear from new residents is that they say they should have moved in earlier. I think this new name will help more people understand just how beneficial moving to a community like Carlyle Place is, and help them decide to move earlier, so that they can take maximum advantage of all we have to offer, said Rockenbach.