[Boomer]

Realistically speaking, TV might not be the best place to age in place. I think Freedom Pointe is still the only CCRC in the area. The lack of CCRCs limits choice and the ratio of aging people to facilities could become an issue.

If looking ahead to the need for more care, the Medicare site now gives a lot of detail at medicare.gov — When using the site, you have to look under nursing homes because there is no category for CCRCs, but it does tell you in the details given.

I have a friend living in an area of SC which is rather rural. He moved there from his northern state years ago because he wanted warm weather. He now is finding as he ages that the place he has called home since he was in his 60s is not an easy place to be should he need extra help or care. He is now pushing 80.

He came to Florida to visit a place called Shell Point which is in Ft. Myers. He liked it but has not done anything about it.

I have no personal knowledge of Shell Point. I do know it is a CCRC and a non-profit. Their website is detailed and impressive. Their nursing home section is rated on the Medicare site under Larsen Health Center. They use the term Lifecare in their marketing copy and it looks like they’ve got it all covered.

Another friend of mine who is in her 60s and in good health sold her house after she was widowed and moved into the independent living part of a non-profit CCRC in Ohio. She has a villa with a garage, very nice. The way those things work is that it costs you an upfront fee to get in and there is a monthly fee that can go up, but once your finances are looked at and you are considered to be solvent enough for their actuaries, your future is in place. She said she decided to move to a CCRC sooner rather than later because it feels like she now has a long term care policy — sort of.

Some CCRCs will refund a part of the entry fee under certain circumstances.

As I understand it, a for-profit can kick you out if you run out of money, but the non-profits do not come with that kind of risk — once they know you are in good financial shape before they take you in. Even if it is a 501(c)(3), you need to find out how solid they are, including their endowment. Some of the more established 501(c)(3)s have significant endowments. Also, learn about how their skilled nursing part is doing. It can be better if their employees are their own and not all agency. Check the turnover.

The point of my dissertation this morning is that maybe Shell Point, a CCRC in Ft. Myers, is worth researching, at least on their detailed website, and then could be worth a road trip to check it out.

Boomer