LeadingAge Georgia is adopting the new designation of “Life Plan Community” for its members in Georgia in support of a national movement for these organizations to change from being known as “Continuing Care Retirement Communities” or “CCRCs.”
“This is exciting, not just for LeadingAge Georgia, but for our member communities,” said Walter Coffey, president of LeadingAge Georgia. “For years, the name ‘Continuing Care Retirement Community’ has given people in our state -- and markets everywhere -- a misleading impression of what these communities really are. People look at CCRCs and only think about ‘care,’ instead of people proactively making decisions to get the most out of life,” Coffey said.
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 that residents could move into if and when their health needs ever changed.
“Today’s Life Plan Communities are nothing like the old model CCRCs of thirty or more years ago,” said Coffey. “As key providers in Georgia, our members have reason to be very proud of their healthcare services, however they offer so much more. They have large homes with full-size appliances and all the amenities found in new homes today. More importantly, they offer fitness and wellness programs, fine dining, creative enrichment programs, socializing opportunities, and a focus on community and wellbeing. And of course, they still take care of all the home maintenance, housekeeping, and even yard work,” he added.
The new name, “Life Plan Community,” is the result of a multi-year effort coordinated by LeadingAge, the 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 name was reached after extensive nationwide research was conducted, including feedback from more than 4,100 survey respondents and 250 focus group participants.
“I’m really excited about the new name because it really draws attention to our communities being about life, not just care. People that move to communities like these 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 our members hear from their new residents,” continued Coffey, "is that they say they should have moved in years earlier. I think this new name will help more people understand just how beneficial moving to a Life Plan Community is, and help them decide to move earlier, so that they can take maximum advantage of all they have to offer.”
For more information on the evolution of the name Life Plan Community, please visit www.LifePlanCommunity.or
LeadingAge Georgia is the statewide association for over 170 not-for-profit and other mission-driven organizations dedicated to providing quality housing, health care and community-based services to more than 127,000 older Georgians. Visit www.LeadingAgeGa.org or call 404-872-9191.
