Did you know that not all senior living communities are the same? By definition, life plan communities combine an enjoyable, worry-free lifestyle with access to a full continuum of care. But, what does that really mean for you or for an older adult you love? Here are the top seven things that set life plan communities apart from other senior living choices, including the option of staying in your current home.

1. Life plan communities offer more freedom and flexibility than other options for aging in place. Your current home or even typical condo or apartment living can’t compete with all the options and opportunities available in a community like Beatitudes Campus. Don’t want to drive? Beatitudes Campus offers scheduled transportation. Don’t want to attend an event alone? You can go with a group of friends and neighbors. Bored? Check the calendar. There are more than 100 programs, activities and amenities available every month. As we get older, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. At Beatitudes Campus, you truly have the freedom and flexibility to enjoy life in bigger, bolder ways.
2. Life plan communities keep you in control better than other senior living options. Life plan communities like Beatitudes Campus are designed to support you with services and amenities that adapt to your needs as you age. Being able to call on these services easily ensures you don’t have to make a move, for say, when the time comes that you need help with grocery shopping, preparing meals or keeping track of your medications. In short, it’s easier to stay in control of your choices when where you live has what you need to remain independent.
3. Life plan communities provide a plan for handling your future care needs. Much like the advantage of staying in control, life plan communities like Beatitudes Campus ensure you’re prepared for your future care needs. Planning ahead means you decide where you’ll go for care should you need it, not a family member, not a social worker — you. With a full continuum of support and senior health care services available onsite, from in-home care to assisted living to nursing care after surgery and more, you can stay in the community you love and not far from your friends and neighbors.
4. Life plan communities offer financial stability. Life plan communities typically have a monthly fee that covers virtually everything, including your residence, utilities, housekeeping and maintenance as well as access to amenities, programs and entertainment. Having that predictable fee not only streamlines your expenses, it offers financial stability. In other words, you can plan better when there are no surprises.

What’s more, Beatitudes Campus has introduced a new Rate Lock Plan designed for our current times. The Rate Lock Plan protects you from inflation’s rising prices by lowering your monthly fee and freezing it in place. As the cost of utilities, rent, maintenance and other services rise, your cost stays the same. How’s that for financial stability?

5. Life plan communities can be quite affordable without a steep upfront cost. There’s a misconception that all retirement communities are expensive or require a large upfront cost. In the case of Beatitudes Campus, that’s not true. Here, you’ll find residential options and financial agreements that suit a wide variety of preferences and budgets. You can choose an affordable, flexible month-to-month rental option or the protection of a refundable entrance fee with an upfront cost and return that fits you. If you’re curious about costs, try our Cost Comparison Tool to get a peek at your options.
6. Life plan communities contribute to better health. While the health benefits of senior living communities have been written about extensively, we now have more evidence. An Age Well study by Mather Institute in partnership with Northwestern University is revealing that residents in life plan communities, in particular, are happier and healthier.
7. Life plan communities offer help with move planning and coordination. Sometimes the biggest hurdle is the actual move itself. Between selling your house, finding the right moving company and cleaning out and packing your belongings, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Having been a part of the process for thousands of residents, life plan communities stand ready to help. Beatitudes Campus, for example, offers a free moving benefit through an expert partner that helps older adults transition to new homes. Your personal relocation manager guides you through the moving process so you can focus on what’s most important — enjoying your future.

Ready to learn more? Take a minute to download our Retirement Living Planning Guide then schedule a visit by calling 602.833.1358 or contacting us through our online form below. We’d love to answer your questions and show you around Beatitudes Campus.

A Letter To Our Community

Dear Beatitudes Community of Residents, Staff, Families and Friends,

Today, instead of writing to you about mitigating the spread of the coronavirus in Beatitudes Campus, I want to talk to you about the deplorable practice of racism that is gripping our country and dividing us. We have witnessed painful and heartbreaking racist incidents – Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and recently George Floyd, among too many others. I am pained and deeply appalled by their deaths. These events are tragic and have shaken our community to our very core.

The events in Minneapolis last week and the COVID-19 crisis highlight the inequities that Black, elderly and other diverse communities have and continue to face every day. COVID-19 robs people of their health, instills fear and in many cases ends lives. Racism, bigotry and hatred do the same, robbing lives while instilling fear and anger. These unspeakable tragedies that have occurred have strengthened our determination to do more, as individuals, as an organization and as a community. It is imperative that all of us do away with the legacy of bias, prejudice and racism.

As a white female, I cannot begin to imagine what the Black community is experiencing. While I can empathize with what it must be like to be a Black person in America, I have not walked in those shoes. But I can commit that Beatitudes Campus will do all we can to support our diverse communities and foster a culture within our organization that deeply values and respects diversity and inclusion.

We have already started strengthening our culture. Earlier last year, we revisited the Promise Statement for the campus. This Promise Statement is not just a paragraph full of words. It is a reflection of what we, as a campus, promise all who work and live here and all who are part of our community. It is our deep commitment that we welcome and value all people, no matter their background, their skin color, their ethnicity, their philosophical beliefs or non-beliefs or their gender or gender identity. Last year, we started an intentional and thoughtful effort to strengthen our community to be a place where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and where our community of staff and residents are encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion. We stated our commitment that Beatitudes Campus be a beacon of light in valuing all our similarities, differences and complexities of experiences. The leadership team and I stand firm on that pledge.

As an organization, we are pledging to act. We will intensify our ongoing efforts to improve relations between all members of our communities where we live and where we work. We pledge to do more, as individuals and as an organization, in our community.

Everywhere we go and in everything we do, we define the character of Beatitudes Campus. We will lead by our actions. Our core values and promise statement guide not only our behavior in our community, but they also extend to every area of our lives. As an organization and as individuals, we have a responsibility to help find solutions to make our communities better for every citizen.

The silver lining of the coronavirus pandemic is that we are all working together as a community. We have experienced people coming together and reigniting the meaning of community throughout the past three months. Sadly, this most recent tragedy in Minneapolis reminds us of the ugly reality that we are still experiencing humanity’s worst. I challenge each of you, in your own way, to lead by example and to use your voice to condemn racism and systemic inequality. The time is now for us to come together, to support one another and through our partnership, begin to heal and make a change.

I’d like to close with a prayer chosen by Chaplain Andrew Moore (from The Book of Common Prayer) as he spoke to our team on Monday:

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, that we may work together for justice and peace.

May it be so.

May God bless you,

Michelle Just, President and CEO

And the Beatitudes Campus Leadership Team: Rod Bailey, Allen Bloch, Mitch Bradshaw, Valerie Cantrell, Cheryl Knupp, Rev. David Ragan, Rev. Peggy Roberts, Barbara Wood

Dear Beatitudes Family,

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) begins to have an impact on our communities, we feel it’s important to share with you more about the steps we’re taking across our campus to do our best to prevent or slow down any potential outbreak in an effort to keep residents, employees and community safe and healthy.

The health and safety of our community has always been our top priority and we are in an unprecedented and rapidly changing situation with COVID-19. I want to assure you that Beatitudes Campus has been working diligently to prepare for a potential spread of the virus. Our emergency preparedness and operations teams are meeting regularly and detailed plans for every area of campus are in place and we are adjusting as new guidance is shared by government entities like the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Center for Disease Control and professional associations like Arizona LeadingAge and LeadingAge National.

We understand the concern about the spread of COVID-19, and we are taking action. As of today, we do not know of a direct connection to the virus or to diagnosed cases of COVID-19. As we learn more about COVID-19 and after guidance from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH), we have decided to implement stronger protective measures for the campus so we can mitigate the risk to our community.

Beatitudes Campus is taking enhanced steps across the campus. We are restricting visitors to Beatitudes Campus. Only healthcare workers and staff are permitted on the campus. We are screening all people by taking temperatures and asking questions about symptoms, contact with anyone who has been exposed to COVID-19 and travel history per regulatory guidance. We are canceling all events and group gatherings on campus. This includes luncheons, seminars, board meetings, committee meetings, marketing events, bridge groups, etc.

We understand that this is not an ideal situation; however, we are doing this out of an abundance of caution for our community. This is a fast-evolving health situation, yet we are committed to finding ways to best support our residents, staff and families at this difficult and ever-changing time. If you have questions or concerns, you can also send them to BeWell@BeatitudesCampus.org

My best,

Michelle Just

President and CEO