It’s hard enough—whether it’s by necessity or for convenience—to make a relocation decision for yourself or a loved one. Emotions run high. The need might be urgent. You searched for a nursing home, but aren’t sure what you found? The language of senior living can feel complicated.

And then you encounter the big question: What exactly are you looking for? Independent living or assisted living? A retirement home, nursing home, or senior apartments? Or is a CCRC what you need? (And what is a CCRC?) I see the term “Life Plan Community” used. Is that the same as a CCRC?

We can help sort this out, providing perspective on the language of senior living that helps you know what the service and care levels are—and feel more confident about your search, too.

Independent Living

For those 62 and older—or in some communities, 55+—independent living is a lifestyle setting that provides comfortable senior apartments or other kinds of residences in which seniors can pursue daily life as they wish. It’s the freedom to maintain your current lifestyle but enhanced by a host of services and amenities.

Independent living residents have few, if any, health conditions that limit their independence. By choosing a community over the continuing burdens of homeownership, they gain the benefits of the community’s programs, activities, dining, and social milieu. Independent living is not considered a level of care because residents don’t require care. But support and kindness are invariably found in abundance.

That’s why it’s common for new independent living residents to claim they wish they’d made the move sooner.

Assisted Living

With a comfortable residence designed to help less-than-fully-independent seniors live as independently as possible, residents get a helping hand with daily life. You may hear about the ADLs, the Activities of Daily Living. Assisted living customizes care to a resident’s needs and how much assistance they need with the ADLs:

• Personal hygiene. Bathing/showering, grooming, and oral care.
• Dressing. Making appropriate clothing decisions; dressing and undressing.
• Eating.
• Maintaining continence. Using the restroom; hygiene.
• Transferring/Mobility. Being able to stand from a sitting position; getting in and out of bed; walking independently between locations.

A second set of actions—the IADLs, or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living—are functions that aren’t required daily but can also demonstrate the continuing or diminishing capabilities of a senior. IADLs are:

• Basic communication skills (includes phone and email).
• Transportation (driving, arranging rides, or using public transportation).
• Meal preparation.
• Shopping.
• Housework.
• Managing medications.
• Managing personal finances.

An assisted living community will assess new residents’ abilities relative to all these daily living activities and create individualized plans for helping each resident succeed. You can also expect assisted living services to adapt to a wide range of health care needs that might change over time, from minor to more acute.

Long-Term Care 

Sometimes known as skilled nursing, long-term skilled care, or a nursing home, the care setting is residential and staffed with RNs and a variety of other professionals. Long-term care provides for those who have a chronic illness.

In more recent times, the term “nursing home” has fallen out of favor. This is a reflection of how hospitality and activity programs are integrated with long-term care on campuses that include other levels of care—and often independent living, too.

Short-Term Care 

Also called short-term rehabilitation or simply rehabilitation, these specialized therapies—speech, physical, and vocational—address the needs of those recovering after surgery, accident, or illness. Short-term care is often found within the long-term care setting, where suitable residences, medical professionals, and equipment are readily available.

Short-term care is often hard work for the resident/patient and is, therefore, made as comfortable as possible. The objective will be to speed up the recovery process while ensuring further rehab won’t be needed after discharge.

CCRC

Short for Continuing Care Retirement Community, which has lately been simplified to “Life Plan” community, the CCRC is the flagship among senior living or retirement communities. In addition to independent living, a CCRC also offers a continuum of care services, which may include assisted living, a memory care program, long-term care, and short-term care.

Often, those who move into a CCRC’s independent living can have access to discounts on levels of care, making this an attractive plan for life —or “Life Plan.” Residents and their families know that if a resident ever needs care, it will be provided in a known setting by those who’ve already established their compassion and trustworthiness.

Life Care

Some communities offer a contract that promises to deliver independent living residents any level of care needed for about the same rate as independent living. The rates for assisted living, memory care, and long-term care are usually higher when those care levels are entered directly. But with Life Care, independent living residents will pay less for those levels of care.

Terms That Misrepresent

You might also encounter such terms as elderly, frail, senior citizen, the aged, or retiree. You won’t hear these from us, however, because these are words that marginalize, and seniors routinely rate them poor choices for their age group. Their preferences—and ours—include “seniors,” “older adults” and “older people.”

Finally, you’ll sometimes hear “facility”—for example, assisted living facility or nursing facility. We don’t use “facility” because it’s institutional-sounding and, therefore, dehumanizing. We’re the opposite of dehumanizing. In fact, Beatitudes Campus and other senior living communities are, by vision, mission, and design, humanizing.

We Stand Behind Our Words

For generations, families in and beyond Phoenix have turned to Beatitudes Campus for senior living. The region’s first community of its kind, we are today a true Phoenix original. We’ve served the region longer, with more integrity and more success than any other senior living community.

Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of families find the right answers to their senior living questions and needs. When you’re searching, we can help you, too. Call us at (602) 883-1358 or contact us online.

Although they’re popular among older adults, senior living rental options are rarely offered in full-service retirement communities. Typically, rental apartments are clustered together in a neighborhood where management takes care of maintenance and provides a few basic amenities. Residents pay à la carte for everything else. What are the benefits of renting at Beatitudes Campus?

At Beatitudes Campus, you can choose from a wide variety of residential options, including our rental Plaza Apartments—one of the most flexible and affordable options in full-service independent living in all of Phoenix and the surrounding area.

Flexibility, Affordability

Choosing a rental Plaza Apartment at Beatitudes Campus offers the best of all worlds. You get the flexibility of affordable and predictable month-to-month renting while our staff takes care of everything, making life at Beatitudes Campus truly maintenance-free. You never have to worry about changing a light bulb, fixing a faucet or mowing the lawn ever again.

An Entire Community Of Services & Amenities

One of the very best aspects of living at Beatitudes Campus, regardless of which residential option you choose, is the ability to enjoy the conveniences, amenities and lifestyle of our full-service senior living community.

Just beyond your front door, you have full, unlimited access to Beatitudes Campus’ services, amenities and activities, including social events, lifelong learning classes, recreational programs, fitness classes and more.

At Beatitudes Campus, you enjoy a sense of security, too, knowing you’ve planned ahead for the future you want. Part of preparing for tomorrow means knowing where you’ll receive care if you ever need it.

As a resident of Beatitudes Campus, you’ll have access to onsite health services should you ever need them, from an outpatient clinic for primary care to rehabilitative therapies,skilled nursing care and memory support. We even offer in-home care and support. You or your health insurance only pay for the health care services you need, when you need them.

Plaza Apartments Feature:

• Flexible month-to-month rental, no lease required
• Choice of studio, one- and two-bedroom floor plans
• Recently updated finishes and common spaces
• Access to all Campus amenities and activities
• Pay-as-you-need-it onsite healthcare available at market rate

Your Monthly Rent Includes:

• All utilities
• Housekeeping
• Maintenance
• Flexible dining program at Beatitudes Campus restaurants
• 24-hour security

Now is a great time to consider a Plaza Apartment. It’s a fantastic senior living rental option right here in Phoenix in an area you know and love. We recently gave the Plaza Apartment lounges a whole new look.

We know that with so many choices, deciding which senior living option is right for you can be daunting. At Beatitudes Campus, we want to be a trusted resource to help you navigate your choices. To learn more about planning for your future, request a free retirement planning guide.

Visit our video gallery and follow us on Facebook to see more about life at Beatitudes Campus.

Let’s Talk About It!

Curious if a senior living rental option at Beatitudes Campus is the perfect match for your future? Call us today at (602) 883-1358 or send us a note using the form below. We’d love to welcome you to Campus for a tour and are happy to answer all of your questions.

If you’ve been wondering whether a move to a senior living community is the right thing, you’ll be pleasantly reassured to hear that life at Beatitudes Campus comes with fewer risks and many more rewards. We’ve reimagined senior living to enhance everyday life, even in a pandemic.

Healthy All Year Long

As experts in healthcare, senior living communities understand how to safeguard your health and well-being. The staff, including ours, follows strict protocols for safety and cleanliness, and most communities have the capabilities and resources to respond quickly and efficiently to any issues.

At well-planned communities like Beatitudes Campus, older adults are healthier year-round. Opportunities to take fitness classes, swim, dance, walk, garden, paint, learn a language, socialize, volunteer and participate in an array of activities and programs help keep bodies and minds sharp. Regardless of your age, being healthy is the best defense against any illness, especially colds and flus.

“I love the life here,” said Anita Shehi, who moved to Beatitudes Campus in 2019. “For me, there’s a sense of renewed purpose being active in the community, making new friends, volunteering, taking classes and getting back into learning.”

Social Distancing Without Social Isolation

Social distancing to stay safe has affected everyone. Not being able to enjoy the familiar routines of our favorite activities or the simple social interactions that come from dining out or gathering for meals has taken a profound toll on our cognitive abilities and mental and emotional well-being, not the least of which our healthy eating habits and waistlines. It’s been especially difficult for older adults who may be retired and live in one- or two-person households.

Building on years of experience developing social, recreational and educational opportunities, senior living communities are working hard to help residents stay active and connected. At Beatitudes Campus, staff and resident volunteers work together to create enjoyable virtual activities, physically distanced indoor festivities and carefully planned outdoor events that keep people engaged and moving.

As for eating healthy, senior communities make it easy to enjoy a variety of delicious and nutritious meals at on-campus restaurants. Beatitudes Campus, for example, has several restaurants, from a bistro and coffee bar to a steakhouse and grille to a gourmet dining room. Throughout the pandemic, the community’s staff has delivered made-to-order restaurant meals, groceries and essentials to residents’ homes.

“There’s nowhere we’d rather be than right here, especially now. We feel safer and more secure at Beatitudes. The staff handles everything,” said Dan and Marge O’Horo, who moved to Beatitudes Campus in 2016. “They’ve worked really hard to keep life fun and engaging as we stay home to stay safe.”

Access to Healthcare and Help at Home

In addition to enjoyable activities and convenient services, many senior living communities offer access to onsite healthcare, making it easier to treat illnesses and chronic conditions so they don’t escalate to a bigger issue. At Beatitudes Campus, you’ll find onsite health services, from certified 24/7 security response and an outpatient clinic for primary care and podiatry services to rehabilitative therapies and specialized care such as skilled nursing care and memory support.

While we’ve seen on the news how many people across the country have to wait in line for care, at Beatitudes Campus, you can make an appointment for a doctor’s visit, a vaccination or physical therapy session, for example. If you’re not feeling well enough to come in, we’ll send medical staff to your home so you never have to go without care. As we’ve mentioned before, Beatitudes Campus was part of the early vaccine rollout and continues to help get vaccines to those who are most vulnerable to the coronavirus.

Read More: Plan Now, Be Prepared For Tomorrow

Beyond in-home care, Beatitudes Campus also offers in-home support and assistance with a variety of tasks, including meal prep, pet care, errands, laundry, medication reminders and more — all helpful services whether there’s a pandemic or not.

“While we’re looking forward to getting back to our normal routine, we’re extremely grateful to be here during this difficult time. We can’t imagine trying to face this ourselves,” said Robert Andrews and Cynthia Cielle, who moved to Beatitudes Campus in 2019. “When deciding where to move, it was important to us to feel completely safe. We didn’t realize how very important that decision would become.”

Visit our video gallery and follow us on Facebook to see more about life at Beatitudes Campus.

Let’s talk about it!

Want to experience Beatitudes Campus for yourself, call us today at 602.883.1358 or send us a note using the form below.

Plan Now for the Future You Want

October is National Financial Planning Month, making it a great time to review your long-term planning and financial goals. If you’re not sure where to start, try thinking about what you want for your future. The questions below will help lay the foundation for the type of financial planning and lifestyle details you’ll need to research.

• What types of activities, programs and amenities do you want easy access to?
• What services will help make life easier for you as you get older?
• Can you get assistance in your home if ever needed?
• What type and size of residence would be ideal for aging healthy and safely?
• Where will you go for future healthcare, such as skilled care or physical therapy and other rehabilitative therapies after surgery or an injury or illness?
• How will you pay for your healthcare?
• Which communities offer all of the things that you want and need?
• What’s the cost to live in a senior living community?
• What’s your timeline? Would moving sooner rather than later make the transition easier?

Start Your Research with These Financial Planning Resources

Thinking about and making decisions like these now not only ensures you have the future you want when you’re ready, it also brings security and comfort until then knowing you have a smart plan in place. To get there, you’ll need the information. At Beatitudes Campus, we give you all of the facts in black and white so you can decide for yourself.

Find out if a Life Plan community is right for you.

Get a broad overview of Life Plan communities, including the types of fees and financial plans they offer and what to look for when choosing a community.

Take a quick look at our cost and what’s included.

On the Beatitudes Campus website, you can see

• the starting cost of our apartments
• the starting cost of our patio homes
• the services that are included with your monthly fee.

Learn about the value of a Refundable Entrance Fee Plan.

A Refundable Entrance Fee helps protect your nest egg and ensures the stability of the community. Find out how.

Try our Cost Comparison Calculator.

Spend a few minutes with our Cost Comparison Calculator to see which residential options at Beatitudes Campus are a good fit for your needs and your financial situation.

Get an Overview of Beatitudes Campus

We invite you to learn about senior living at Beatitudes Campus. We make independent living easier by providing thoughtful services and amenities as well as onsite healthcare should you ever need it.

You’ll find residential options — from apartments and patio homes — in a variety of sizes and styles. Whatever you choose, our attentive staff takes care of the chores. Plus, you have access to restaurants, health and wellness opportunities, educational programs, entertainment and more.

It all adds up to make everyday living easier and more enjoyable, and it’s all covered by one monthly fee. With everything taken care of and conveniences close by if you need them, you’ll have fewer worries and a sense of certainty — surely a pleasant respite from all the unknowns.

Whatever move you make, you want to be certain that you’ve chosen wisely. With more than 55 years of experience, Beatitudes Campus is a trusted resource for older adults who want to live in a vibrant, active senior living community. The Beatitudes’ staff and residents lead the way, working together to create a very special community that helps make life better and more secure for everyone.

Let’s talk about it!

For more financial planning resources for seniors, call us today at 602.883.1358 or send us a note using the form below. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook to see more of the active senior lifestyle at Beatitudes Campus.

Residents give you the facts.

Over time, myths and misconceptions can take the place of facts, especially when you’re talking about something that’s unknown or involves change. That often happens with senior living because people tend to think of what communities were like 50 years ago.

Today’s communities are working hard to meet the high expectations and preferences of older adults, which means you’ll find flame-grilled steaks and Starbucks coffee, line dancing and putting greens instead of stiff chairs and floral wallpaper.

To dispel some of the most common myths about senior living, we asked Beatitudes Campus residents to share their experiences. Here’s what they had to say.

MYTH: I’ll be stuck doing crafts.
FACT: Nope! Beatitudes Campus residents are a social and friendly group. We create and lead all types of programs on campus.

“Whatever your interests, it’s easy to find a program, group or amenity dedicated to it. If not, you can create your own. I’m a retired software developer. I use my technology background virtually every day, volunteering about 25 hours a week to host a Tech Talk show as well as to record and mix a weekly Happy Hour featuring performances by resident musicians. Both programs air on the closed-circuit TV channel for everyone to enjoy. It’s a lot of work, but I love it!

My wife and I take as many lifelong learning classes as we can, serve on committees and are involved with the Design Studio, a campus think-tank made up of residents who discuss ways to make Beatitudes Campus better and prepare for the next generation. But, of course, if you do like art, pottery, jewelry making and other types of crafting, you’ll find that here too. There’s something for everyone.”

— Robert Andrews, resident since June 2019

MYTH: The food is terrible.
FACT: Not at all! Beatitudes Campus’ has 4 restaurants with so many choices.

“We looked at several different communities and ate at each one. Beatitudes Campus offered the best dining options hands down. They offer more choices and flexible hours. Our financial plan includes $400 in dining credit at the Beatitudes Campus restaurants, which adds a lot of value, especially with no tipping allowed. You can choose the Bistro for breakfast and lunch. There’s Buckwalds, a steakhouse grille-type place for lunch and dinner, and Elaine’s for elegant dinners. They’re all very good.”

— Phil Adelman, resident since July 2017 

MYTH: I’m concerned about moving because I think I’ll regret it later.
FACT: Not likely. Most residents wish they moved sooner.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say they wished they hadn’t moved to Beatitudes Campus. My grandmother and mother lived here and now my sister and her husband as well as my husband and me. Given that three generations of our family have lived at Beatitudes Campus, I’d say our best advice is don’t wait too long. Move while you’re still young enough to enjoy it. My husband and I have been married for 32 years. We’ve made a lot of decisions together. Moving to Beatitudes Campus was the best decision we’ve ever made.”

— Cynthia Cielle, resident since June 2019

Let’s talk about it!

For more facts about senior living communities, call us today at 602.883.1358 or send us a note using the form below. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook to see more of the active senior lifestyle at Beatitudes Campus.

Are you making decisions based on fact or fiction?
Find out as we dispel a few myths about senior living.

When you’re trying to decide on the best plan for your future, it’s natural if lingering concerns make you hesitate. What if those concerns are rooted in long-time myths about senior living and misunderstandings? How do you sort fact from fiction? If you’re thinking about your future, you need the facts, especially now when a worldwide pandemic has all of us feeling particularly uneasy.

MYTH: I’m safer where I live now.
FACT: You’re likely safer living in a well-managed senior community.

If you live in a condo or standalone home, you likely have to venture out in public quite a bit, which exposes you to a lot of people with the virus. Senior living communities are focused every day on keeping people safe, so your risk of exposure is much lower. Plus, it’s easier to stay home. Right now, most communities are delivering groceries, meals, medications and other essentials to your door. If you do get sick, many senior living communities offer in-home care and support if you need it.

MYTH: I’ll be even more bored than I already am.
FACT: Senior living communities are working hard to keep people entertained and engaged.

Certainly, life has a different tempo now. For example, just a few months ago, Beatitudes Campus was buzzing with activity as residents gathered for book club meetings, happy hours, fitness classes, musical performances, worship services, cards, games and more. But, today, we’re all finding new ways to connect and enjoy life.

Staff at senior living communities are hosting socially distanced events and online book club meetings, fitness classes, educational programs and other special activities. With virtual tutorials, residents are learning new skills at home, such as painting and jewelry making. Others are enjoying the outdoors on cooler evenings by walking, tending to their flowers and talking with friends on the patio — all socially distanced, of course.

MYTH: I already have everything I need.
FACT: At a senior living community, you’ll have access to everything you may need and more.

At a senior living community, you have the resources of the entire community available to you, from helpful staff and home delivery of the essentials to onsite healthcare. At Beatitudes Campus, we’re also providing frequent COVID-19 screenings and testing so you don’t have to travel to your doctor’s office or wait for hours in line at a testing site. And, when the pandemic is over, you’ll be able to enjoy an even more vibrant community filled with lots of in-person entertainment, and educational, fitness and social opportunities — all things that don’t come with a typical standalone house.

MYTH: This is not the time to make a move.
FACT: Now is a great time to plan your next move.

If you’re feeling uneasy about moving right now, that’s completely understandable. As you know, it takes time to make decisions, so why not use this time to explore your options? Learn about the services and amenities provided by senior living communities. Talk to residents. Ask about costs.

For starters, you can check out videos and floor plans on our website for a quick armchair tour of Beatitudes Campus. For an in-depth look, we’re offering video appointments with a residency counselor who can show you more and answer your questions.

See More: Virtual Tours

If you are ready to move, now is a good time. The real estate market is strong in Phoenix with high home values. At Beatitudes Campus, you’ll find residential options in a variety of sizes and styles. And, depending on your timeframe, we have an exciting, new option coming in the future. We would love to tell you all about it.

Let’s Talk!

For more facts about senior living communities, call us today at 602.883.1358 or fill out a contact form below.