FAQs

A CCRC – also known as a Life Plan Community – is a private community, offering a range of attractive residential living options, services and amenities, along with a lifelong continuum of health care services. Ventana is a CCRC that takes the Life Plan one step further: Offering unparalleled peace of mind with what is called a Life Care plan (please see next FAQ for more information about Life Care).

For those age 62 and older who have chosen to call a CCRC home, this move represents an embrace of the possibilities of a robust and fulfilling life. Members rediscover the pleasures of travel, self-improvement and a life free from the constraints of home maintenance, financial uncertainty and health care concerns. Not surprisingly, studies show that on average, CCRC Members live happier, healthier and longer lives than those who choose other residential options.

For the security of its Members, a CCRC offers a continuum of various living accommodations designed to maximize independence at every level. All levels of care are available to every Member for their lifetime, once approved. At Ventana, these accommodations include:

• Independent living
• Assisted living
• Memory support
• Skilled nursing
• Rehabilitative services (post-surgery or illness)

Independent living Members at Ventana maintain their personal physician, medical services and treatments under personal insurance plans. However, should you, as a Member, need a higher level of care, you have the option to engage the services of Ventana’s medical director.

As with most CCRCs, Ventana requires an upfront entrance fee as well as a monthly service fee. These fees directly correspond with the size of the apartment you select and whether you live on your own or as a couple.

The decision to move to a Life Care CCRC like Ventana will ultimately free you or your family members from the likelihood of having to make far more difficult decisions in the future. That’s because, at a Life Care community, Members pay a one-time, largely refundable entrance fee as well as a monthly service fee in exchange for a Life Care benefit.

The Life Care benefit not only covers the cost of independent living, but also provides the assurance that should you ever need a higher level of care, such as assisted living, rehabilitation or skilled nursing, you will have it at predictable rates. And those rates will be below typical health care rates for the Dallas area.

With Life Care at Ventana, you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that all of the “what-ifs” of the future are covered. When treatment is needed, you know where you will receive it (right here!), who will provide it (us!), and what it will cost. As a Member of Ventana, you enjoy the added assurance of receiving the finest care available at costs well below Dallas’ market rate – an important consideration for estate planning.

An entrance fee is a one-time payment based on the size of the apartment selected. Our entrance fees start at $343,900 for a 0% refundable or what is often called a “traditional” contract type. The amount of the entrance fee depends on the contract type and whether it is refundable or not. We offer three contracts, so there are options that suit your financial situation. Depending on the contract type you choose, your entrance fee as a Ventana Member is up to 90% refundable. This means should you ever move out or upon your death, up to 90% of your entrance fee payment is returned to you or your estate. Payment of this sum, along with a monthly service fee, entitles you to a home at Ventana for life.

The entrance fee enables Ventana to offer you monthly service fees that are closer to what most retirees would pay on a monthly basis to maintain their current household and lifestyle.

At every CCRC, the monthly service fee is a comprehensive charge determined by the apartment size you choose and whether you move into the community as a single or as a couple. The monthly service fee covers a host of services, including a flexible monthly dining plan, interior and exterior maintenance of your home, all utilities, weekly housekeeping and scheduled transportation. Ventana’s monthly service fee allows you to enjoy access to our community’s many amenities and the opportunity to participate in a variety of exclusive social, cultural and educational programs and events.

It’s important to understand fees associated with living in a CCRC. Ventana is here to explain those fees and assist you in determining what is the best fit for you based on your financial situation.

As with most Life Care CCRCs, Ventana requires an upfront entrance fee and a monthly service fee. Our entrance fees start at $343,900, while our monthly service fees start at $4,385. Most future Ventana Members will choose to fund their entrance fee with the proceeds from the sale of their home. Monthly service fees are based on the size of the apartment you choose and whether you move in as a single or as a couple. In most cases, these monthly service fees will be comparable to the cost of living independently in the Dallas area.

We offer three contract types, so there are options that meet your financial needs. To learn more about our fees and pricing, please schedule a one-on-one appointment with a Ventana senior living counselor at 844.785.0871. Our goal is to help you determine what is the best way to retire comfortably, elegantly and with as much support as you need as you age.

Life Care at Ventana means just what it says – it’s care that lasts a lifetime. As a Member, if you outlive your resources for reasons beyond your control, you will have the assurance that you can continue to enjoy a lifetime of residency and care at Ventana according to the terms of the Residence and Service Agreement. This is something our team can walk through with you. Please connect with us so we can explain the peace of mind Life Care at Ventana offers you and your family.

In most cases, your long-term care insurance policy will work hand-in-hand with Life Care at Ventana and pay earned benefits directly to you as the policyholder. These payments can help defray, and in some cases, completely cover your monthly service fee at Ventana and help further preserve your assets. As with all insurance matters, consult with your carrier or agent for information about your individual policy.

Yes. Under current IRS guidelines, the nonrefundable portion of your entrance fee may be submitted as a prepaid medical expense in the year you occupy your Ventana residence. Also, a percentage of your total paid monthly service fee is eligible for the same tax benefit. That annual percentage varies and correlates to the community’s annual health care operating expenses to the total operating expenses. This percentage is communicated to all Members annually by Ventana’s executive director.

Tax laws are, of course, constantly evolving and always subject to interpretation, but recent legal precedents have been favorable for CCRC Members who have sought to deduct portions of their entrance fees and monthly service fees. We encourage you to consult with your tax preparation professional to determine the best strategy.

​​Careful planning and creative design ensure that future Ventana members such as yourself can look ahead to an exciting and enriching lifestyle befitting your North Dallas address. Common areas at Ventana promise to be anything but common. You and your prospective neighbors will enjoy a welcoming community offering:

• Three dining venues: Café Bistro, fine dining, and formal dining
• Private dining room
• 12th-floor lounge
• Roof terraces and gardens
• A grand hall
• Creative arts studio
• Meeting and game rooms
• Modern wellness center
• Fully equipped fitness center
• Salon and spa
• Heated indoor pool
• Underground parking
• Library and business center
• Media center

We recognize that you don’t eat the same way every day now, and you certainly won’t after you move to Ventana. As a member, you will be free to select from three on-site dining venues—the fine dining room, formal dining room, and Café Bistro. Each venue offers varied menus of handpicked and house-made culinary options prepared under the supervision of an experienced executive chef. Of course, your apartment home will boast a beautiful, impeccably equipped kitchen for those times when you feel like whipping up a favorite recipe or simply dining in.

As a member of Ventana, you will find fulfillment and social engagement through a diverse and constantly refreshed calendar of events, as well as a host of services designed to maintain social, physical, and spiritual well-being. The options are too numerous to list here, but some of the major categories include:

• On-site concerts, recitals, and performances
• Social, recreational, informational, and cultural events and outings
• Educational classes and lectures
• Fitness classes and wellness activities
• Volunteer opportunities and community engagement

The first group of members who made the move to Ventana helped set the direction of our social, cultural, and educational offerings. Focus groups with these members took place during the construction phase and helped guide the planning for regularly scheduled on-site programs as well as ongoing group excursions to local and regional attractions.

Ventana is a member-driven community that allows you to continue enjoying the boundless social, cultural and recreational attractions of the surrounding area as you do now, with the added optional convenience of Ventana’s private member transportation services.

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is responsible for regulating the state’s CCRCs. In Texas, a CCRC offers a continuing care contract that includes a promise to provide one or more elements of care in exchange for the payment of an entrance deposit (often partially refundable) and periodic charges, or both. CCRCs typically offer three types of living accommodations: Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Skilled Nursing care. The cost of Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing care is either partially or fully covered by the entrance deposit and monthly fee.

The primary difference between ownership communities and a CCRC like Ventana is that ownership communities typically do not include coverage for assisted living or skilled nursing care. In addition, ownership communities may not have a continuum of care conveniently available on the same campus as a CCRC. Members (owners) are also responsible for the resale of their home and for payment of a monthly fee until their home is resold (even if they move out before their home is sold).

The primary difference between CCRCs and rental communities is that rental communities typically do not include assisted living or skilled nursing care as part of your financial contract. If and when you need a higher level of care while living in a rental, you are financially responsible for your rent plus the high cost of assisted living or skilled nursing care. Also, since these additional services may not be available on-site, Members requiring care may need to move at their greatest time of need – sometimes leaving a spouse or partner behind.

With Ventana, your entrance fee and your monthly service fee cover the cost of both your apartment and future care when you need it.

Another key difference is that rental communities are not subject to the same oversight and regulation as CCRCs. The Texas Department of Insurance is charged with monitoring the financial solvency of Ventana.