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A Life Plan Community, also known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), offers independent living and access to additional levels of care as needs change. Life Care is more specific: it generally refers to a Type A contract designed to provide access to future care with greater predictability around healthcare costs. Not every Life Plan Community offers Life Care, which makes the contract, not simply the community’s amenities, one of the most important things to understand before making a decision.
If you’re comparing communities in Dallas, here are the questions worth asking.
Not necessarily.
A Life Plan Community, traditionally called a CCRC, generally combines independent living with access to higher levels of care. The continuum varies by community.
Life Care describes a particular contractual approach to paying for that continuum.
Ventana by Buckner is a nonprofit luxury high-rise Life Plan Community offering a Type A Life Care agreement. Its continuum includes independent living, assisted living, memory care, long-term skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, and respite care.
Two communities may look comparable from a lifestyle standpoint while offering substantially different financial arrangements for future care.
A Type A agreement is generally the most comprehensive of the traditional Life Plan Community contract structures.
A Member typically pays an entrance fee and an ongoing monthly service fee while living independently. If additional care becomes necessary later, the Type A structure is designed to limit the financial impact of that transition compared with paying prevailing market rates for care.
Ventana describes Life Care as providing Members access to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing at rates below average market rates.
Life Care does not mean healthcare costs can never change. Monthly service fees may increase over time, and contracts may contain exclusions, ancillary charges, and other provisions.
The entrance fee is the upfront financial commitment associated with entering the community and selecting a particular residence and contract option.
The monthly service fee covers ongoing services as defined by the Residence and Services Agreement.
At Ventana, Independent Living services include weekly housekeeping, utilities, cable, Wi-Fi, residence and grounds maintenance, wellness programming, social and educational programs, scheduled local transportation, and chaplaincy services. Ventana also lists concierge service, valet, and underground parking among its services and amenities.
Ventana offers three Life Care contract options, including options with up to 90% entrance-fee refundability. Pricing varies by residence and contract.
Under a traditional Type A structure, part of the value is protection from the full market-rate cost of future care. That does not mean the monthly fee is permanently fixed.
When visiting communities, ask specifically:
Ventana offers multiple Life Care contract options, with up to 90% refundability.
Although individual agreements vary, here are the three common traditional structures:
Type A Life Care
Generally requires a higher upfront financial commitment in exchange for greater predictability if higher levels of care are needed.
Type B Modified
Generally includes some amount of future care or discounted care before additional charges apply.
Type C Fee-for-Service
Typically carries less prepaid healthcare protection. If additional care becomes necessary, the individual pays for it at the rate specified by the agreement, which may be closer to prevailing rates.
The lowest upfront cost is not necessarily the lowest lifetime cost. The appropriate structure depends on personal finances, health, family circumstances, and tolerance for future financial uncertainty.
For couples, it is also worth understanding how the agreement works if each person eventually needs a different level of care.
Ask how the contract handles a situation in which one spouse remains in independent living while the other needs assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing.
What happens to the couple’s monthly fees? Can they remain within the same community? How are meals and visits handled? What happens if both eventually require care?
If you are considering a substantial entrance fee, treat the decision with the same seriousness you would any other significant financial commitment.
Your attorney can help interpret contractual obligations. Your financial advisor can help evaluate how the entrance fee, monthly costs, refund provisions, and possible future healthcare expenses fit within the rest of your retirement and estate plan.
No. A Life Plan Community or CCRC describes the broader community model. Life Care generally refers to a Type A contractual structure offered by some Life Plan Communities.
Yes. Ventana offers a Type A Life Care contract.
No. Life Care is intended to create greater predictability around future care costs, but service fees can change, and additional expenses may apply. Review the actual agreement and current fee schedule.
Ventana offers contract options with up to 90% entrance-fee refundability.
Ventana by Buckner is the only high-rise Life Care community in Dallas, offering an elevated approach to senior living in the heart of the Park Cities. Members enjoy panoramic views, beautifully designed residences, a chef-inspired culinary experience, and a vibrant calendar of cultural, social, and wellness programs.
As a Life Care community, Ventana provides access to a full continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing, all within one exceptional community. Backed by Buckner’s trusted nonprofit legacy, Ventana offers long-term stability, thoughtful planning, and confidence for the future.
Want to learn more? Contact us today to schedule a tour or speak with our team.
