The Drama, Difficulty, and Drawbacks of Moving to a 55 and Older Community

A great amount of thought and effort goes into this decision.

Author today.

It’s hard to know where to start. Or even explain my many motives to move to an over 55 community. But this process of moving has become a really difficult task!

For starters I’m not moving to just any 55 and older community but an actual retirement community. This is a Life Plan Community.

What is a Life Plan Community: A Life Plan Community (LPC) is a senior living community (55 and older in my case) that offers tiered lifestyle and healthcare options all including independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing as well as memory care. They provide social events and activity options to older adults through comprehensive services and amenities.

Presently I live in a 2 story condo. It’s lovely. But, I need a total knee replacement. So, I feel I need a ranch style home. I’m 67 and retired. I don’t want to buy another condo (ranch style) when I know I may need more help as I age and I can get a beautiful ranch home at a nearby LPC that’s very affordable. But here's the difference. You technically “own” a condo if you buy it. At the LPC you do not own the home. It’s not like a rental. It’s much more personal and tailored to your tastes by the LPC before you move in. I am getting new flooring, light fixtures, bathroom fixtures, granite countertops,a new picture window I’ve requested and French doors between my Living Room and the Sun Room. I have a lovely view out back. They provide a security system and utilities. I will pay a monthly fee that I consider the same as paying Long Term Care insurance. I will have no maintenance. Anything that breaks or needs repair is taken care of by the community. This is a huge blessing to a single woman who panics every time something breaks. I then pay thousands of dollars to get things fixed because I have no idea if I’m getting ripped off or not. At the LPC I will have activities and social events to attend. I will make friends my age. Yes, I will be one of the youngest residents but not the very youngest. And it seems a good financial move as well. I will have no real assets, such as a home, once I move. Why should I care about that? I have a pension, 403B, social security and a…