- Vi at La Jolla Village
Most people have rather pre-conceived notions about life in retirement. They imagine gloomy retirement homes with linoleum floors and old people sitting in wheelchairs with their heads drooping. For this reason, there is a general sense that it is best to remain in your own home as you age, rather than being warehoused in one of these so-called retirement prisons.
But this is a new world and retirement housing has become big business as the number of U.S. seniors is projected to reach 55 million by 2020.
One of the senior housing models is called a CCRC, a Continuing Care Retirement Community, which is designed to allow seniors to transition from independent living, to assisted living and skilled nursing care should this become necessary. This concept of aging-in-place actually makes a lot of sense, as it allows community members to stay close to their spouse, friends and neighbors even as their need for care increases.
- Wesley Palms in Pacific Beach
Some of the more luxurious offerings in this category are more like private resorts than dreary homes. They feature a menu of services, lifestyle and educational offerings that allow seniors to promote wellness and learning, and actually keep mind and body vibrantly stimulated. At the same time, many of the daily tasks associated with owning your own home are removed, as maintenance, housekeeping and even chauffeur services are provided by the community.
There are several models for CCRCs; some require a buy-in like Vi at La Jolla Village, an upscale residence in San Diego just 15 minutes north of Hillcrest. The Vi staff will even assist you in the sale of your home and work with you to create a new home and life in the community. There are several buy-in plans offered, some allowing for partial return of your investment; these buy-ins are accompanied by your monthly rental fee, which is substantially lower than fees for similar residences that have no buy-in commitment. Your monthly fee is set at purchase and will cover you even as your care requirements increase; this is one of the best features of CCRCs – they provide a kind of insurance policy for your continuing needs.
At Wesley Palms, one of San Diego’s oldest retirement communities, now run by Front Porch, residents enjoy 44 landscaped acres atop a hill in Pacific Beach, where mature plantings surround more than 100 private cottages, part of the 280 residential units offered. Wesley Palms has no required buy-in and rental fees range from a little over $2,100 for a studio to more than $7,800 for one of the cottages. Remember though, the monthly fees include restaurant style dining, housekeeping, maintenance, security, a heated pool and fitness center, theater, many classes and other amenities.
- Pacifica’s Meridian at Lake San Marcos
Pacifica’s Meridian at Lake San Marcos features a spa, fitness center, library, game room, pool, hair salon, masseuse, movie theater with showings twice a day, arts and crafts, plus the regular compliment of daily meals, weekly housekeeping and linen service, emergency response, transportation and even wine storage. Like many of the new breed of CCRCs, it permits pets and even sports a dog park to accommodate them.
So, if you are thinking about retirement, take your old ideas and chuck them, and have a gander at some of these new versions of retirement living. You’ll find that many of the residents are not drooling at all; many are still employed, or active in many new pursuits, and choose the CCRC because, in fact, it gives them more time to do the things they like and enjoy the good life. It’s a new world, indeed!
Del Phillips is a California Licensed Real Estate agent. He is a member of the National, California and San Diego Association of Realtors. You can reach Del at Ascent Real Estate at 619-298-6666 or at Del@DelPhillips.com DRE LIC #01267333.
