What is Independent Living?

Posted 11:00 a.m. Feb 10, 2018 — Updated 11:00 a.m. Feb 10, 2018

Liisa Ogburn

Independent Living Communities, as opposed to senior housing, are communities physically designed with amenities and services that keep seniors independent as long as possible. For example, most Independent Living apartments are wheelchair accessible, have built-in safety features like extra lighting, grab bars in the bathroom, a roll-in or easy-step shower, emergency pull-cords, pendants and daily check-in procedures. They often offer restaurant style dining with Chef-prepared meals, a wellness center with fitness programs geared towards seniors, a cleaning service, home help, and some on-site services such as a hair salon, a convenience/gift shop, a movie/media center, transportation services, and additional entertaining activities on-site, as well as organized trips off-site to concerts, shows, the library, or shopping. Standard financial models in past years included Month-to-Month Rental Contracts and buy-in only Continuing Care Retirement Communities (also known as CCRCs), which I’ll cover in a future post, but some CCRC's and Continuum of Care’s now offer month-to-month rental contracts as an option, too!

According to Senior Homes, there are 161 Independent Living Options in North Carolina; 34 in the Triangle area. Since North Carolina is the second-fastest growing senior population in the country, more and more are being built.

While price depends on the size of the apartment, villa, duplex or stand-alone cottage, amenities, quality and age of the community, the average cost in North Carolina is $2,267/month. In my tours in the Triangle region, I’ve found the range to go from $2000 (base rate for a studio for a single person in an older community with less perks) up to $7500 (for a spacious two-bedroom cottage for a couple in a new community with all the bells and whistles). It's worth mentioning that apartments are priced for one person and there is usually a nominal additional person fee (for a spouse).

Independent living is a fantastic option for many seniors who do not want to or no longer can keep up the maintenance of their home, are daunted by grocery shopping and preparing meals, are lonely and at risk of depression and have some serious safety risks because their home environment was not designed with senior needs in mind.

How does one go about selecting the right community to move to?

When out touring local communities and ones outside the area myself, one detail I was surprised by is the huge range in features. For example, when touring one that many compared to a cruise ship (and I have to say I was drawn in by the gourmet chef and beautiful environment), I noticed that there was no pull-cord in the bathroom and residents were not required to wear a fall-alert pendant. I asked the tour guide what happens if someone falls. They answered that the community was very tight and neighbors kept an eye on each other and would respond. Having had clients at other communities take falls—falls so serious that they could not crawl to a phone—I felt this was appalling and called Mariana Stacy, Community Outreach Educator at Brightmore of Wilmington. Brightmore has been in the business of providing independent, assisted living and memory care in Southeast North Carolina for over 20 years.

Most communities offer independent living only options, though some, like Brightmore of Wilmington, or Sunrise here in Raleigh, additionally offer assisted and memory care all under one roof or on one campus.

Stacy informed me of something few people understand about Independent Living: there is no county, state or federal oversight of stand-alone Independent Living communities that are not a part of a CCRC or Continuum of Care meaning connected to an Assisted Living Community or Skilled Nursing Center. Because they do not provide healthcare services, they are not subject to the rules and regulations governing Assisted Living, Memory and Skilled Nursing facilities. Some do provide licensed healthcare services on-site through a third party which the resident can contract with and pay for independently. Given this is the case, I asked Stacy, what should the consumer look for when touring Independent Living communities?

Stacy suggested these elements:

Emergency call system inside the apartment (Brightmore provides these in the bathroom in all our apartments and we also encourage residents to allow installation of one beside the bed)
"Check-in by 10 am every morning." If someone has not called in by then, we call them. If there is no answer, we send someone over to physically check on them.)
Make at least three visits to the community with one during lunch or dinner or during a particular activity you are interested in so that you have a sense of what the community feels like. Along these lines, look at the monthly activity schedule. Make sure they offer a lot of options you are interested in.
Talk to other residents (and friends or church members who might already be living at one of these) so you get the unvarnished truth, not just the marketing department's story.
Consider safety and security. Are the doors locked? Is there a check-in procedure? Do you feel safe walking between cottages or buildings in the evening?
What is the financial model? Most communities require a deposit equal to one-month's rent or a non-refundable community fee and include what kind of notice you need to give to get out of your contract (usually 30 days is sufficient). Brightmore refunds the up-front deposit.
What floor plans work best for you?
What does your rent include? How many meals or how much goes toward meals per month? Cleaning? Laundry? Utilities? Trips to doctors? Activities? Ask what services are not included.
What medical facilities are close by?
How close is it to my family?
What can I expect should my health decline and I need care?

"Plan for your needs over time," Stacy added. For example, with a couple, one spouse will inevitably need healthcare or rehabilitation sooner than the other. Therefore, you might consider selecting a place that has additional care services like assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing & rehab there on-site. Residents often choose us for that reason."

Suggest A Correction