The Concept, Benefits, and Future of the Continuing Care Retirement Community

July 22, 2024 | News | Reading Time 3:00 Minutes

Residents of Senior Living Model Weigh in on its Benefits

Q&A Residents Carolyn and Gary Bryant, of Shipley Living, Wilmington, Delaware

1. May I ask your name, your age, where you’re from and what you spent your working life doing (vocation/career)?

Carolyn Bryant, 85 and her husband Gary Bryant, 90

Carolyn was a piano and music teacher part-time while raising her three children full-time

Gary was an electrical engineer for NASA before leaving to become a math teacher at Tower Hill School, a private college prep school in Wilmington.

2. Did you have any experience with retirement communities prior to coming to your present location? If so, what was it like?

We visited older friends in senior living communities, but we were living independently. I was hospitalized with COVID, and Gary was dealing with a hip replacement. While I was in the hospital, our adult children looked at some retirement communities, having reached the conclusion we needed a change from living in our home. They researched and then visited three places, looking at them through our eyes as they knew we would see them. We visited the communities, and all came to the same conclusion that Shipley Living would be perfect, and it is. It’s really perfect; we love living here.

3. When did you first hear of the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) option?

We didn’t know much about them before we moved, but they certainly make sense. Shipley Living offers continuing care and it’s important and makes us feel secure about our future.

4. What does it mean to be able to live in one location and have all your medical needs met without fear of having to relocate if further/higher-level assistance is needed?

It really makes us feel comfortable. We know and love the residents and the staff here. It’s a huge plus. We won’t have to make any decisions about what comes next or move out of our community.

5. How has the CCRC impacted your quality of life? What would you say to other retirees considering a move to a continuing care retirement community?

There’s more of a sense of community here than there was in the home we lived in for many years. Groups will just sit on the patio and chat in the sunshine. We visit and enjoy each other’s company. It’s not like it was at home, where we’d have nice neighbors we’d just smile and wave at. Here, we actually visit and get to know each other. It’s a loving community; the residents and the staff. 

I often hear about the loneliness epidemic in America. Because of the high crime rate and people being so distracted by their electronics, more and more people don’t get out and interact with others very much. It’s different here. It’s a community of love and sharing, where we congregate and visit and exercise and see movies and play games. People enjoy each other. I’m not alone in thinking this way. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love it here. We are a family. A community of people who truly care about each.

Shipley Living

Nestled in a vibrant neighborhood in Wilmington, Delaware, Shipley Living is a full-service, rental, continuing care retirement community offering carefree independent living, the helping hand of assisted living, and comprehensive skilled nursing. Shipley Living is managed by Life Care Services®.