If you're considering a retirement living community, you’ll want to look at several factors, including the levels of care available on campus, community culture, and the timeline. Waitlists for retirement communities can be several years, so the best time to plan is while you're healthy and independent.
It’s also worth considering other options you may not realize you have, including a continuing care at home program like Kendal at Home.
Here's how to think through the decision, what to ask on a tour, and how to prepare for the transition while you wait.
What Do Retirement Living Communities Offer?
Retirement living communities cover a wide range, including independent living for active seniors 55 and older, as well as assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing.
Life plan communities, sometimes referred to as continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), bring every level of care together on one campus so you can move between them as your needs change. Kendal at Oberlin is an example of a life plan community, located in Oberlin, Ohio, about 35 minutes southwest of Cleveland. It has just over 350 residents living on a 110-acre campus that’s also an accredited arboretum.
Independent living includes cottages and apartments, and the Stephens Care Center on campus provides assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing.
“We have the full continuum of care, so that they can really age in place here,” said Kelly Corcoran, associate director of marketing at Kendal at Oberlin.
When people visit for the first time, they’re often surprised by how active the residents are, she said, noting the average age of residents who move is 75.
It’s not uncommon to see people jogging along the trails or playing tennis. Residents organize all activities and are part of more than 100 different committees depending on their interests.
Kendal at Oberlin residents Larry and Betsy said they planned to stay in their home of over 50 years in Washington state until a large tree fell on their property. When they realized the cost of removing the tree and continuing to maintain their home, they started looking at retirement communities.
They both have a passion for music, and living so close to venues like the Warner Concert Hall and Oberlin Conservatory of Music was enticing.
“Just to be able to walk out the door and be at Warner or at Finney in five minutes makes you feel like you can do whatever you want,” Betsy said.
As a retired early childhood teacher, she also liked having an early learning center on the campus. Now that they’ve lived there for several years, Larry said he looks forward to staying busy.
“This is a place that welcomes initiative and good ideas,” he said. “It’s very welcoming.”
[Watch this video to hear more from Larry and Betsy]
What Should You Ask When You Tour Senior Retirement Communities?
A tour will give you a good sense of where you’ll be living, what amenities are available, and what the rhythm of life is like.
While most people are interested in getting a closer look at the apartments and other aspects of independent living, it’s also important to look at what support is available to you or your spouse as your needs change.
Look closely at these support systems as you consider a community and ask questions, including:
- What are the staffing ratios in the care center? Assisted living and memory support carry different ratios, so ask about each level and how the community maintains staffing when the industry runs short.
- How are decisions made? Knowing your voice will be heard when it comes to facility management and operations is important. Look for a community where residents are frequently involved in planning meetings and treated as equals.
- Who plans the activities and wellness programs? Resident-run programming is a good indication you’ll have as much input as you want, rather than relying on an activity director to make plans.
- What happens if my needs change? Confirm which levels of care are available and whether the community accepts direct admissions to its care center, and what the transition process looks like. A true continuum of care means you never have to start your search over.
- How do you support couples with different needs? If you or your spouse needs assisted living or memory support, consider how that would impact your relationship. For instance, how easy is it to go from one building to the next? Could you share meals together and participate in activities together? Will you both feel at home in every part of the community?
- What are the costs and services included? Understand the entrance fee, the monthly fee, and what each covers at every level of care. Genworth and CareScout release annual figures on the costs of care for comparison, but these costs focus on assisted living communities and nursing home care rather than independent living. Kendal at Oberlin offers an online calculator where you can type in your assets, home value, age, and planned move-in age to get a quick estimate on the cost.
- What is the average time someone is on the waitlist? Ask how long the wait runs for the floor plan you want, how offers work when a home opens, and whether a priority or ready list exists.
How Long Are Waitlists at Retirement Living Communities?
Baby Boomers already represent one in every six people in the United States and will soon outnumber the people available to care for them, a phenomenon known as the “2030 problem.”
People living longer creates more demand for senior housing already in short supply.
Calculations by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care projected the United States will need 806,000 additional housing units by 2030 to meet demand. That will require an investment of more than $400 billion.
At the same time, senior housing construction is decreasing, at its lowest point in almost 20 years, according to the NIC.
Certain markets are significantly tighter. For instance, Boston finished 2025 as the tightest senior living market in the country at 93% occupancy, according to NIC MAP data reported by Senior Housing News, followed by Baltimore and Cincinnati.
The North Hill senior living community in Needham, Mass., recently announced plans to expand to alleviate its reported wait list of three to four years.
Kendal’s Lathrop Community in Massachusetts currently has a wait list, and the average wait list for Kendal at Oberlin is two to four years, depending on the type of housing you’re looking for, Corcoran said.
What Can You Do While You're on a Waitlist?
If you know you want to live in a specific retirement community, use this time to plan for the transition.
Here are a few proactive steps you can take:
- Get on the ready list. A waitlist deposit holds your place; a ready list tells the community you could say yes today if something becomes available.
- Start downsizing now. Sorting through a lifetime of belongings always takes more time than you think, Corcoran said. Start with the rooms you use least and decide early what goes with you, what goes to family, and what goes altogether.
- Get your finances in order. Know your home's market value and line up a realtor you trust. Get a full breakdown of the costs, including any initial deposits and monthly fees, and meet with a financial advisor to review your financing options.
- Schedule a physical. Communities review updated medical records as part of the approval process, and staying on top of your health protects your eligibility for the widest range of options.
- Start belonging before you arrive. Kendal at Oberlin's Friends program lets future residents use the gym, share meals, and attend programs. If you already know someone who is a resident or you want to start getting acquainted with residents, this is a great way to do it.
- Explore continuing care at home. These programs provide support while you stay in your home, with access to a care coordinator and trusted providers if you need them. Some programs also include care coverage, which can help you with the cost of future plans, such as moving into a retirement community or assisted living.
Where Does Kendal at Home Fit Into Your Plan?
Kendal at Home helps older adults stay independent in their homes by combining healthy living services with care planning, care coordination and care coverage.
Members are assigned a care coordinator, a professional who gets to know them and helps them navigate their next steps, referring them to trusted care providers as needed.
Kendal at Home also includes care coverage that ranges from $5,000 to $15,000 per month to pay for home-based care, memory care, assisted living or a nursing home if needed.
This coverage begins the day you join, stays with you if you move, and lasts a lifetime.
Kendal at Home member Mary Picken said her care coordinator helped her recover through knee surgery and arranged for around-the-clock care for her husband John in his final months. Having an ongoing relationship with a coordinator who provides personalized care and support gives her more confidence and peace of mind now that she lives alone.
“I really cherish my independence,” she said. “I like the personal freedom that Kendal at Home gives me.”
[Hear more from Mary in this video]
Because you need to meet medical qualifications to join Kendal at Home, the best time to make a plan is while you’re still healthy and independent. The costs of your monthly premiums will also be lower the earlier you join, since you’ll be less likely to need care at that time.
Kendal at Home members may also receive a discount from affiliated retirement communities like Kendal at Oberlin.
Some people build a plan that includes both the benefits of care coordination and the sense of belonging that comes with joining a community. Others may decide they want to stay in their home and connect with other Kendal at Home members on their terms.
No matter what you choose, the best time to plan is before you need care, when you have the most options available and the time to carefully consider them.
Register for an upcoming seminar to learn how our programs work and whether they are the right fit for you.
