Retirement Calculator

This informative and important guide is indispensible, not only for those who have already decided to explore continuing care retirement communities, but for every adult who, sooner rather than later must think about health care and quality of life for their aging parents and for themselves.

I, for one, was totally ignorant of CCRCs until I learned about them from Bernice Hunt, the author of this wonderful little book. Mrs. Hunt shares with us the personal journey taken by her and her husband, from their first thoughts about what would become of them when they got old and, possibly, sick, through their thought processes, research, emotional struggles and decision making.

Unlike other books of its type (and I know of no others that deal exclusively with CCRCs), this one is not only educational but is actually a "good read". It reads almost like a short story and even has a surprise ending. The writing is clear and accessible, and informative without being dry or pedantic; I felt like Mrs. Hunt was sitting in my living room telling me of her experiences and addressing all my concerns, worries and reservations. She has figured out exactly what we all worry about and want to know, and she addresses issues that we never thought of or didn't know enough to consider. She shares her good and bad experiences and points out the pros and cons of CCRCs in an honest, straightforward manner.

Bernice Hunt has thought of everything and includes, at the back of the book, an appendix full of helpful suggestions, checklists, work sheets, and resources. Her book is truly enlightening. I cannot recommend it more highly and have already passed it along to several of my friends.

Although the author allegedly did research on a number of retirement communities, she refuses to name them nor to give the specifics of her research. Definitely not worth the money.

As the American senior population continues to grow, the proliferation of retirement communities and retirement living
options becomes more complicated, if not confusing for those
seniors seeking an alternative to living in traditional housing.
Demographics show that by 2011, baby boomers will become senior citizens and that in 2030, people over 65 years of age and older will constitute 20% of the American population. An attractive
retirement community option that appeals to relatively independent, both physically and socially, people is the Continuing Care Retirement Community. Bernice Hunt, a resident of a CCRC outside of Philadelphia, provides an insightful "insider's guide" into the pro's and con's of living in a facility that is maintenance-free, replete with social activities, health services, and all the amenities that seniors expect in their "Golden Years." Hunt's account of the multi-site/service CCRC option is a welcome addition to the growing literature on a subject that more and more Americans will be turning to in the not-to-distant future.