Your Path to a Life Plan Community: Essential Tips for a Seamless Transition

Making the decision to move to a Life Plan Community like Clark, is a significant step toward ensuring a secure, active, and vibrant lifestyle as you age. Transitioning to a community designed to meet your needs both now and in the future can bring peace of mind but also comes with its set of challenges and emotional hurdles. Here’s our guide to making this transition as smooth and positive as possible.

Understanding Life Plan Communities

Life Plan Communities, formerly known as Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), offer a continuum of care from independent living to assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing care. This allows residents to age in place, knowing that their future health and social needs will be met without the need to relocate.

Start with Research

Before making the move, spend time researching and visiting various communities. At Clark, we encourage future residents and their families to tour our communities, participate in events, and meet with current residents to get a true feel for what life is like in our community. This firsthand experience can ease many anxieties about the transition.

Check out our upcoming A Taste of Clark series of events.

Downsizing Tips

Moving to a Life Plan Community often means downsizing (or as we like to call it “right-sizing”) from a larger home to a more manageable living space. Here are a few tips to make this process easier:

• Start Early: Begin the downsizing process months in advance. This will give you ample time to make decisions without feeling rushed.
• Sort Items into Categories: Use categories like “keep,” “donate,” “sell,” and “throw away” to organize your belongings.
• Gift Items Now: If you’re holding onto items you plan to give to family or friends eventually, consider gifting those items now.
• Take Photos: For items with sentimental value that you can’t keep, take photos as a way to preserve memories without physical clutter.

You can read more tips about downsizing and decluttering on our blog.

Emotional Considerations

The emotional journey of transitioning to a Life Plan Community can be complex. It’s normal to feel a mix of excitement, relief, sadness, and apprehension.

• Acknowledge Your Feelings: Allow yourself to feel and express whatever emotions come up during this transition.
• Stay Connected: Maintain relationships with friends and family outside the community. Invite them to visit and participate in community events.
• Engage in Community Life: One of the best ways to ease the emotional transition is to dive into the social life of the community. At Clark, we offer a wide range of social, educational, and fitness activities designed to help our new residents integrate and form meaningful connections.

Making the Move

When it’s time to make the move, planning and support are key.

• Plan the Moving Day: Choose a moving company experienced with senior relocations. Consider scheduling the move during the week for more flexibility and less stress.
• Seek Support: Utilize the resources offered by a senior moving company. They can often assist with everything from unpacking to interior decorating to help you feel at home faster.
• Give Yourself Time: It’s okay if it takes time to adjust to your new surroundings. Everyone’s journey is different, and there’s no rush to feel “at home” immediately.

“It’s better to make a decision 5 years too early than 5 minutes too late.”
– Clark Resident

Transitioning to a Life Plan Community like Clark is a significant life event, but with the right preparation and mindset, it can also be an incredibly rewarding experience! In fact, many of our residents say they wish they had made the move sooner! By embracing the change and taking advantage of the opportunities and support available, you can make this transition a positive step toward a vibrant and secure future.

Talk with a Senior Living Advisor

Are you ready to consider a move to a Life Plan Community? Talk with one of our Senior Living Advisors at 616-278-6520 or marketing@clarkretirement.org or fill out the form below to learn more about our vibrant community and all that Clark has to offer.