What a Continuing Care Retirement Community means for your family
A Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) offers a variety of housing and care options for older adults through one organization. For your family, that means planning where a parent will live and what care may come next at the same time. At Avery Heights in Hartford, residents have priority access to higher levels of care, based on individual fees.
Choosing senior living is rarely one person’s decision. A parent, adult children and sometimes siblings or a spouse all have a view on housing, care and cost. This guide explains what a CCRC looks like in practice: the levels of care, where each one is delivered, how the rental model works and what to compare between communities.
What a Continuing Care Retirement Community is
A CCRC brings independent living and several levels of care under one organization, so it can provide higher levels of care if the need ever arises.
For a family, the difference is in the planning. Instead of looking only at where a parent will live now, you can also look at what care the same organization provides later, how a resident moves to it, and what it costs.
Avery Heights is a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Hartford, Connecticut. It is a not-for-profit organization owned and operated by Church Homes, Inc.
Priority access at Avery Heights, based on individual fees
Independent Living residents at Avery Heights have priority access to Assisted Living, Memory Care, Home Health Care, Short-Term Rehab and Long-Term Care, based on individual fees. Assisted Living and Memory Care are at The Heights, 550 Avery Heights. Short-Term Rehab and Long-Term Care are at 705 New Britain Ave. Home Care by Avery Heights is based at 550 Avery Heights.
Priority access is not free or included care. Higher levels of care are based on individual fees, so ask how those fees are set before you compare the numbers with another community.
The Avery Heights FAQ covers how priority access and the rental model work.
How the rental model works
Avery Heights uses a rental model:
- “Rental only — no buy-in or entry fee”
- A 12-month lease
- Rent paid each month
When the model comes up with a community, ask what the monthly rent includes and which services carry separate fees. At Avery Heights, higher levels of care are based on individual fees.
Levels of care and where each one is delivered
Avery Heights has two Hartford addresses, and each level of care is tied to one of them. Knowing which address a level of care is at tells you where a parent would live or receive that care.
Independent Living
Independent Living is at The Heights, 550 Avery Heights, Hartford, CT 06106. There are two residence types:
- Apartments, in one- and two-bedroom layouts
- Cottages, in one- and two-bedroom layouts
Both include scheduled van transportation to off-campus destinations. Independent Living residents have priority access to the higher levels of care below, based on individual fees.
Assisted Living
Assisted Living is at The Heights, 550 Avery Heights. Residents live in private one- and two-bedroom apartments. Services listed include:
- Assistance with bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting
- Weekly nursing visits and monthly health assessments
- Three daily meals, with dining room escorts or in-room delivery
- 24-hour security and regular comfort checks
Memory Care
Memory Care is in the Burnham Family Residence at The Heights, 550 Avery Heights. It serves residents with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Holly Taylor-Fry is the Memory Care Director. Services listed include:
- Personalized, 24/7 support from highly trained staff
- Daily activities and outings
- A beautiful outdoor space
Home Health Care
Home Care by Avery Heights is based at 550 Avery Heights and serves Avery Heights and the Greater Hartford area. It “provides personalized, compassionate care for individuals facing illness or age-related changes who wish to remain in their homes.” The contact is Kerrie Palumbo, RN, BSN, at (860) 953-1201 x428.
Short-Term Rehab
Short-Term Rehab is at Avery Heights Skilled Care, 705 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT 06106. It is post-acute rehabilitation after surgery, injury, or illness. Therapies are available 7 days a week:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Respiratory therapy
- Aquatic therapy in an indoor pool
Long-Term Care
Long-Term Care is also at Avery Heights Skilled Care, 705 New Britain Ave. It provides “24/7 medical & nursing care supervised by a board-certified medical director.”
Avery Heights’ own label for the care at this address is Short-Term Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Care. The contact for Short-Term Rehab and Long-Term Care is Isabella Pereira, at (860) 953-1201 x433.
What to compare when you look at CCRCs
Every CCRC sets up its services, fees, and admission policies differently. Compare communities point by point rather than assuming they all work the same way.
Levels of care and addresses
List the levels of care each community offers and where each one is delivered. If care is at a different building or address, note it, because that is where a parent would live or be treated.
What priority access means
Ask how priority access works, how a resident moves to a higher level of care and how fees are set at each level. Get the answer in writing so the whole family is working from the same information.
Financial structure
Ask what the monthly rent includes, what the lease term is, and which services are billed separately. Request a written list of what each level of care costs so you can compare communities on the same terms.
Daily life
Care is one part of the decision. Look at dining, activities, transportation, fitness and the residences themselves, and ask whether they suit the way your parent likes to live. A visit shows you more than a brochure.
Family communication
Ask how the community updates families when a resident’s needs change and who your main contact will be. Agree as a family who will receive those updates.
Location
Think about travel time for the family members who will visit most often and help with appointments. A shorter drive makes regular visits easier to keep up.
Frequently asked questions
Is care included with priority access?
No. At Avery Heights, residents have priority access to higher levels of care, based on individual fees. Ask how those fees are set at each level of care.
How does renting at Avery Heights work?
Avery Heights is “Rental only — no buy-in or entry fee.” Residents sign a 12-month lease and pay rent each month.
How can families prepare for a tour?
Bring questions about residences, fees, activities, transportation, and each level of care. Take notes during the visit so you can compare communities afterward.
Can couples have different support needs?
Yes, partners often need different levels of support. Ask the community how it handles a couple when one partner needs a different level of care.
How do families pay for senior living and care?
Options include long-term care insurance and veterans benefits for those who qualify. Other programs may be available; consult your local State Units on Aging (SUAs). Some families also use a combination of personal savings, Social Security benefits, and contributions from family members.
When should families start talking about senior living?
Before a need becomes urgent. Starting early gives a parent time to say what they want and gives the family time to compare communities and fees.
Talk to Avery Heights
To talk through Independent Living, Assisted Living or Memory Care at The Heights, contact Siobhan Mattingly, Director of Marketing, at smattingly@churchhomes.org or (860) 953-1201 x403.
THE HEIGHTS: 550 Avery Heights, Hartford, CT 06106 (Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care)
AVERY HEIGHTS SKILLED CARE: 705 New Britain Ave, Hartford, CT 06106 (Short-Term Rehab, Long-Term Care)
AVERY HEIGHTS HOME HEALTHCARE: 550 Avery Heights, Hartford, CT 06106