Quick Summary: A life plan community, also known as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), offers a full continuum of living options and care, including independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, senior rehabilitation, memory care, and long-term care. Life plan communities allow residents to transition between levels of living as their care needs change over time. This guide explains how life plan communities work, what care options may be available, and how Epworth Villa supports older adults and families as they plan for the future.
Choosing senior living in Oklahoma City is a significant decision. You’ll likely compare locations, residences, amenities, dining, and costs before deciding where you’d like to live. You’ll probably ask a ton of questions as you tour each community.
But there’s one question many people don’t think to ask until much later:
What happens if my care needs change five or ten years from now?
This question is worth answering before you choose a community, not after. On your list of “must-haves” for senior living communities in Oklahoma City, flexibility, multiple lifestyle options, and a solid plan in place for your future are just as important as spacious floor plans and resort-style amenities, if not more so.
At Epworth Villa, we’ve been serving older adults in Oklahoma City for over three decades as a nonprofit life plan community. Every day, our team helps prospective residents and families compare contract options, understand care levels, and plan for evolving needs.
In this guide to life plan communities in Oklahoma, we’ve shared how life plan communities work, what care options may be available, and how Epworth Villa supports older adults and families as they plan for the future.
What Is a Life Plan Community?
A life plan community is a senior living community that allows you to enjoy an active, independent lifestyle today while planning ahead for future care needs.
Many older adults move to a life plan community while they’re still healthy and independent for the maintenance-free lifestyle, engaging amenities, and strong sense of community, with the added reassurance that additional care will be available if their needs change over time.
Life plan communities offer multiple senior living options and allow residents to transition to another level of living if their needs change in the future.
Is a Life Plan Community the Same as a CCRC?
For many years, senior living communities used the term “Continuing Care Retirement Community” (CCRC) to describe communities that offer a continuum of care—including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and long-term care—all on one campus.
Over time, many communities began using the term life plan community instead. The newer name better reflects what today’s older adults are looking for: an active, maintenance-free lifestyle with the reassurance that additional care may be available if their needs change.
In other words, the model hasn’t changed, only the terminology has evolved.
Whether a community calls itself a life plan community or a CCRC, it’s always worth asking:
- What levels of care are available?
- What contract options are offered?
- How are care transitions handled?
- What services are included at each level of care?
- What does the life plan community cost?
Different Care Levels in a Life Plan Community
One of the biggest advantages of a life plan community is access to a continuum of care. For instance, as a nonprofit life plan community in Oklahoma City, Epworth Villa offers a full continuum of care designed to support residents throughout the different stages of retirement.
We offer the following care options:
- Independent Living – For older adults who want a maintenance-free lifestyle with more time to enjoy hobbies, wellness, friendships, and community life.
- Assisted Living – For those who would benefit from personalized support with activities of daily living while maintaining as much independence as possible.
- Memory Care – Specialized care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia in a secure, supportive environment.
- Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation – Short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing services to help residents recover after surgery, illness, or injury.
- Long-Term Care – Comprehensive nursing care and daily support for individuals with ongoing health needs.
The comparison below explains who each level of care is designed for and the amenities and care provided in each level.
Keep in mind: Every life plan community is different. Care options, costs, contract terms, and care transitions vary from one community to another. Before making a decision, take time to understand what your contract includes, how future care is handled, and any factors—such as availability or clinical assessment—that may affect access to higher levels of care.
How Do Life Plan Communities Work?
While other senior living communities focus solely on your needs today, life plan communities are designed to fit the lifestyle you want now and provide ongoing support for any future needs you may have.
For example, you may move into independent living in Oklahoma City because you’re active, healthy, and looking for a maintenance-free lifestyle. Years later, you may still be enjoying that same lifestyle, or you may need short-term rehabilitation after surgery, assistance with daily activities, memory support, or ongoing nursing care.
While every community operates a little differently, here’s a simple way to understand how life plan communities typically work:
Step 1: Enjoy Independent Living
You can move into your residence now, while you’re still healthy and self-sufficient. You can enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle, along with amenities, dining, and wellness programs. You can join a community of other active, lively older adults and experience the joy of connection, engagement, and friendship.
Step 2: Reassess if Your Needs Change
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 70% of people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care during their lifetime. We don’t know what the future holds, but in a life plan community, you’re planning for your future healthcare needs in advance, before any health issues arise.
If you need support to recover after an injury or hospital stay, life plan communities can provide access to skilled nursing care. At Epworth Villa, care is coordinated by OU Health and its board-certified geriatric specialists, working closely with Epworth Villa’s multidisciplinary team of clinicians. From therapy goals to daily support, your recovery plan is shaped around your needs, your progress, and your family’s peace of mind.
If you ever need additional support for activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing, eating, or medication management, life plan communities can provide caregivers to assist you. Epworth Villa’s team of caregivers is available 24/7. Best of all, residents have priority access to these assisted living services.
No matter what their needs may look like in the future, Epworth Villa residents can take comfort in knowing that care is available on the same campus, often from a team they already know, though the specific setting and providers may depend on care needs, availability, and contract terms.
Step 3: Personalize Your Care Plan
Should you need more care in the future, the team at a life plan community can work with you—or your family, when appropriate—to create a care plan customized to your specific needs.
At Epworth Villa, you can decide when and where you need support, and our team will be there to provide it. Our goal is to give you the support you need to live life to the fullest, on your own terms.
Step 4: Transition, If Needed
In a life plan community, you can rest assured that you’ll have access to outstanding care and support when you need it, if you need it. Because life plan communities offer multiple levels of living on one campus, you may be able to transition to another residence or care setting on the same campus, depending on your care needs, availability, and contract terms.
What Does a Life Plan Community Cost?
The cost of a life plan community depends on the contract type. These contracts help determine your initial entrance fee when you move in, what your monthly fee includes, and how future care costs may be handled if you need assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing, rehabilitation, or long-term care later on.
Every community structures its contracts differently. Epworth Villa offers two contract options: LifeCare and Fee for Service. Both include an entrance fee and monthly fees. The key difference is how future care costs are handled.
1. LifeCare: Predictable Future Care Costs
To clarify, a life plan community describes a type of senior living community, while a LifeCare contract is a specific type of contract offered at Epworth Villa.
A LifeCare contract is designed for those who want greater predictability as they plan for the future. With this type of contract, residents typically pay an entrance fee and a monthly fee while living independently. If their needs change later, LifeCare may help make the cost of higher levels of care more predictable, depending on the terms of the contract.
A LifeCare plan may be a good fit if you:
- Want more predictability around future care costs
- Prefer to plan before care becomes urgent
- Value having multiple levels of care available within one community
- Want to reduce uncertainty for yourself or your family
- Are comfortable with a higher upfront investment in exchange for more long-term planning confidence
For more details, check out our answers to common questions about LifeCare contracts.
Note: A life plan community refers to a senior living community that offers a continuum of care, while LifeCare is a type of contract that helps residents plan for future care costs. At Epworth Villa, LifeCare is one of two contract options available.
2. Fee for Service: More Flexibility
A Fee for Service plan offers flexibility in how residents manage future care expenses. In this contract model, residents pay an entrance fee and monthly fees, with additional charges for higher levels of care if and when they are needed. These charges depend on the level of care required and the applicable market rates at that time.
This option may appeal to those who prefer to manage future healthcare expenses separately and are comfortable with care costs that may change over time.
A Fee for Service plan may be a good fit if you:
- Prefer lower initial costs
- Want to pay for additional care only if you need it
- Want more flexibility in your financial planning
- Are comfortable with the possibility that future care costs may vary
The right type of life plan contract for you depends on your financial goals, future care preferences, and whether you already have long-term care insurance.
LifeCare may be a good fit if you want more predictability for future care costs, while Fee for Service may work well if you prefer lower initial costs and a pay-as-you-go approach.
To understand which option fits your needs best, check out our guide to life plan contracts.
Note: Long-term care insurance may help cover eligible care expenses under either the LifeCare or Fee for Service plan, depending on your policy’s coverage and terms. Review your insurance benefits alongside your contract options to understand how they may work together.
What Doesn’t Have to Change?
When people think about long-term care, they often focus on what will change: whether they’ll need rehabilitation after surgery, assistance with daily activities, memory support, or nursing care. Most of all, people think about whether they’ll be able to return to their normal life or whether they’ll be able to stay as independent as they want to be.
One of the advantages of a life plan community is that, if your needs change, you may not have to leave behind the people and routines you’ve come to know. Depending on your situation, contract, and care needs, you may be able to stay in the same community while receiving a different level of support.
That can mean staying connected to:
- Familiar surroundings
- Friends and neighbors you’ve come to know
- Activities and traditions you enjoy
- Staff who understand your preferences and routines
- A community your family already knows and trusts
For many residents, that’s just as valuable as the care itself. And for families, it can make future decisions feel less overwhelming because they already know where to turn if additional support is needed.
When Should I Move to a Life Plan Community?
According to a 2024 AARP survey, 44% of adults aged 50 and older expect to move at some point as they age. While that doesn’t necessarily mean moving to senior living, it shows why exploring your options before a need becomes urgent can be worthwhile.
You may be ready to explore a life plan community if:
- You want fewer home maintenance responsibilities.
- You’re looking for more opportunities to stay active and connected.
- You’d rather plan ahead than wait until care becomes urgent.
- You’re helping a parent think through long-term retirement plans.
- You and your spouse want to prepare for the possibility of needing different levels of care.
A life plan community offers more than just future care planning, with opportunities to pursue your interests, build friendships, and enjoy retirement to the fullest.
Epworth Villa resident Rev. Larry Becker’s story is a wonderful example of this. In his story, he shares how he has stayed involved both inside and outside our community.
“I believe deeply in staying active—physically, mentally, and spiritually… I still volunteer here at the community. I participate in Vespers services. I write articles for our newsletter. And organizing the Marathon team keeps me young.”
His experience reflects an important part of life plan community living: planning for tomorrow while making the most of today.
If you’re still deciding whether the time is right, you may find our guide on when to move to independent living helpful.
Exploring a Life Plan Community in Oklahoma City
Researching a life plan community is a great place to start, but there’s nothing quite like experiencing a community in person.
Whether you’re planning for yourself or helping a loved one explore senior living, we’d love to invite you to Epworth Villa, where you can:
- Walk our beautiful 40-acre campus, complete with landscaped gardens, walking trails, a peaceful lake, and a gazebo.
- Tour our residences, including thoughtfully designed apartments, cottages, and garden homes.
- Explore our amenities, from multiple dining venues, a mini market, and a chapel to a movie theater, ballroom, arts and crafts studio, library, fitness center, and more.
- Meet our team, ask questions about life plan contracts, care options, and daily life, and discover whether our community is the right fit for you.
Schedule a personal tour to experience the community firsthand and see what life at Epworth Villa is all about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are life plan communities only for people who need care?
A: No. Many people move to a life plan community while they are still active and independent. They choose the community for the lifestyle, convenience, friendships, amenities, and peace of mind that comes with planning for possible future care needs.
Q: Can couples with different care needs live in a life plan community?
A: In many life plan communities, couples may be able to receive different levels of support within the same broader campus or community. This can be helpful if one spouse needs assisted living, memory care, or nursing support while the other continues living independently. Availability, location, and costs vary, so it is important to ask each community how these situations are handled.
Q: What should I look for when choosing a life plan community in Oklahoma City?
A: Choosing a life plan community in Oklahoma City starts with understanding both your lifestyle goals and your future care preferences. Look for a community that offers comfortable independent living, engaging amenities, clear contract options, and access to higher levels of care if your needs change over time. It is also important to ask how care transitions are handled, what services are included, how costs may change, and whether the community feels welcoming when you visit. For those exploring life plan communities in Oklahoma City, Epworth Villa offers a full continuum of care to help residents plan for today while feeling more confident about the future.
