Residential FAQ

This is a great opening question and the answer is a resounding no! Some residents will progress through Residential Living, Personal Care, and the Health Care Center, but many will not. Many cottage and apartment residents will spend the rest of their natural lives “aging in the preferred place.” Others will need the services available at the Health Care Center, but only for a few weeks after a hospital stay and before returning to their cottage or apartment. Some may even use Personal Care as a step-up, following an illness, before they are well enough to go home. Continuing care is different for everyone, and it is not a One Way sign to physical and cognitive decline, far from it.

Shouldn’t I wait until “something happens” before I make such a move?

This is a tough question, and we will answer it with a different tough question. Please ask yourself: “How did my health, my energy and my attitude progress during the last 3 to 5 years? How do I expect to progress during the next 3 to 5 years?” While you remain at home, you take physical risks and you may suffer from loneliness, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, not to mention the dark cloud of future downsizing overhead. Even with all the help from Cross Keys Village, moving is not a walk in the park. It most assuredly will not get any easier if you wait. If anything, deciding to move now makes it less likely that “something” will happen later on.

Is there a minimum age to move to Residential Living at Cross Keys Village?

Yes, there is. The first occupant in the cottage, apartment or home needs to be 62 or older by the time of settlement. A second occupant, if there is one, needs to be 55 or older. There is no minimum age to join the wait list. 

THE BEST AGE TO CONSIDER MOVING

What assistance can Cross Keys Village provide as we plan this move?

Where shall we start? Basically, we help you think of the move as a sequence of small and manageable pieces (instead of a single insurmountable obstacle), and then we customize the process to your situation. Are you coming to us from far away or from next door? Do you need help coordinating with a real estate professional? Should you use a regular mover or a Senior Move Manager? Are you in a rush or do you need to stretch out the process? Do you need to move in before you get the final payout for the sale of your house? Will you be arriving here three days before your bed and your belongings? We have helped hundreds of individuals: If they could do it, you can do it too.

How do the fees work?

In a few words, Residential Living entails a one-time entrance fee, and a monthly service fee. The entrance fee gives you the exclusive right to your residence while you occupy it, and ensures your priority access to Personal Care and Health Care if ever needed. The monthly service fee covers maintenance, repairs, landscaping, snow removal, TV cable, access to wellness and Life Enrichment activities, real estate taxes, and much, much more. Personal Care and long-term nursing care do not entail an entrance fee.

What sort of Residential Living contract do you offer?

Great question. Cross Keys Village is a fee-for-service CCRC (also known as Type-C Contract community). Cottage, apartment, Bridgewater and Hearthside residents – we call them villagers – pay for the higher levels of care only if they are needed. This allows us to keep the monthly service fee more affordable for villagers.

What are the entrance fee options?

We have four options. Most Villagers opt for the more affordable fully amortizable entrance fee, but we also offer plans that guarantee you a 25%, 50%, or 75% refund on your entrance fee when you vacate your cottage or apartment. This subject will be covered when you meet your Retirement Counselor.

How can I tell if we can afford it?

All it takes is a phone call. When you share with us a rough estimate of the value of your house, and a ballpark amount for your savings and your income, we will be able to tell you which of our many models are viable options for you today.

UNDERSTANDING THE FINANCIAL QUALIFIERS

For profit, nonprofit, what does that mean?

Thank you for asking. First of all, it does not mean money-making as opposed to money-losing. A for profit business exists to make a profit for its owners or shareholders. A nonprofit organization aims for a positive bottom line, but it has no owners or shareholders. Any “profit” on a nonprofit organization’s bottom line gets reinvested in the organization for the furtherment of its mission. In the field of senior living, nonprofit organizations commonly function at higher staffing levels in their health care components and they experience less staff turnover. In order to qualify for their tax-exempt status, they provide significant levels of uncompensated (charity) care.

Do you have to go on a wait list?

It is strongly recommended! Cross Keys Village is a large, active retirement community, with close to 500 residences (and 50 or so floor plans). Most of the time we are almost fully occupied, and therefore we need a system that is clear and equitable for the retirees who are planning to join our Residential Living program. This system is based on a wait list. Joining the wait list means filling out a short application form and writing a $1,000 check. This small, refundable deposit will become part of your entrance fee when you move to Cross Keys Village (it is not an Application Fee).

WAIT LIST OVERVIEW

Can we have a pet in our apartment or our cottage?

Absolutely. Well behaved cats and dogs are welcome in Residential Living.

Do residents have a say in how Cross Keys Village is run?

Definitely. Our resident-run Village Council is the entity which makes it possible for everyone’s voice to be heard. The Council has representation from all our neighborhoods, and it includes committees that take numerous independent decisions every month. A large percentage of our villagers volunteer on a regular basis, which gives them an additional way to influence our community life positively.

Will we feel at home if we are not members of the Church of the Brethren?

Most likely yes. The majority of our Villagers do not belong to the Church of the Brethren. Our Pastoral Care program is ecumenical and we do not proselytize… nor do we discriminate. Demographically, our villagers are from generations that got up early, worked assiduously, and led lives steeped in durable values. Politically, however, we have villagers from all persuasions… which helps keep a healthy dialogue alive. If you agree with us that a hazy Pennsylvania sunrise at the dawn of a full day is more significant than the latest alarming news or the shiniest earthly possessions, you have a lot in common with us already. Come spend an afternoon with us and find out more.

TAX ADVANTAGES IN PA

Such talk betrays a misconception of what Residential Living is all about. Residential Living should be considered in the prime of your parents’ retirement years, before they get too frail to enjoy it to the fullest: The social interaction and the wellness opportunities will slow down the effects of age, possibly reversing them for a while. The perfect age to move is when home maintenance becomes a hassle. Far from being “ready for a home,” many villagers remain in their cottages or apartments for 10, 15, and even 20 years.

My brother and I do not see eye to eye about this move.

In such cases, we recommend giving more weight to the opinion of the child who lives closest to the parents, or who helps most regularly. West-Coast Brother may be distressed that Mom and Dad are talking about selling the house where he still has his own room. However, Next-Door Sister, who takes Mom and Dad to appointments and offers assistance every week, has a clearer view of what is best for them.

My parents are worried about the cost.

Of course they are. They haven’t had a mortgage payment in years, and they think that living in their paid-off house is “free.” You may need to review together their monthly bills and recent (or deferred) big-ticket repairs around the house. Doing so might prove to them that a predictable monthly service fee is attractive… once they realize all the benefits that are covered.

Dad is doing great, but Mom is slowing down. Will they qualify for Residential Living?

They probably will. When a couple with different needs decides to move into an apartment or a cottage, we look at them as one unit, safety-wise, not two. If Dad can take care of most of Mom’s needs, we will gladly welcome them (although Mom on her own may have been a poor candidate for Residential Living). In such a situation, Dad would experience great relief after the move, knowing that his beloved spouse is in a safe environment with options for her future if something should happen to him first. Our wide range of services make Cross Keys Village an ideal choice for couples who are not aging exactly at the same rate.

I see the merits of this program but my parents are dead set against it.

In that case, there is not much that you can do: No one joins a Residential Living program “kicking and screaming.” The best is for you to stay educated about the options that are available to your parents, and possibly to bring up the example of old friends who are thriving in a CCRC environment. You may want to explain to your parents that if they do not make a decision about their impractical, unwholesome or unsafe living conditions, you (the child) may be faced with making a rushed decision for them later on in a time of crisis.

What about home care, or adding an in-law apartment to our house?

These are valid options, but in our view they do not address one core benefit of living in a village like ours, which is the social interaction. Whether at home with a few hours of professional care a week, or in an addition at your house, your parents will be lonely for most of the day. In a village, they would make friends and remain more active physically and intellectually.

Why should we pick Cross Keys Village?

We come with 110+ years of tradition, for a start, and our size allows us to offer a true continuum of services. We have Residential Living options to match a wide range of budgets, and we do not bundle unwanted services into the monthly service fee such as a mandatory meal plan. Unlike many villages, we are spread over a vast campus, allowing your parents some breathing space and much privacy when they need it. Our team members and our organization are truly mission driven. We look forward to your call or your email, and to answering your toughest questions. We congratulate you on the dedication to your parents that you showed by reading this page.