If I could wave a magic wand and make my geri-dream home plans come true without anyone else’s input, here’s what might materialize: first, I would sell the home in which we raised our family and move into a three-bedroom condominium with sick, breezy views of the St. Johns River; and second, at the very moment I experience even a HINT of decreased mobility or diminished capacity, I would sell that riverfront retreat and any other secondary home I’m no longer visiting, and move myself into a super snazzy continuing care community (CCRC) so I can relax and be taken care of without feeling like I’m dumping and depending on my kiddos and their families.

Truth is, I’m not 100 percent sure what a CCRC really is and how that all works. So let’s figure it out, shall we?

According to the National Institute on Aging, CCRCs, also called life care communities, are facilities that offer many levels of care and service in one place. That includes independent housing in single-family or apartment homes, assisted living and skilled nursing care as well as health care services and recreation programs, the agency explains on their website.

According to the article, “In a CCRC, where you live depends on the level of service you need. People who can no longer live independently move to the assisted living facility or sometimes receive home care in their independent living unit. If necessary, they can enter the CCRC’s nursing home. Most CCRCs charge a one-time entrance fee, which may be relatively expensive, and a monthly fee after that. People must pay most of these costs themselves. Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term care insurance may cover some services, depending on the level of care provided.”

U.S. News and World Report lists 10 CCRCs in Northeast Florida, where I currently live with my husband in our too-big-for us empty nest. The list includes:

• Vicar’s Landing at Sawgrass
• Cypress Village
• Fleet Landing
• Fountains of Mill Cove
• Moosehaven Retirement Community
• River Garden Hebrew Home/The Coves
• Taylor Manor and Care Center
• Vicar’s Landing at Oak Bridge
• Westminster St. Augustine
• Westminster Woods at Julington Creek

Thankfully, there seems to be plenty of good choices around here and that brings me relief because I like having options and shopping around for cool stuff. Given the national demand, I’m sure this is the case in most cities. An AARP article indicates there are about 1,900 CCRCs around the country. I bet you could type in your hometown and find out what’s CCRCooking in your neck of the woods.

But let’s drill down to the price part because if there’s anything we’ve learned about Grand Planning it’s that cost is key. So how much will CCRC-living set me back? Pricing for CCRCs begins with a hefty entry fee. A very helpful article from AARP says CCRC initial fees alone can cost between $40,000 to more than $2 million, with the average one-time fee being about $402,000. After you slap that cheddar down, you can expect to pay monthly maintenance or service fees. According to the AARP article, average monthly charges can be more than $3,500 and, like everything else, increases by about 2 percent each year.

Some CCRCs are a rental set-up and don’t require the big down payment, so that may help in the calculating. I’m no math person, but it seems like I’d be smart to make sure I have $1 million or so ready at the start, plus…what’s $4,000 times 12 months times 12 years… $576,00 (???) squirreled away so I can start waving my magic wand around and get down with some CCRC. So that’s $1.6 roughly, and let’s multiply that by two to account for all I didn’t account for in my CCRC shopping adventure and that makes more than $3 million I need to have hidden under my mattress. Dang, these are not Solo Serve prices! But armed with the knowledge, it’s a lot easier to start making financial preparations for this kind of living long in advance of go-time. Figuring and number crunching and putting pen to paper now will mitigate disappointment and help us figure out a plan before crises come in and ruins everything.

So let’s say I’ve sat down with my financial advisor and she’s sketched out a plan for paying for my CCRC dreams. What does the actual care experience look like? How does that all work? What happens when my care needs change or I must transition into a residential setting with more skilled nursing or safer living arrangements? Do I just raise my hand and say, ” looks like it’s time to move on to that building over there?” And will I have to pay more than the $4,000 a month I’ve tucked into my brassiere? And what if they don’t have room for me when crisis has come and I gotta git?

These questions are all good ones to ask when you’re at the CCRC sales center or reading the fine print on the contract you’re about to sign. AARP suggests also asking these questions when considering a CCRC move:

• What is the breakdown of fees, and will fees be raised annually? If so, by how much?
• What is the payment schedule?
• What services are included in the entrance and monthly fees?
• What are the charges for services that aren’t included in the standard fees?
• What happens when one person needs the next level of care if you are moving in as a couple?
• What if a resident needs assisted living or nursing care but no spaces are available in those sections?
• Is any portion of a resident’s fees refunded to the estate upon death?
• Are entrance fees refundable if a resident decides to leave the community?

Answers to these questions and the many, many more sure bound to come up in the process, will help us make smart choices early that can make a real difference down the road.

After that, in my opinion, the rest seems like a slam dunk of a great idea. I’m down with cafeteria food and onsite hair dressers, I like the idea of walking to new friends’ places for a club pour of chardonnay and I’m totally stoked to have access to entertainment, scheduled events, exercise opportunities and community living. This all sounds very fun to me and makes me excited for the future. But the best part of my geri-dream home vision is the peace it inspires. I want to make a plan for full and well managed living that doesn’t depend on my adult children’s resources, time or inputs. I really like the idea of telling them, “I’ve got this — don’t worry about me.” I want my Golden Years to be long on family presence, connection and experience instead. With a little Grand Planning, a CCRC arrangement seems like the perfect way to make sure that happens.