Life plan communities offer a continuum of living situations to residents, from independent living to assisted living to advanced nursing/memory support. A person can spend the rest of their life within a life care community, accessing higher levels of care as needed.  The idea is that once you move in, you can “age in place” safely.  If your partner needs a higher level of care, they can be close by in assisted living or a memory care unit.  We plan to assure access to primary care health services and care coordination for specialty care, both in Humboldt County and out of the area, so that care is timely, communication smooth and travel and accommodations are comfortable as possible.  There is no such a life plan community option within 200 miles, and Humboldters have been forced to leave their community connections behind and move away in search of supportive living situations.

Vision

Life Care Humboldt will be a non-profit resident-led senior “aging in place” community in Humboldt County providing a continuum of services in a safe, secure and environmentally responsible setting that supports independence, socialization, personal growth, community involvement, and intellectual stimulations.  

Core Values

Feasibility Study

An initial feasibility study in August 2019 confirmed that there is a sufficient population base and potential demand for new services to support a non-profit senior life plan community in Humboldt. The initial vision is for approximately 150 independent residences, a 36-unit assisted living facility, and memory care and advanced nursing care for 36.  Preliminary plans are for studios and 1- and 2-bedroom independent residences sized 600sf to 1800sf.  These could be built as freestanding homes, townhouses, or in apartment-style buildings.  We will utilize “universal design,” barrier-free, accessible design that helps everyone, not just people with disabilities, and takes appearance as well as function into consideration.  For example, all doorways will be wide enough for wheelchairs.  Assisted living will be located in multi-level buildings.  Memory care will be provided in a home-like setting following the “greenhouse” model.

Next Steps

The next steps are to secure an option on property for a Life Care Humboldt facility, conduct fundraising for further planning.  We are considering property in McKinleyville, Arcata, Scotia and Eureka and estimate we will need 15 acres for buildings and grounds and hope to secure an additional 3-4 acres for a farm plot to service the community.  Consultants with experience in life plan communities will advise about financial models that can work for us.  There are various options for buy in fees and monthly fees.  The Board favors a Type A plan in which the initial entry fee is partially refundable when a resident leaves the community or dies, and monthly costs are fixed regardless of the level of service a resident requires.  Entry fees and monthly fees can vary dramatically based on four core criteria: breadth of services, amenities, size of the residence, and the building and operational costs. Average life plan community entry fees range from $107,277 on the low end to $427,054 on the high end (across a blend of contract types).

The full spectrum of resident contract types follows.

Life Care Humboldt Contract Types

Summary