FAQs

A Life Plan Community (formerly known as Continuing Care Retirement Community or CCRC) is an age-restricted property that provides a combination of housing including independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing care available to residents, on one campus. Payment plans vary but can include entrance fees and rental programs. Life Plan Communities have a focus on an active lifestyle.

Friendship Village is one of Chicago’s premier senior living Life Plan Communities that offers three levels of care on-site and has a variety of payment plans. Friendship Village helps today’s seniors Get Set for the rest of their lives. We offer top-of-the-line amenities, along with over 500 monthly programs and activities.

A Continuing Care Retirement Community is the former name of a Life Plan Community. The name was changed to Life Plan Community to better describe the vibrant, modern nature of contemporary senior living communities.

Yes. Most senior living Life Plan Communities are age-restricted. Friendship Village requires that an individual, or at least one member of a couple, be at least 62 years of age.

A Life Care contract is a contractual agreement between a senior living community and a resident that guarantees that the resident will be provided a home and care for the rest of their life.

When comparing the cost of maintaining a home with the cost of living at Friendship Village, where virtually all expenses are covered by one monthly fee, you may be pleasantly surprised by the affordability of living in a senior living Life Plan Community--along with the tax benefits it provides. If you own your own home, and have an average retirement income, it is very likely that your personal finances will accommodate a Friendship Village lifestyle. Friendship Village offers a wide array of living options and contract plans, and one of our Residency Counselors can help you find just the right fit. But living costs are just part of the bigger picture. Friendship Village offers a full continuum of care onsite and with a Life Care contract, cost savings are significant compared to stand alone skilled care and rehabilitation facilities.

An entrance fee is a one-time fee for entering a Life Plan Community. Friendship Village offers a variety of entrance fee programs, including one that can refund up to 90% to you or your family whenever you leave the community. The amount of your entrance fee will vary, based on the contract option and the residence you select.

Friendship Village’s independent living entrance fee programs include 60 free days of assisted living or skilled care. Should you need more than 60 days, you’ll also receive discounts on our assisted living, skilled nursing or memory support.

Your one-time entrance fee is what guarantees your place in one of Chicago’s best senior living communities. If the day comes that you exhaust your financial resources and meet required eligibility guidelines, you can remain at the community thanks to the Get Set guarantee.

At Friendship Village, a monthly fee covers most of your living expenses, plus some of the benefits offered in the community—flexible meal program, housekeeping, most utilities, home maintenance and landscaping services, activities and events, on-site conveniences like the fitness center, bank and pharmacy, local scheduled courtesy transportation and access to 24-hour emergency call services.

Most Life Plan Communities offer cultural, social and spiritual activities. At Friendship Village, you can enjoy a choice of dining options, beautiful grounds and garden spaces, a fitness center, resort-like pool, scheduled transportation services, on-site physician center, full-service banking and pharmacy facilities, salon and more. You will also find programs that will enrich your spiritual life and allow you to express your creativity -- all while making new friends.

Yes we do! And it’s better than ever. For one monthly price, you can enjoy your choice of a beautiful residence in our Bridgegate neighborhood and all of the unique advantages you won’t find at other communities. Learn More

It’s all about choice at Friendship Village. We offer 500+ activities for seniors on campus every month, as well as fun and exciting outings such as ball games, theater shows and shopping excursions. Friendship Village partners with local universities to provide college-level courses and monthly seminars. We also offer a comprehensive spiritual life program for people of all faiths as well as transportation to numerous local houses of worship. There are no requirements to participate in any activity. Whether you’re a social butterfly or enjoy solitude, it’s up to each of our residents to engage in what interests them. After all, it’s your own home, and you can come and go as you please!

In addition to independent living, a Life Plan Community offers assisted living and skilled nursing care. At Friendship Village, we promote healthy, independent senior living so that every resident can stay at his or her best. We also offer a complete continuum of care to provide the right care at the right time for all of our residents, which includes high-quality, on-site home care, assisted living, memory support, short-term rehabilitation, and 24-hour skilled nursing care for our residents who need more consistent levels of care. We also offer a resort-like pool, on-site physician center, fitness center, visiting doctors, outpatient therapy clinic and more.

Helping our residents maintain their highest level of independence and live better lives is our top priority. Under a Life Care contract at Friendship Village, you will have lifetime access to, and discounts on, our complete continuum of care conveniently located on our campus. No matter how your future needs may change, whether the need is short-term or long-term, you can rest assured that you will have priority access to quality home care in your independent living residence, or care in our other neighborhoods providing: assisted living, memory support, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and skilled nursing care without having to move to another community. At Friendship Village, you will be supported through whatever life brings your way.

Our goal as a not-for-profit organization is to serve older adults and provide the best possible lifestyle and care. Friendship Village reinvests all money above and beyond our costs back into the community so you can have the best for your retirement. To ensure the financial viability of Friendship Village in the future, our community requires each prospective resident to have enough income and financial assets to live here for his or her projected lifespan. As a resident with a Life Care contract, should you outlive your financial resources, through no fault of your own, you can remain a resident of the Friendship Village community through our Get Set guarantee.

However, at other for-profit organizations (most rental communities), residents who run out of funds will more than likely be asked to leave the community.

Speaking to a loved one about moving to a senior living community can be a delicate task. Read our helpful tips on speaking with your loved ones about retirement living. Our informative family resources outlines the various living options and life-affirming services available at Friendship Village. Read more.