Questions to ask a CCRC, and where the filing answers each one
Updated 2026-10-15
Ask about contract type, refunds and when they are paid, fee history, care costs later and finances, then check each answer in the disclosure statement.
Sales staff answer questions well; the contract answers them bindingly. For each question below, the second column says where the binding answer usually sits in a state disclosure statement, so you can check what you were told.
| Question | Where the filing answers it |
|---|---|
| Which contract types do you offer, and which would I sign? | Contracts section; the residency agreement says what care costs later. |
| What is the entrance fee for the unit I want, under each refund plan? | Fee schedule exhibit, one row per unit and plan. |
| How much of it comes back, and when exactly is it paid? | Residency agreement, termination and refund clause; check for a cap on the wait. |
| What does the second person pay, up front and monthly? | Fee schedule, usually a separate column or footnote. |
| How much has the monthly fee risen each year? | Fee history table; North Carolina requires five years of it in every statement. |
| What will I pay if I move to assisted living, memory care or nursing? | Residency agreement, and the care daily-rate schedule. |
| Is there always a bed for me, and what if there is not? | Agreement clauses on priority admission and off-site transfer. |
| What if I run out of money? | Agreement clause on financial assistance or a benevolent fund; audit notes may give its size. |
| How many days of cash do you hold, and what do your lenders require? | Financial summary or ratio table; covenants are in the audit's debt note. |
| How full is independent living, and how has that changed? | Occupancy table, by level of care and year. |
| Whose finances are these: this community or a group? | Audit title page and the provider section. |
| Has the community missed a covenant, refinanced or changed ownership? | Provider section and the audit's subsequent-events note. |
The questions follow the consumer guides published by CARF (guide) and the California Department of Social Services (questions to ask). Before signing, have the residency agreement reviewed by an elder-law attorney or a fee-only financial adviser; it is a contract for the rest of your life.