Frequently Asked Questions | The Clare

The Clare is owned and managed by Life Care Services®. Life Care Services, an LCS® Company, leads the way in senior living with over 40 years of proven experience. At a Life Care Services managed community, you’ll always find strong financial stewardship, lifestyle-centered services and high-quality health services.

Five principles guide the company on its mission to provide exceptional senior living solutions at each of its communities.

• We serve the customer, first and foremost.
• We deal honestly and fairly, with integrity and openness.
• We maintain a long-term perspective.
• We are diligent and persevering.
• We are interconnected and interdependent.

Thanks to the team’s commitment to these five principles, today nearly 90% of health centers managed by Life Care Services have received a 4 or 5 star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and 95% of residents living in a community managed by Life Care Services say they would recommend their community to a friend or relative.

Those who choose to make The Clare their home are reinventing the way retirement communities should be enjoyed. At The Clare, a CCRC in the popular Gold Coast neighborhood, that means engaging with the unparalleled atmosphere, experiences, energy and comfort a luxury retirement community provides. Residents of The Clare include former professors, writers, directors, chefs, attorneys and CEOs to name a few. Many continue to work in their field of expertise, with still more contributing their time and efforts to valuable volunteer endeavors at The Clare and the surrounding Chicago community. Hear from The Clare residents themselves.

The Clare has earned a reputation for innovation and excellence by offering the highest level of compassionate, professional care, gourmet-style meals, beautiful surroundings, extraordinary comfort, and the flexibility to design your schedule, your way.

Our 5-star rated supportive living community, The Terraces at The Clare, offers a wide range of health services, from rehabilitation, to assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing services, all within the same magnificent building as The Clare itself. And like the lifestyle of residential living at The Clare, the medical care we provide is as unmatched as our luxury.

The Clare offers a range of spacious floorplan options, from one-bedroom layouts with private balcony, to two- and three-bedroom options with over 1,700 square feet of living space. Visit our floorplans page to find the apartment option that best suits your lifestyle.

The Clare is a pet friendly community, welcoming cats and dogs.

Residents must notify administration to replace or add a pet. When moving in, residents must identify a local veterinarian and visit it annually to ensure pets are up-to-date on shots and inoculations. Pets must be caged or on a leash at all times when outside the residence. Pet owners must pick up and dispose of all pet waste in a tied bag.

A Continuing Care Retirement Community, or CCRC, offers continuity of care throughout a resident’s lifetime, including a combination of independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing services available to residents all on one campus. Typically, CCRCs require an entrance payment as well as a monthly service fee.
Designed to provide a seamless transition from one level of care to another, CCRCs allow residents to “age in place.” Should a person’s needs change, he or she can access the care and services required from one organization at one geographic location. This is especially helpful for couples – both can access the appropriate level of care while living in the same community.

Most CCRCs require a one-time entrance payment plus monthly fees to cover on-going services such as maintenance, dining, and transportation. It’s important to ask if the entrance payment is refundable upon termination of the contract through a voluntary move or death, as not all communities offer entrance payment refunds.

At The Clare, the amount of the entrance payment depends on the apartment size and location. Monthly fees also vary depending on the apartment size and number of occupants.

• Flexible Preferred Choice Dining (chef-prepared meals in restaurant-style dining rooms at The Bistro, The Grafton, and The Abbey)
• Complimentary continental breakfast
• Weekly flat linen service
• Property management services
• Scheduled transportation
• Concierge services
• On-site ATM, controlled access, daytime doorman and 24-hour security
• Life enrichment programming
• Planned social events and activities
• Access to all community amenities
• Full-time Exercise Physiologist and activity programming
• All utilities included (except telephone, internet, and cable)
• Real estate taxes included
• For additional fees, the following services are provided:
• Special events and classes
• Valet parking
• Guest meals and catering service
• Guest suites

To qualify for a CCRC, applicants must meet health and financial criteria, as determined by the community. Generally applicants are asked for a report from a family physician indicating that the person can live independently. For financial approval, you must have the financial resources to cover the entrance payment plus monthly fees for the remainder of your life. Because of this, it’s important that you provide accurate information to the CCRC of all your accounts to ensure financial well-being throughout your life.

While at-home care can offer complete supportive services without having to move to a retirement community, many find that it is a more expensive option. In addition to the financial costs, many choose a CCRC because of the service-rich and socially-beneficial environment that is typically difficult to replicate outside of a retirement community.

Annual surveys conducted of CCRC residents as compared to non-residents show that residents’ satisfaction is higher and they are happier and healthier than seniors who live at home. Studies also show that physical, cognitive and social health of seniors benefits from programs offered in the CCRC setting.

A recent survey of 3,700 family members of CCRC residents in 49 states revealed profound and widespread satisfaction with Continuing Care Retirement Communities.

• 93% of family members said their parents are receiving good services
• 93% would recommend the CCRC as a good place for others to live
• 76% said their CCRC was a good value
• 88% felt their community had a high-quality reputation
• 77% would strongly consider a CCRC for themselves

The Clare is a Life Care community. Life Care is our comprehensive promise that provides you with long-term care, if the need arises, without increasing your monthly fee because of the need for the enhanced level of care. Your one-time entrance payment and ongoing monthly service fee entitle you to assisted living, skilled nursing care, or memory support, protecting you from the ever-escalating costs of long-term care.

In contrast to other communities’ fee-for-service model, which often charge you a daily rate which can quickly deplete your assets, our Life Care promise offers financial security. You’ll get exceptional, compassionate care that fits your needs, giving you seamless access to a range of supportive living services.

Primary benefits of Life Care include:

• Predictable monthly fees
• Priority access to on-site healthcare at a preferred rate
• Control over skyrocketing healthcare costs
• Guarantee of continued residency for a lifetime of care

The entrance payment is the fee required up-front once your application is approved. Across the United States, entrance payments vary widely – ranging from $20,000 up to one million dollars. Not all CCRCs have refundable entrance payments and some vary based on your time in the community. This is an important question to ask when visiting a community.

At The Clare, the amount of the entrance payment depends on the apartment size and location. The Clare offers one option for entrance payments:

• 70% Refundable Option
• Provides flexibility for residents
• Preserves a majority of the entrance payment investment

The Clare has many advantages for single individuals, including a sense of community and belonging, broader social network, and a place to continue to live a purpose-filled life. Services and maintenance-free living are also important. The security and peace of mind that come from knowing others are close at hand if needed is beneficial for someone who lives alone, as well.

Couples can make their decision to move, plan for their new home, make friends, and enjoy the new lifestyle together. And should one member of the couple need rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing, it’s comforting to know that your spouse will be in the same building, making it easy to see and be together as much as possible. The reduction of stress and freedom from home upkeep is a big advantage for couples who want to really enjoy a luxurious retirement lifestyle they have planned together.