Is independent living licensed in Michigan?
Independent living -- senior apartments, cottages and campus living without personal care -- is housing, so LARA does not license it unless the operator provides personal care, which would require a home for the aged or AFC license.
Many West Michigan campuses combine independent living with a licensed home for the aged and a certified nursing home, so residents can move between levels. Several such campuses appear in our directory under their licensed buildings and nursing units; the independent apartments themselves have no state record to show.
Who is independent living right for?
Older adults who are managing daily life on their own but want less home maintenance, more company and an easier move later if care is needed.
If a parent already needs help with bathing, dressing or medications, independent living plus outside caregivers can work for a while, but it is usually more expensive and less safe than a licensed home. Be honest about the trajectory.
What should you check before signing an independent living or continuing care contract?
Entrance fees and refund terms, what happens to the fee if you move to a higher level of care, monthly fee increases over recent years, and priority access to the campus's assisted living and nursing units.
Continuing care communities in Michigan are subject to the Continuing Care Community Disclosure Act (2014 PA 448), which is referenced in the state's definition of a home for the aged. Ask for the disclosure statement and have an attorney read the contract before paying an entrance fee.
How does independent living compare on cost?
There is no Michigan median for independent living in the CareScout release we cite. Monthly fees vary with apartment size and services, and campuses with entrance fees price very differently from rental communities.
For care costs, see what senior care costs in Michigan.
Which West Michigan campuses combine independent living with licensed care?
CMS flags 9 of the area's certified nursing homes as part of a continuing care retirement community, the clearest official marker of a campus with independent living alongside nursing care.
- Clark Retirement Community (Grand Rapids)
- Covenant Village of the Great Lakes (Grand Rapids)
- Holland Home - Raybrook Manor (Grand Rapids)
- Holland Home Breton Rehabilitation & Living Centre (Grand Rapids)
- Porter Hills Health Center (Grand Rapids)
- Resthaven Care Center (Holland)
- The Inn at Freedom Village (Holland)
- The Oaks at Byron Center (Byron Center)
- Valley Health Center (Grand Rapids)
Several of these campuses also hold home for the aged licenses for their assisted living buildings; search the campus name in the directory.
How should you budget for independent living?
Budget for the monthly fee plus what it does not include -- personal care, medications, transportation beyond a set schedule -- and plan for the day care is needed.
On entrance-fee campuses, model what happens to the fee if your parent moves to assisted living or dies in the first few years. On rental campuses, ask for the last three years of rent increases.
