Lucy Rosenow and her since-deceased husband moved into Canterbury Woods 14 years ago, enticed by the promise of care that would change with them as they aged.
“I know that if I need to go to the assisted living, it’s there for me,” she said. “If I need to go to memory care, it’s there for me. If I need to go to the total nursing facility, it’s very easy to go.”
Canterbury Woods, a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Amherst on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.
It is an approach that officials at the Amherst-based continuing care retirement community thought would catch on when it opened 25 years ago, and on paper, it seemed as though it would. Communities such as this one offer a continuum of care options for people who are navigating their elder years, allowing them to become a part of an interactive retirement community where they can live out their years knowing they have access to a range of health care services all in the same place.
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Several states, such as Pennsylvania, California and Florida, have well over 100 of these communities available to their populations in each state.
But in New York, where the over-65 population is growing, Canterbury Woods is one of only 13.
For over two decades, Canterbury Woods has been one of the preeminent retirement communities in Western New York – and not just for its hefty cost. The subsidiary of Episcopal Church Home & Affiliates provides a full range of senior care from independent living to skilled nursing that is guaranteed to its residents at a fixed cost, even as
To Rob Wallace, CEO of Canterbury Woods, the answer is simple: state regulation. Wallace said that while most states regulate their CCRC’s with just one government entity, New York regulates theirs with two: the Department of Health and the Department of Financial Services.
The ensuing bureaucratic process, combined with the amount of upfront money that must be provided when financing a CCRC, leaves the model still a relative rarity in New York.
With an average entrance fee of $450,000, and an average monthly fee of $4,000, Wallace says that most residents pay for their stay after they sell their house, using the funds they earn from that to afford living at Canterbury Woods, which is not unique among CCRC’s in the pricey cost it takes to enter.
Allene Falk, left, visits with her daughter Carolyn Falk outside of Canterbury Woods in Amherst last month. The facility offers residents a continuum of care as they age and their needs become greater.
However, residents say it is worth it.
“I’ve visited relatives and friends in other places. They can’t even hold a candle,” Rosenow said.
Rosenow keeps herself busy at Canterbury Woods, chairing three resident committees that sit down with staff of the retirement community and communicate their needs and wants regarding the operations of the retirement home.
Mike Swart, who has been a resident for just about a year, similarly appreciates the opportunities offered at the facility to keep active, including courses offered by nearby college professors that are part of “Canterbury University,” which offers residents the opportunity to learn about a range of topics including history, philosophy and economics.
“It’s a great resource here,” Swart said. “We have a professor from UB, a retired professor, who teaches a philosophy course. We have a wonderful professor from Amherst who teaches a course in post-expressionist painting.”
Susan Arthur walks on a treadmill at the gym at Canterbury Woods, a continuing care retirement community in Amherst.
Residents who stay at Canterbury do not pay taxes and have most day-to-day chores and expenses taken care of for them. To qualify for residency, prospective residents are evaluated in two ways: health and finances. At traditional nursing homes, public health care such as Medicaid can eventually pick up the cost.
“Canterbury Woods is an insurance company. It’s an actuarial analysis,” Wallace said. “We are obligated by the Department of Health and Department of Financial Services to make sure that people are going to be able to pay for services for an extended time throughout their expected life expectancy.”
Becky Preve, executive director at the Association on Aging in New York, said the lack of availability of CCRC’s in New York State boils down to ageism in the state’s distribution of tax dollars. Preve notes that almost 5 million people in the state are over 60 years old, while about 4 million serve as caregivers, totaling about half of the population in a state with just fewer than 20 million people.
“When you look at the overall state budget, people over the age of 60 actually spend $72 billion per year in state and local taxes,” she said. “Unfortunately, the New York State Office for the Aging budget is less than eight-tenths of 1 percent of the overall state budget.”
Preve argues that if eldercare services such as CCRC’s were to be subsidized by the state, it would allow people to “age independently, with autonomy, dignity and respect.”
“Instead, what we’re doing is forcing them to either impoverish themselves to Medicaid, so literally liquidate all their assets to be able to get Medicaid assistance, where Medicaid will pay for either services in the home or higher levels of care,” she said. “Or they go without services.”
A woman (name not given) reads The Buffalo News outside of Canterbury Woods in Williamsville on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
Rob Blancato, the National Coordinator of the Elder Justice Coalition, said he doesn’t think that the CCRC industry ever intended for the model to be available for widespread access.
“I think they were developed with an eye toward those that have means, who could afford to live there,” he said. “Within that framework, you’ve got a tremendous amount of disparities in terms of entrance fees, monthly contracts, what they include.”
Blancato also said many may be hesitant to go into a CCRC because of the common need to sell their home to finance their stay.
“I’m on the board of AARP, among other things, and our data always shows that the highest preference of older adults and their families is to live at home and stay in the community.”
But for those who have access, it continues to prove to be an ideal alternative.
“I’m happier at Canterbury,” says Swart, who appreciates the amount of time he can spend with his wife now that they are living at the facility. “It works for us. And the fact that we’ve got so many new friends here, every day is a good day.”
