1. Why is Lutheran in our name and what does it mean to me as a prospective resident?
The long held tradition of the Lutheran Church serving in the “community” through its many social ministry initiatives provided the impetus for the founders from the Westminster Conference of Lutheran Churches (ELCA) to establish Carroll Lutheran Village as a faith-based, nonprofit community. Even though the Village is a corporation started by and governed by Lutheran churches, it is not exclusively for Lutherans. Indeed, the retirement community embraces people of all faiths. Its inclusiveness can be seen in the twice-a-month Catholic Mass conducted in the chapel by priests from the local Roman Catholic church, in the Jewish service conducted on Friday evenings, and in the meetings and services offered by religious leaders from surrounding churches, as well as a Lutheran based ecumenical Sunday morning worship service conducted by the Village’s chaplain.
2. Does Carroll Lutheran Village have a Residents Association?
Yes. Every resident is a member of the Residents Association. A number of members of the residential living community are members of the Residents Association Council by virtue of their role as an officer or as a committee co-chair and meet monthly with administrative staff. The elected officers include president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, the president an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees with full voice and vote. The committees, comprised of a number of other residents that meet regularly with staff liaisons, include spiritual life, hospitality, food and dining innovations, library, social, publications, interior care and concerns, exterior care and grounds, area representatives, and wellness. The collegial working relationship of these meetings of residents and staff are designed to enhance the outstanding lifestyle and services provided at Carroll Lutheran Village.
3. What is included in the Village monthly fee?
• Flexible Meal Plan--$350 for couple/$200 for single—in restaurant, cafeteria & bistro dining
• Real Estate Taxes
• Maintenance-Free Living—all exterior and interior (buildings, grounds, appliances)
• Utilities—Apartments: electric or gas heat, air conditioning, water and sewer, trash collection; Homes: water and sewer, trash collection
• Emergency Call System with 24-hour Monitoring
• 24-hour Security
• Satellite TV Service
• Wellness Center Basic Membership—fitness center, indoor swimming pool & whirlpool, HealthAbility Program, exercise classes, water aerobics, leisure arts & classrooms
• Reserved Parking
• Scheduled Local and Campus Transportation
• All New Major Appliances
• Concierge Desk and Services
• Chapel Auditorium for Services, Meetings, Activities & Entertainment
• Garden Tracts for Resident Gardens
• Library and Media Center
• Computer Club
• Music Room
• Tennis Court
• Billiard Lounges
• Card & Game Room
• Walking Paths & Hiking Trail
• Support Groups
• Putting Green
• Woodworking Shop
• Ping Pong Room
• Common Areas for Meeting Family & Friends
• Availability of Convenience Store and Pharmacy for purchase of items
• Availability of 2 Gift Shops for purchase of items
4. Are pets permitted at the Village?
Yes, well-behaved pets are permitted to reside in specified homes and apartments of the campus residential living area. A fenced park accommodates dogs who need running exercise. Policies are in place to ensure appropriate animal etiquette.
5. Why is accreditation important?
Carroll Lutheran Village is accredited by CARF/CCAC (Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities/Continuing Care Accreditation Commission), a nationally recognized organization by American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The accreditation is the ‘Seal of Approval’ for the Village as a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC), having undergone a rigorous self-study, a review by a team of peers, and been judged as meeting or exceeding standards in all aspects of resident life, including operations, finance, resident life, quality of life, and ethics, to name a few. Of the 2,500 CCRCs in existence, only 340 (or 14%) are accredited, placing the Village in an elite group.
6. Just what is a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC)?
A CCRC is full service retirement community, for people 60 and above, that offers its residents a home to live in and various health care levels that are available through remaining years. The resident(s) pays a refundable entrance fee at move-in along with a monthly fee for services that most often are less than one’s current monthly expenses. At a CCRC, you will find people who live independently in a home or apartment or in an assisted living level of care where some assistance with activities of daily living is available.
The biggest change for CCRCs, at least at Carroll Lutheran Village, is in the ancillary nursing home that is now only a stop on the way home from the hospital with restorative and rehabilitative care the main focus. Long term care is available, but with people living longer and healthier in CCRCs, long term care is becoming a lesser part of the community.
7. Can I afford to come to Carroll Lutheran Village?
This clearly is a decision only you will feel comfortable making while working with a trained marketing associate of Carroll Lutheran Village. We think our community offers affordability because of the wide variety of apartment and home sizes on our campus ranging from 400 square feet in a studio apartment to a home with 3,000 square feet. Our marketing department annually compares Carroll Lutheran Village entrance and monthly fees along side other like communities in the Mid-Atlantic region to ensure that we retain our affordability among our competitors.
When thinking about affordability, consider that you are not buying property at Carroll Lutheran Village; rather you are entering a full service community that offers independence when you are healthy, then advancing levels of health care when more assistance is needed even through 24 hour skilled nursing care.
Once a resident takes possession of their new home and has moved to the Village, it becomes clear that the monthly fee at the Village includes much of past expenses such as meals, taxes, maintenance-free living and membership to the Wellness Center and more— at a cost often less than what has been the norm to living in a fully paid-up home.
8. Is the entrance fee refundable?
As a Type C, Fee-for-Service CCRC, Carroll Lutheran Village expects residents to pay for services as rendered. We offer two types of entrance fee plans: an Estate Plan with a 70-90% refundable option and a Traditional Refund Plan where the entrance fee declines or is pro-rated over eight years to a zero balance. Both plans are available – details can be discussed with your marketing associate.
Equal Housing Opportunity