My Life. My Plan. My Community.

My Life. My Plan. My Community.

Living Branches is proud to be part of a nationwide initiative to rename “Continuing Care Retirement Communities” as Life Plan Communities. This initiative is designed to help communicate to the public that communities like The Willows of Living Branches, Souderton Mennonite Homes, and Dock Woods are about so much more than care: We are about life, and living life to its fullest.

The selection of the name “Life Plan Community” is the result of a multi-year effort led by LeadingAge and Mather LifeWays, a not-for-profit organization which owns and operates two retirement communities, in conjunction with a task force consisting of five leading marketing and research firms that specialize in senior living. Hundreds of ideas for a new name were submitted by communities around the country through a national “NameStorming” process, and the top names were then tested for consumer understanding and acceptance through a series of surveys and focus groups. More than 4,100 people nationwide responded to the surveys, including residents from Living Branches, and more than 250 people participated in the 34 focus groups around the country.

We are excited to adopt the new designation of “Life Plan Community” as the senior living field prepares for the tremendous wave of adults that will start turning 75 in about five years. Research has consistently shown that this next generation of potential residents does not respond positively to the term “Continuing Care Retirement Community.”  they are self-directed planners who aren’t looking for “care”; rather, they want a life filled with possibilities and options. We believe communities likes Living Branches are ideal options for older adults. As a Life Plan Community, we allow “planning” and “living” to merge. Having a plan in place—the security of the safety net provided by the availability of healthcare, coupled with the freedom from not having to manage all the day-to-day tasks that come with homeownership—allows residents to live life to the fullest. This name gives us a chance to have a conversation with prospective residents that is expansive and aspirational—something that’s been a challenge with a category name like “Continuing Care Retirement Community.”

If you would like more information on the NameStorm initiative, or on the selection of the name Life Plan Community, please visit LifePlanCommunity.org.