What Is Independent Living in California?

Independent living is a place to live for older adults who do not need daily help with personal care. It can be an apartment building for seniors, a campus of cottages, or the independent apartments within a larger community that also offers more care. The National Institute on Aging notes that many continuing care retirement communities offer independent housing, assisted living and skilled nursing care on one campus.

People often choose it for less upkeep, company, meals they do not have to cook, and a building designed for older adults. The key word is independent: the resident decides their own schedule and manages their own health and personal care, alone or with help they arrange.

Each community sets its own package, so read the agreement rather than the brochure. These are the things to ask about:

• The apartment or cottage, and which utilities are part of the rent.
• Meals: none, one a day, or a set number each month in a dining room.
• Housekeeping and linen service, and how often.
• Activities, outings and transportation to appointments or shopping.
• Emergency call systems, and who answers them.
• Staff on site at night, and what they can and cannot do.

What independent living does not provide is care and supervision. If your parent needs someone to remind them about pills, help them shower or watch over them at night, that help has to come from family, a hired caregiver, or a move to a licensed home. Our guide to assisted living compared with home care explains how families weigh bringing help in.

California licenses care, not age. The Health and Safety Code defines a residential care facility for the elderly (RCFE) as a housing arrangement chosen by people 60 or older where care and supervision, protective supervision or personal care are provided based on each person's needs. It defines care and supervision as ongoing help with daily activities, including help taking medications, money management or personal care. Section 1569.10 says no one may operate an RCFE without a current license.

So a building that offers only housing and services such as meals and housekeeping is generally not licensed by the Department of Social Services as an RCFE. Where a community does provide that kind of care and supervision, the law requires an RCFE license. Ask any community which license it holds, and check it as our RCFE license guide describes. The common kinds of senior housing line up like this:

A continuing care retirement community (CCRC) often includes independent living, and where a resident lives depends on the care they need. The Department of Social Services says a continuing care contract is an agreement between a person 60 or older and a provider to give a range of services for more than one year, often for life, and that most call for an entrance fee and monthly fees. Providers must hold a certificate of authority and an RCFE license, and the Continuing Care Contracts Bureau reviews their finances. The CCRC cost guide covers the contract types.

HUD's Section 202 program funds rental housing for low-income residents 62 or older. These buildings are not care homes. Each property manages its own applications, so ask the building directly about eligibility and any waiting list.

Fifty-five and older communities are a fair housing category. The US Department of Justice explains that the Fair Housing Act generally bars housing discrimination against families with children, but some housing may be designated as housing for older persons under the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995. That makes it age-restricted housing, not care.

There is no reliable single number to give for independent living in California, and we did not find a state or national survey page with a California figure we could cite. Prices depend on the kind of housing. A senior apartment charges monthly rent, sometimes with a service package. A CCRC usually charges an entrance fee and a monthly fee. HUD Section 202 housing is subsidized for low-income residents. The independent living cost guide goes through each shape.

When you compare, ask for every recurring charge in writing, what happens to the rent each year, and what it costs to add help later.

Hamssa Benrekia is a placement specialist in Torrance who helps families in the South Bay and Harbor area weigh independent living alongside assisted living, board and care and memory care. She starts with how your parent manages day to day and the monthly budget. To talk it through, contact Hamssa. More topics are in the California Assisted Living Placement Guide.