CCRCs let San Diego seniors move once and age through independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. Here's how the contracts work and what to check first.
By Patricia Nguyen, CDP · July 19, 2026
A Continuing Care Retirement Community — also called a Life Plan Community — combines independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on one campus, under one contract. The pitch is simple: move in while you're healthy and active, and the community guarantees a path to higher levels of care later without a second search, a second move, or a scramble during a health crisis.
San Diego County has several established CCRCs, including White Sands La Jolla, Vi at La Jolla, Casa de las Campanas in Rancho Bernardo, Wesley Palms in the Bay Park/Pacific Beach area, and Fredericka Manor in Chula Vista. Each is licensed by the California Department of Social Services' Community Care Licensing Division (CCLD) for its assisted living and memory care components, and most also hold a Continuing Care Contract license from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI), which regulates CCRC finances separately from CCLD's care-quality oversight.
California CCRCs typically offer one of three contract types. Type A ('life care') bundles a higher entrance fee with a flat or slow-rising monthly fee regardless of care level — the most predictable but most expensive option. Type B ('modified') includes a set amount of higher-level care at reduced rates, after which residents pay closer to market rate. Type C ('fee-for-service') has the lowest entrance fee but residents pay full market price for assisted living or skilled nursing when they need it.
The contract type changes the math enormously. A Type A contract can look expensive on day one but protect a family from six-figure skilled nursing bills a decade later. A Type C contract preserves more assets up front but shifts the risk to whenever care needs increase. Families should run the numbers against a parent's specific health history and family longevity, not just compare entrance fees side by side.
CCRC entrance fees in San Diego commonly range from $200,000 to over $1 million depending on unit size, contract type, and location, on top of a monthly fee that can run $3,500 to $8,000+. Many contracts offer a partially or fully refundable entrance fee to the estate after the resident moves out or passes away — but the refund percentage and repayment timeline vary widely and should be read carefully in the disclosure statement.
Because so much money changes hands up front, California requires CCRC operators to file annual audited financial statements with DFPI. Before signing, ask for the community's most recent Continuing Care Retirement Community Disclosure Statement and its DFPI filing status, and consider having a financial advisor or elder-law attorney review the contract. A community's financial stability matters as much as its amenities — the promise of lifetime care is only as good as the operator's ability to deliver it decades from now.
A standalone Residential Care Facility for the Elderly (RCFE) — the license type covering most San Diego assisted living communities — has no entrance fee and a month-to-month or annual rental structure, but no built-in guarantee of a bed if a resident's needs escalate. A CCRC's entrance fee essentially prepays for that guarantee and for priority access to on-campus assisted living and skilled nursing.
CCRCs tend to suit healthy, independent seniors in their 70s who want to lock in a long-term plan and don't mind a large up-front commitment. Families managing an urgent placement — after a fall, hospitalization, or diagnosis — usually need a standalone RCFE or skilled nursing facility instead, since CCRC entrance requirements typically include an independent-living health screening that a senior already needing daily care may not pass.
Ask directly: What is the current occupancy rate for skilled nursing and memory care, and is there a wait list? What happens to the monthly fee if I outlive my entrance-fee refund reserve? What is the community's CCLD citation history, checked through the CDSS Care Facility Search at ccld.dss.ca.gov? And what is the refund policy if a resident changes their mind within the first 90 days — California law requires a rescission period for continuing care contracts.
A free local senior advisor can walk a family through CCRC options alongside standalone RCFEs, help interpret the DFPI disclosure statement, and flag which San Diego communities have strong financial and licensing track records versus which have open citations or funding concerns. San Diego County Aging & Independence Services (AAA, 800-339-4661) can also answer general questions about care options and is a good first call for any family just starting to compare paths.
Free, no-pressure call. We work for families, not facilities.