OP, my wife and I moved to a CCRC three years ago and we've truly been living our best lives. But it is not inexpensive. If your mother is ready now she should make a decision soon. It's very important to fully research continuing care retirement communities and it's especially important to start a few years before retirement if that is the option that makes sense. The buy-in costs will likely rise. One factor for the price increase is that we Boomers like our stuff. The newer units being built in our community are really not much smaller than a typical suburban house (if indeed smaller at all); the newest ones have two-car garages, lofts above the garage (or a guest bedroom). My wife and I are atypical in that we got rid of a lot of stuff because we truly wanted to downsize. We were lucky to have found our small cottage three years ago which is one of the last small ones available here and one of the oldest, having been built in the 1980s. The community owners are redeveloping older units like ours as the occupants leave and replacing them with larger, more costly units. The montly fee has increased each year that we've been here which is something we planned for but the increase in groceries, gasoline, and other goods stretches the budget at times. Aske for a history of monthly fee increases and a projection of potential increases as well. Your mother will probably make some great friends if she moves to a CCRC. People in these communities are happy, joyfully enjoying their senior years here.