What is a CCRC, and what levels of care are offered at Elm Crest?
Elm Crest was one of the very first Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) in Southwest Iowa, serving local families for over 35 years. As a CCRC, we are designed to provide multiple levels of healthcare services all under one convenient roof. This layout ensures that if your health needs change over time, you can transition smoothly without ever having to leave the comfort and security of your community.
At our Harlan campus, we provide three distinct lifestyle and healthcare settings:
- Independent Living: Maintenance-free apartment living paired with membership to local Fitness Center.
- Assisted Living: A comprehensive range of supportive services tailored to individual needs.
- Health Center Services: 24-hour skilled nursing care, dietary services, and advanced physical, occupational, and speech rehabilitation therapies.
What are the pricing options for Independent Living?
We know that every family’s financial plan is different, which is why we offer two distinct pathways to join our Independent Living community:
- The Entrance Fee Plan (Refundable Buy-In): Under this traditional model, residents pay an initial entry fee starting at $126,786 (varying by square footage and apartment style). This option features an 80% refundable entrance fee, which guarantees that a majority of your initial investment is preserved and returned to your estate or heirs.. The benefit of the refundable buy-in model, is a consistently lower monthly cost of living starting at just $854 to $909 per month.
- The Monthly Rental Plan (No Buy-In): For families who prefer to keep their investments liquid, we offer direct monthly rental option. Under this plan, studio apartments start at $1,323 per month and one-bedrooms for $1,654 per month. We also offer a select number of larger premium apartment styles for rent starting at $3,200 per month.
What features and amenities are included in the Independent Living monthly fee?
Our Independent Living monthly service fee is designed to cover nearly all of your daily worries, allowing you to focus on creating a lifestyle of your choosing. Your fee includes:
- Wellness & Recreation: A full membership to the Petersen Wellness Center, alongside a wide variety of daily activities like outings, bingo, coffee times, and live entertainment.
- Maintenance & Support: Complete interior and exterior maintenance, upkeep of major appliances, and trash removal.
- Safety & Security: A 24-hour emergency pendant and on-site call response system, plus 24/7 emergency maintenance.
- Community Extras: A SWITA bus service pass for local transportation, spiritual support from our on-staff chaplain, on-site chapel services, and your own private patio or balcony.
How is Assisted Living priced, and what are care packages?
Assisted Living at Elm Crest uses a transparent service plan “Base Apartment Rent + Care Level”. This ensures you only pay for the exact amount of personal care you need:
- Your Apartment (Base Rent): Covers your private apartment home with a kitchenette, three meals per day, weekly housekeeping, personal laundry, all utility services, and round-the-clock nursing staff availability. Base rent is $2,137 per month for a studio and $2,932 per month for a one-bedroom. (If a spouse joins, there is a second-person fee of $827 per month).
- Your Care Level Package: To determine your support package, our nursing staff performs a comprehensive health assessment prior to move-in. Depending on the assessment, residents purchase a care package ranging from Level 1 ($1,810/month) to Level 5 ($4,788/month). To ensure you are always receiving the correct tier of care, our team performs regular quarterly assessments.