✨ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Richard,

Thanks for the NCDOI Handbook. I’ll incorporate it into my analysis.

You raise the most important issue of all. Positive financial and actuarial metrics are table stakes, the bare minimum necessary for any CCRC to be a viable choice. What matters after that are the vibe and resilience of the community. The bottom line is indeed whether I want to be with a group of people with whom I want to be with in sickness and in health. Thus, we find the limits of AI.

In using AI, I have had to learn (and am always learning) to ask the right questions to hopefully leverage AI capabilities without outsourcing my critical thinking. The issues you raised regarding vibes and resilience are a reminder for us not to become so focused and enamored of AI that we outsource our thinking.

Thanks again for the handbook and for your comments.

Administrators can delete a message and all the replies to it. That's what I did with the two that you had edited to say only "delete". The other delete option is to delete the text but leave the message frame with an administrator notice that the content was deleted by the administrator. That's not an improvement over your "deleted".

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member & VP

Forum Moderator

Hello Linda,

Many business systems do not allow deletion of posted material. They use a system of identifying the computer entry or post as "Entered in Error," "Wrong Patient," "Filed in Error," "Wrong Forum," or other descriptor. Humans make inadvertent mistakes all the time and this is how those errors are corrected. The original is kept for audit trails as HIPPA in healthcare and GAAP in accounting. Humans can understand errors in posting, but wonder about why information disappeared without explanation.

I tried this in our Forum and was able to Edit the post and add the descriptor above the post by adding a space above the post. I would Bold the font you can. Everyone understands that but you can add a further descriptor if desire. Few read beyond this as they know the material is not relevant to the rest of the information.

Hope this helps. I'm from a healthcare background.

Maura Conry

NaCCRA

Forum Facilitator

The posting abilities seem in need of review? Can't delete bad post. Can't correct an attachment - while you can check to delete the attachment, you cannot add a different attachment to simply change it. So you have to save the changes and then cannot add an attachment. So, you have to start a new post.

Linda Kilcrease

Resident of a CCRC

RIchmond -

I uploaded the handbook file to Gemini. I limited this to two simple prompts just to give examples of Gemini's responses.

See attachment. Note I tried to correct this on two prior posts as you can see - but that does not allow adding an attachment after you delete the one there. And I cannot delete the posts.

Linda Kilcrease

Resident of a CCRC

This is an excellent use of AI. I'm sure you have the NaCCRA documents pertaining to choosing a CCRC. I'm attaching the North Carolina handbook for disclosure statements which serves as a model for what should be disclosed. It may help you see deficiencies in those you choose to review in depth.

But none of these business statistics address the all-important issue of community culture. You will want to assess how strong the resident community is and whether its members are engaged and working to make things good for one another. Is there a good "vibe" and are they people you want to be with in sickness and in health. Vibrant communities have resilience and collaborate with management to meet challenges and create a better life for residents and staff.

Richmond Shreve

NaCCRA Board Member & VP

Forum Moderator

I've been using Google Gemini for about 1 year for a variety of projects I am pursuing, projects ranging from learning about scientific subjects about which I am interested, researching travel destinations, researching financial and legel issues associated with CCRC's, and several others. I am now placing deposits on several CCRC's for a move when something becomes available.

Today I tried the following prompt: "Examine my Gemini history and tell me ways Gemini can be more useful to me." For all of us, our knowledge of using AI tools is evolving, of course. The Gemini response has helped me to rethink I can use this tool to utiize AI to make my workflow more efficient going forward.

As a retiree I'm not overly interested in a more efficient workflow but am learning more about the potential of this tool. While it is outside the scope of this forum, I think of how AI will affect the lives of our children and grandchildren. (good and bad)

Here is the Gemini response:

Create a comprehensive comparison template for analyzing CCRC balance sheets, statutory reserves, and financial disclosures.

Evaluating a Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) requires looking past marketing materials to audit its long-term financial solvency. Entry fees often represent a significant portion of personal net worth, and life-plan contracts depend on the community remaining solvent for 15 to 30+ years.

To perform a thorough audit, request three documents from each community:

1. Audited Financial Statements (includes Independent Auditor’s Report, Balance Sheet, Statement of Operations, and Cash Flows).
2. Annual State Statutory Disclosure Statement (e.g., Florida Chapter 651 filings).
3. Actuarial Summary / Study (required for Type A LifeCare contracts to assess future care obligations).

1. Key Financial Indicators & Health Benchmarks

MetricFormula / SourceHealthy BenchmarkCaution / Red Flag ZoneDays Cash on Hand (DCOH)$\frac{\text{Unrestricted Cash + Unrestricted Investments}}{(\text{Total Operating Expenses} - \text{Depreciation}) / 365}$Greater than 350 daysLess than 150 daysOperating Ratio$\frac{\text{Total Operating Expenses}}{\text{Operating Revenue (excl. Entry Fees)}}$Less than 95%Greater than 105% (reliant on new entry fees to pay operating costs)Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)$\frac{\text{Net Operating Income + Net Entry Fees}}{\text{Annual Principal + Interest Payments}}$Greater than 1.35xLess than 1.15x (risk of bond covenant default)CapEx to Depreciation Ratio$\frac{\text{Capital Expenditures}}{\text{Annual Depreciation Expense}}$Greater than 1.0xLess than 0.6x (indicates deferred maintenance)Independent Living Occupancy$\frac{\text{Occupied IL Units}}{\text{Total Available IL Units}}$Greater than 90%Less than 82%

2. Core Financial Audit Pillars

Pillar A: Balance Sheet & Solvency

• Unrestricted Net Assets: Verify that the organization has a positive unrestricted net asset balance. A persistent negative net asset position indicates past operational losses that have eroded capital.
• Long-Term Debt Structure: Check the notes on debt obligations. Identify whether debt is fixed-rate or variable-rate, and check the maturity schedule for large balloon payments coming due in the next 3 to 5 years.
• Investment Portfolio Mix: Review asset allocation. Excessively aggressive portfolios (high equity exposure) risk sudden liquidity drops during market downturns, while 100% cash portfolios lose purchasing power to inflation.

Pillar B: Statutory Reserve Adequacy

State regulatory bodies (such as Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation) enforce statutory reserve minimums. Compare actual reserves against legal minimums:

• Operating Reserve: Does the provider maintain liquid funds covering 15% to 30% of projected annual operating costs?
• Debt Service Reserve: Is there an escrow account containing at least 12 months of principal and interest payments held by a trustee?
• Renewal & Replacement Reserve: Are funds set aside specifically for major infrastructure repairs (roofing, HVAC, roads) separate from operating cash?

Pillar C: Entry Fee Liability & Contract Structure

• Refund Liability Accounting: On the Balance Sheet under Liabilities, look for "Refundable Entry Fees" or "Deferred Revenue from Entrance Fees."
• Repayment Triggers: Does the contract state refunds are paid only when the specific unit is re-occupied, or is there a fixed maximum timeframe (e.g., 120 days)?
• Occupancy Turnover Cash Flow: Ensure turnover entry fees received from incoming residents consistently exceed refund payouts to departing residents or beneficiaries.

3. Red Flag Checklist

Red Flag Warning: If a CCRC meets two or more of these criteria, require a written explanation from the CFO before committing funds.

• DCOH drop: Days Cash on Hand declined by more than 20% year-over-year.
• Operating Deficit: The community relies on initial entry fees to pay standard monthly operating bills rather than capital debt or reserves.
• Occupancy Decline: Independent living occupancy stays below 85% for two consecutive years.
• Management Turnover: Frequent changes in executive director or CFO within 24 months.
• Unfunded Deferred Maintenance: Low CapEx ratio combined with aging campus infrastructure (15+ years old without major renovations).

4. Multi-Community Comparison Scorecard

Use this template to evaluate and compare candidate CCRCs side-by-side:

Evaluation CriteriaWeightCommunity ACommunity BCommunity CContract Type (Type A / B / C / Rental)—Days Cash on Hand (DCOH)25%Occupancy Rate (IL)20%Operating Ratio (excl. Entry Fees)20%Debt Service Coverage Ratio (DSCR)15%CapEx / Depreciation Ratio10%Statutory Reserve Surplus over Minimum10%Total Weighted Score (1–10 Scale)100%