Golden years: more senior citizens are treasuring the amenities, such as on-site health care and recreation, offered at continuing-care retirement communities.

• Position: SPONSORED SECTION: ELDER CARE

Elder-care experts tout studies that show seniors residing in a community live as many as seven years longer than those who remain alone in their home. But realizing those gains isn't always a straightforward proposition. "Unfortunately, after age 85, about half of people have memory issues," says Steve Kastner, president and CEO of Southern Pines-based senior-living provider St. Joseph of the Pines. Like many companies that provide housing for older Americans, St. Joseph's has expanded care for those with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia at Belle Meade, its 100-acre senior-living community where about 300 residents live in 48 homes and 160 apartments. Fourteen memory-care apartments, specially trained staff, additional programs and tighter security give residents the care they need, including making sure they return home if they wander off or become disoriented.

Memory-care apartments are one retirement-living option for seniors. Many remain in their homes, receiving care from family or home-health aides. Some recent retirees choose to spend a few years enjoying an active lifestyle in an exotic destination before returning home or moving to a retirement community. Others need to live in a skilled-nursing home because they're too ill or fragile. One of the newest choices is continuing-care retirement communities, which combine the best from all the other options. In them, life is maintenance free, secure, independent and flush with amenities, including meals and increasing levels of health care as residents grow older.

There are nearly 60 CCRCs in North Carolina--including Belle Meade and its 100-resident sister community, Pine Knoll--and about 2,000 nationwide. Those numbers are expected to grow. The U.S. Census says there were 40.3 million citizens older than 65 in 2010, up 5.3% from 2000. It can cost a lot to live at a CCRC. Headquartered in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported that about $156 billion was spent on nursing-home and CCRC care in 2013. Some of that money is spent on CCRC entrance fees, which range from $20,000 to $800,000 in North Carolina, according to the state Department of Insurance, which tracks CCRC rates. On top of those, residents pay monthly fees, which range from $1,500 to $6,000. They guarantee a home and a corresponding level of medical care and services.

The required investment puts CCRCs out of financial reach for many seniors. Those who choose one...