North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association
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What is NorCCRA?

The North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association (NorCCRA) is a state-wide volunteer non-profit organization of residents living in continuing care retirement and life plan communities.

The Mission of NorCCRA

North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association (NorCCRA) communicates with residents of Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRC) and Life Plan Communities (LPC) at the Regional, State and National levels to exemplify excellence in preserving, promoting and ensuring optimal quality of life throughout the continuum of care for the diverse population of North Carolina Continuing Care Retirement Community Residents.

The Vision of NorCCRA

North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association members interact with dogs at a park

North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association (NorCCRA) aims to use best practices and evidence-based models of excellence in accessing, evaluating, and sharing education and information as it promotes responsible stewardship of resources for current and future North Carolina Continuing Care Retirement Community residents.

The Purpose of NorCCRA

North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association (NorCCRA) is an advocate for strong laws, regulations and general practices for the protection and well-being of Continuing Care Retirement Community residents.


How and Why Did NorCCRA Begin?

Continuing care retirement communities are relatively new. They began appearing in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The decades of the 1980s and 1990s saw major growth. The name is now being replaced by "life plan communities" to better reflect coming generations.

North Carolina Continuing Care Residents Association founder Harry Groves

Dr. Harry Groves, a retired professor of law and law school dean, reviewed existing North Carolina legislation relating to CCRCs. He concluded that existing laws were inadequate to give residents the protection they needed. In 1988, he called together a small group of NorCCRA residents and members of the North Carolina legislature to seek their assistance in providing better laws. NorCCRA was organized and Dr. Groves proposed new legislation. The following year, this small group of people successfully lobbied the legislature to gain passage of what is now N.C. General Statutes, Chapter 58, Article 64, to license and regulate CCRCs in the state. To administer the law's provisions, the law mandates that:

  • A license be secured from the Department of Insurance (DOI) to operate a CCRC.
  • A detailed disclosure statement be given to both prospective residents and annually to residents.
  • Specified financial reserves be maintained.
  • A developer show that contractual obligations can be met on a continuing basis.
  • An owning entity may not sell or transfer ownership without prior approval from the DOI.
  • Residents have the right to organize and be kept informed on the operation of the facility.

The Department of Insurance is charged with protecting the rights of residents through financial audits. The department also has the right to intervene in the event of financial difficulty to protect the rights of residents.