green hills retirement community ames is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) on the north side of Ames, Iowa, offering independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing on a single campus.
What surprises many families is that a CCRC contract can bundle lifetime care into one entrance fee — a structure that often costs less over 15+ years than paying for each level of care separately. The problem? Contracts are dense, waitlists move quietly, and prices rarely appear on public websites.
This guide breaks down the costs, care levels, contract types, and practical steps you need before touring or joining a waitlist.
What Green Hills Retirement Community Ames Actually Offers
Green Hills is a nonprofit, resident-governed CCRC affiliated with the Presbyterian tradition but open to all faiths and backgrounds. That nonprofit status matters: surplus revenue typically funds campus improvements rather than shareholder returns, a structure the LeadingAge association describes as common among mission-driven senior living providers.
The campus sits on a wooded tract near Ada Hayden Heritage Park, with cottage homes, apartment residences, and a health center clustered together. That layout lets couples stay close when one partner needs a higher level of care, a hallmark of green hills retirement community ames.
Care levels available on one campus:
- Independent living — cottages and apartments for self-sufficient residents
- Assisted living — help with daily activities like bathing and medication
- Memory care — secured support for dementia and Alzheimer's
- Skilled nursing — 24-hour clinical care and rehabilitation
Actionable tip: ask for the campus's most recent state inspection report before your tour. In Iowa, these are public through the Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
How to apply this: call the admissions office and ask which care levels currently have openings versus waitlists — the answer shapes your entire timeline.
The Real Costs and Contract Types to Understand First
CCRC pricing at green hills retirement community ames follows the industry's two main fee models, and choosing the wrong one costs families tens of thousands over time.
| Fee Model | Upfront Cost | Monthly Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type A (life care) | Highest | Stays flat as care rises | Couples wanting cost certainty |
| Type B (modified) | Moderate | Rises for higher care | Healthy residents with reserves |
| Type C (fee-for-service) | Lowest | Pay per care level | Those with long-term care insurance |
| Rental (no buy-in) | None | Market rate | Short-term or uncertain plans |
According to Genworth's Cost of Care Survey, private nursing home rooms nationally run well above $100,000 per year, so a Type A contract's flat monthly fee can pay for itself once a resident needs extended skilled care. Entry fees at CCRCs commonly run from roughly $100,000 to over $500,000 depending on unit size and refund terms.
Watch the refund clause closely. A declining refund schedule means your estate recovers less the longer you live there — ask for the exact schedule in writing.
How to apply this: request a written fee schedule for all four contract types at green hills retirement community ames and compare the 10-year total cost, not just the entry fee.
How to Evaluate Care Quality and Staffing
Quality in senior living lives in staffing ratios and inspection history, not brochures. Ask how many registered nurses are on site overnight, and whether the same staff rotate across units or specialize.
The Iowa Department on Aging maintains the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, which tracks complaints against licensed facilities. Requesting that record for green hills retirement community ames gives you an independent view no sales tour can provide.
Questions worth asking on your visit:
- What is the staff-to-resident ratio on each unit, day and night?
- How does the campus handle a resident's move from independent living to memory care?
- What happens if you run out of money after several years?
A good CCRC publishes a financial assistance or benevolent care policy. A vague answer there is a caution flag.
How to apply this: call the state ombudsman office and request the complaint history before you schedule a tour.
Tour Checklist: What to Look For on Campus
A tour shows the campus at its best, so bring a checklist and look past the lobby. Visit green hills retirement community ames on a weekday afternoon when staffing is typical and activities are running.
Watch for these signals:
- Resident engagement — are residents talking with staff, or sitting alone?
- Smell and cleanliness — in the health center especially
- Dining flexibility — ask for a sample menu and meal credit policy
- Transportation — how often shuttles run to downtown Ames and medical appointments
- Talk to residents unaccompanied, without a marketing representative present
One common scenario: families tour the independent living model and never see the skilled nursing wing until a crisis forces the move. Ask to see every care level in one visit, even the parts not on the standard route.
How to apply this: schedule your tour at green hills retirement community ames for 2–3 p.m. on a Tuesday or Wednesday and ask to walk the health center unescorted.
Waitlists, Timing, and Financial Planning
Waitlists at established CCRCs often run one to several years for preferred unit types, so timing your application to your health trajectory matters as much as price. Apply earlier than you think you need to.
Planning steps that pay off:
- File a free application to hold a waitlist spot without committing
- Review the entrance fee against your home sale proceeds and savings
- Consult a financial advisor about how a lump-sum fee fits your retirement drawdown
- Confirm what happens to the deposit if you change your mind
The U.S. Administration for Community Living notes that most people turning 65 will need some form of long-term care, which is the core argument for care-inclusive contracts. Insurance products like long-term care policies may offset Type C costs — check coverage before you sign.
How to apply this: ask the admissions team at green hills retirement community ames for average waitlist times by unit type and put your application in now if the numbers work.
Frequently Asked Questions About green hills retirement community ames
Can you move in if you are not Presbyterian?
Yes. Green Hills is religiously affiliated but admits residents of all faiths and none. The affiliation shapes the campus's mission and values, not its admission criteria. If religious life matters to you, ask whether services are optional and how much they shape daily programming at green hills retirement community ames before committing.
What happens if a resident outlives their savings?
Nonprofit CCRCs typically maintain a benevolent care fund, but policies vary widely and are not guaranteed. Request the written policy before signing. Ask specifically whether a resident who exhausts assets after paying an entry fee can stay on charitable assistance, since this is one of the highest-stakes questions about green hills retirement community ames.
Is there a refund if you leave after a few years?
Most entrance-fee contracts include a declining refund schedule — for instance, a full refund within a short initial window, then a decreasing percentage over a set number of years. Ask for the exact table in writing. Some rental-style units offer no refund at all, so clarify this at green hills retirement community ames before paying any deposit.
Do couples have to enter at the same care level?
No. One of the main reasons couples choose a CCRC is that partners can live in different units — independent living and assisted living, for example — while remaining on one campus.
Confirm that the contract allows a spouse to stay in independent living if the other needs skilled nursing, and ask about the fee impact at green hills retirement community ames.
How does green hills retirement community ames compare with staying at home?
Staying home works well with paid in-home help, but costs escalate sharply as needs rise. A CCRC bundles those costs into predictable fees and eliminates the burden of coordinating caregivers. If you have family nearby and good health, home may suit you longer; if you want certainty, a care contract usually wins.
Key Takeaways and Your Next Step
Choosing a retirement community is a financial and emotional decision, and the details decide the outcome. The short version:
- Nonprofit CCRC means bundled care levels and a mission-driven structure
- Contract type drives cost — Type A costs most upfront, Type C least
- Inspection and ombudsman records beat any sales brochure
- Waitlists reward early applicants, so start the conversation before you need it
Start by calling the admissions office at green hills retirement community ames and asking three questions: current waitlist times, the fee schedule for each contract type, and the benevolent care policy. Request those answers in writing, then schedule a weekday afternoon tour of every care level.
That single phone call puts you ahead of most families who wait for a crisis to begin.
