BUHLER, Kan. — Staying in your home as you age is now a safer option for aging Kansans with a new continuing care at home (CCaH) membership program called “Stay Your Way,” a service of Sunshine Meadows Retirement Community of Buhler, Kansas. The program allows people to plan ahead for their care needs and remain in their home as their needs change, instead of going to a nursing home. Currently, it is the only program of its kind in Kansas. The next informational seminar will be held in Hutchinson on May 16.
“People generally don’t want to think about long-term care, and it is an important part of a financial plan to consider what care you will need later in life,” said Sara Nowlan, Sales and Marketing Director of Stay Your Way. “Waiting until a crisis happens usually results in ending up where you don’t want to be, as well as having higher unplanned costs.”
Stay Your Way is a private pay, capitated program where once an entry cost is paid, then monthly payments remain fixed through the remainder of the member’s life, regardless of their eventual medical needs. A person must be healthy, independent, and 55 years old or older to apply and not currently need care. The program considers the individual, and if one spouse can’t qualify, the other could.
The entrance fee is based solely on a person’s age, and an approval process that includes health and home assessments considers both health and physical safety. The first 25 qualifying applicants (called Legacy Members) before the end of June will receive an 8% discount off the entrance fee. This program is not covered by Medicaid.
Unlike most long-term care insurance, benefits begin immediately. Each member will have their own personal Wellness Navigator who will design the program around each person’s individual goals, needs, and desires, and give recommendations for home safety and overall wellness. Stay Your Way focuses on advocacy and care management, wellness and education, innovation and technology, as well as home and community-based services when needed.
“This new option for long-term care has been around for about 30 years, primarily in cities east of the Mississippi River,” said Nowlan. Since this is the only service of its kind in Kansas, Nowlan said that they will consider branching into other counties across the state as the membership grows. The current Stay Your Way service area extends to within 100 miles of Buhler, KS, including Wichita, Great Bend, Ellsworth, McPherson, Salina, and Newton.
Nathan Spencer, Executive Director of Sunshine Meadows, said that Sunshine Meadows first heard about a stay-at-home CCaH at a LeadingAge Kansas meeting, and he reached out to the CCaH program consultants. “The consultants had other communities call with interest, but we were the first ones qualified and ready to come to the table because of our excellent reputation and long-standing care facilities in the community,” said Spencer.
Interested families can attend an informational seminar on May 16, 2025, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at the First National Bank in Hutchinson, 1 N. Main Street, Suite 718. Reservations are required and can be made online, by calling Sara Nowlan at 620-543-5692, or by emailing [email protected]. Other seminar dates will become available in other cities within the current service radius. For more information, visit the Stay Your Way website, www.smrcstay.org.
