Care Across America
"Care Across America, an Approved Senior Network® Podcast"—your go-to source for engaging conversations and practical insights from home care and senior care experts across the United States. Each episode will spotlight industry professionals, and their referral networks, sharing impactful stories, proven strategies, and innovative solutions in senior care. This podcast is perfect for professionals, adult children of aging parents, and family members struggling with senior care choices and care.
Care Across America
Local care, real voices, and a life that keeps you moving- Avalon Park Independent Living
What if senior living felt less like a facility and more like a second home? We sit down with Meghan Schmitz and Lisa Smith from Avalon Park to share how a locally owned, all‑inclusive community in Cottleville, Missouri turns everyday life into something richer—through voice, speed, and heart.
We walk through the details that matter: studios to two‑bedrooms with full kitchens, balconies, and in‑unit washers and dryers; an on‑site care team that supports assisted living‑type services without forcing another move; and home health partners who provide affordable, short‑term recovery options after surgery. The throughline is autonomy and dignity—aging in place alongside neighbors and staff who feel like family.
Programming is where the energy pops. With three to six activities a day—new men’s groups, tea parties, bowling outings, and even prom photos in the entryway—the calendar stays fresh because residents help design it. Monthly town halls, food committees, and activity meetings feed a nimble feedback loop: ideas become action before the next meeting. That’s the advantage of local ownership—no corporate delay, just responsive, human decisions that make life better.
If you care about senior living that balances affordability, community, and real care, this conversation will give you a clear picture of what’s possible. Subscribe for more stories of thoughtful aging, share this with a family exploring options, and leave a review to tell us what you want us to explore next.
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Hi, my name is Megan Schmitz. I'm the executive director at Avalon Park, and I have been doing this since 2012. I absolutely love what I do. I should have been doing this probably 10 years prior to when I started. Hi, I'm Lisa Smith and I'm the director of sales here at Avalon Park.
SPEAKER_02:I've been in the industry for I'm teen years, for 20-some years, been with Avalon Park since we first opened four years ago. So I love what I do. I love seniors, and I love doing this with some of my greatest friends. We have a good time.
SPEAKER_00:Avalon Park is a locally owned and operated community. We are in Cottleville, Missouri, which we have so many things around for the seniors very close by with shopping, district, restaurants, so much fun that we can have here. It's all inclusive. So everything from your meals, entertainment, utilities, transportation, programming is all included. We are one of the most affordable in the community. We that was our goal to be mid-market and serve seniors that were didn't have the most money, but didn't want to sacrifice on a great community that had a lot to offer, everything that they would need.
SPEAKER_02:I feel like that our activity calendar is better than any other community. But honestly, we just have so many things to do. And what I like about our residents is sometimes they come and they have some aches and pains. And we want to keep them so busy that they don't even think about their aches and pains, honestly. And they can do that every single day. We have at least three activities. Most of the time, it could be upwards five, six activities a day. And the people here are really welcoming and they're just the sweetest people in the whole world. And I just think it's such an easy environment to be welcomed into.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. It I call Avalon my second home. It's our home away from home. It truly feels like that for the people who work here, but also I think that feeling that we create here with the staff, it trickles over to the residents and they become our family as well. So it it does truly feel like we have a bunch of moms, dads, and grandparents that live in the building that we all get to serve. That's true.
SPEAKER_02:They know a lot about us and we know a lot about them. And that's just the way we are, just the way our whole culture is here.
SPEAKER_00:Some of the residents have even participated in some of the kids in the dining room. I say kids, some of the servers in the dining room sports activities. They've gone bowling together. They have their pictures for their prom, their senior prom here. So it truly is a family at Avalon.
SPEAKER_01:That is so neat because you guys have this beautiful entryway when you walk in. And so that is a perfect place to take prom pictures. Oh my gosh, that's so nice. That's so great. And so when you when we talk about senior living communities, it really is a community. It's like a big, giant, extended family, all of you there. And I can attest to the fact that you do have a lot of activities. I've seen the list every week. And there is and also the pictures you guys send in to us, there's a pretty much a lot of participation. There's a whole I saw just was on the website the other day, and I saw a men's group that just started meeting. And how lovely is that? All of it's lovely, but that's a new thing that you guys put together, and that's really great.
SPEAKER_00:A little and the tea party. So yeah, we're constantly evolving. I think with having the local ownership and operations, we meet on a monthly basis. We do a town hall every month, we have a food committee every month, an activities meeting. So the residents they may change here and there over the years, but what's nice about that is they get a voice to say what's important to them and we listen. And we don't have to make a phone call to another city or state or another corporation. We're able to make those changes locally here and really find out what's best and what they want to do. And we bring it. And it's usually with on a turn of a dime, which is wonderful.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it's nice because whenever we do have our town hall meetings, whenever our residents, especially it's an open forum. So if it's sensible, which most things are sensible, we have it done before the next town hall meeting, which is a month later. And I feel like that our residents know that they're heard here whenever they talk to us. It's not just us nodding and saying, okay, no, it's actually heard, and then we put a process to get the plan in action. Yeah, it's it's great.
SPEAKER_01:That is great. Tell us a little bit about the apartment. So you have one bedroom, two bedroom. What's your makeup of residences?
SPEAKER_02:We have studio apartments, one bedrooms, and two bedrooms. We just we have one on every floor. So every what I love the most, and I used to open up the door and go, oh, whenever we would open up the door for the washer and dryer. Yes. Because everybody needs a washer and dryer in their own apartment. Everybody has that and they have a balcony. Full-size kitchens, which is really nice, full-size appliances, and you can stay in that apartment. And we have a care team here on site. So if they need any assisted living type services, then they can have those services in their own apartment. So they don't have to move to another community. They can stay here with their friends in their nice, good size apartment, and they can get those services here. And the team takes really good care of them. So that's just another way that we have evolved with the residents and what their needs are, and we just meet them where their needs are. And we can do that because we have local ownership. And if we need to do something, then we do it quickly, make it happen.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, like for instance, if someone was hospitalized, maybe they had a knee replacement or a hip replacement. So you guys have folks that can help them get through that initial first few days, especially right after you get home from surgery. It's a little fall. So you have folks that can help them out right there.
SPEAKER_00:Absolutely. That's true. And the home health company, they've put together special packages that are very affordable for somebody who might have just that as a surgery or something that was short term, where we're respecting that we're affordable, the affordable option. And so we also selected another company that can offer really great care at an affordable option as well. So whether they need the services for a few weeks or ongoing, it doesn't matter. And it's good affordable care, and they don't have to make another move on to another community or another place.
SPEAKER_01:And with us, yeah, that's a big deal. It's less stressful and it is a big deal to have to move. It is a big deal. And I know that sometimes that happens, but sure. I'm sure people check on each other all the time. They do, they do.
SPEAKER_02:It's really cute and it's really sweet and so loving. And yeah, we just love our residents. It's great. We have such a good time with them, and they are I think they're they're the best in the whole world.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, they are. And thank you for telling us all about Avalon, and we'll make sure all your contact information is showing up here and the website and all of that. I know Avalon is just I've been there and I know it's beautiful. So thank you.
