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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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:09):
Hi, my name is Megan Schmitz.
I'm the executive director atAvalon Park, and I have been
doing this since 2012.
I absolutely love what I do.
I should have been doing thisprobably 10 years prior to when
I started.
Hi, I'm Lisa Smith and I'm thedirector of sales here at Avalon
Park.

SPEAKER_02 (00:27):
I've been in the industry for I'm teen years, for
20-some years, been with AvalonPark since we first opened four
years ago.
So I love what I do.
I love seniors, and I love doingthis with some of my greatest
friends.
We have a good time.

SPEAKER_00 (00:46):
Avalon Park is a locally owned and operated
community.
We are in Cottleville, Missouri,which we have so many things
around for the seniors veryclose by with shopping,
district, restaurants, so muchfun that we can have here.
It's all inclusive.
So everything from your meals,entertainment, utilities,

(01:07):
transportation, programming isall included.
We are one of the mostaffordable in the community.
We that was our goal to bemid-market and serve seniors
that were didn't have the mostmoney, but didn't want to
sacrifice on a great communitythat had a lot to offer,
everything that they would need.

SPEAKER_02 (01:29):
I feel like that our activity calendar is better than
any other community.
But honestly, we just have somany things to do.
And what I like about ourresidents is sometimes they come
and they have some aches andpains.
And we want to keep them so busythat they don't even think about
their aches and pains, honestly.
And they can do that everysingle day.
We have at least threeactivities.

(01:50):
Most of the time, it could beupwards five, six activities a
day.
And the people here are reallywelcoming and they're just the
sweetest people in the wholeworld.
And I just think it's such aneasy environment to be welcomed
into.

SPEAKER_00 (02:06):
Absolutely.
It I call Avalon my second home.
It's our home away from home.
It truly feels like that for thepeople who work here, but also I
think that feeling that wecreate here with the staff, it
trickles over to the residentsand they become our family as
well.
So it it does truly feel like wehave a bunch of moms, dads, and

(02:28):
grandparents that live in thebuilding that we all get to
serve.
That's true.

SPEAKER_02 (02:32):
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 (02:38):
Some of the residents have even participated
in some of the kids in thedining room.
I say kids, some of the serversin the dining room sports
activities.
They've gone bowling together.
They have their pictures fortheir prom, their senior prom
here.
So it truly is a family atAvalon.

SPEAKER_01 (02:55):
That is so neat because you guys have this
beautiful entryway when you walkin.
And so that is a perfect placeto take prom pictures.
Oh my gosh, that's so nice.
That's so great.
And so when you when we talkabout senior living communities,
it really is a community.
It's like a big, giant, extendedfamily, all of you there.
And I can attest to the factthat you do have a lot of

(03:16):
activities.
I've seen the list every week.
And there is and also thepictures you guys send in to us,
there's a pretty much a lot ofparticipation.
There's a whole I saw just wason the website the other day,
and I saw a men's group thatjust started meeting.
And how lovely is that?
All of it's lovely, but that's anew thing that you guys put

(03:38):
together, and that's reallygreat.

SPEAKER_00 (03:40):
A little and the tea party.
So yeah, we're constantlyevolving.
I think with having the localownership 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 changehere and there over the years,
but what's nice about that isthey get a voice to say what's

(04:03):
important to them and we listen.
And we don't have to make aphone call to another city or
state or another corporation.
We're able to make those changeslocally here and really find out
what's best and what they wantto do.
And we bring it.
And it's usually with on a turnof a dime, which is wonderful.

SPEAKER_02 (04:21):
Yeah, it's nice because whenever we do have our
town hall meetings, whenever ourresidents, especially it's an
open forum.
So if it's sensible, which mostthings are sensible, we have it
done before the next town hallmeeting, which is a month later.
And I feel like that ourresidents know that they're
heard here whenever they talk tous.

(04:41):
It's not just us nodding andsaying, okay, no, it's actually
heard, and then we put a processto get the plan in action.
Yeah, it's it's great.

SPEAKER_01 (04:51):
That is great.
Tell us a little bit about theapartment.
So you have one bedroom, twobedroom.
What's your makeup ofresidences?

SPEAKER_02 (04:58):
We have studio apartments, one bedrooms, and
two bedrooms.
We just we have one on everyfloor.
So every what I love the most,and I used to open up the door
and go, oh, whenever we wouldopen up the door for the washer
and dryer.
Yes.
Because everybody needs a washerand dryer in their own
apartment.
Everybody has that and they havea balcony.
Full-size kitchens, which isreally nice, full-size

(05:21):
appliances, and you can stay inthat apartment.
And we have a care team here onsite.
So if they need any assistedliving type services, then they
can have those services in theirown apartment.
So they don't have to move toanother community.
They can stay here with theirfriends in their nice, good size
apartment, and they can getthose services here.

(05:41):
And the team takes really goodcare of them.
So that's just another way thatwe have evolved with the
residents and what their needsare, and we just meet them where
their needs are.
And we can do that because wehave local ownership.
And if we need to do something,then we do it quickly, make it
happen.

SPEAKER_01 (05:59):
Yeah, like for instance, if someone was
hospitalized, maybe they had aknee replacement or a hip
replacement.
So you guys have folks that canhelp 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 helpthem out right there.

SPEAKER_00 (06:17):
Absolutely.
That's true.
And the home health company,they've put together special
packages that are veryaffordable for somebody who
might have just that as asurgery or something that was
short term, where we'rerespecting that we're
affordable, the affordableoption.
And so we also selected anothercompany that can offer really
great care at an affordableoption as well.

(06:38):
So whether they need theservices 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 anothercommunity or another place.

SPEAKER_01 (06:50):
And with us, yeah, that's a big deal.
It's less stressful and it is abig deal to have to move.
It is a big deal.
And I know that sometimes thathappens, but sure.

(07:11):
I'm sure people check on eachother all the time.
They do, they do.

SPEAKER_02 (07:17):
It's really cute and it's really sweet and so loving.
And yeah, we just love ourresidents.
It's great.
We have such a good time withthem, and they are I think
they're they're the best in thewhole world.

SPEAKER_01 (07:29):
Yeah, they are.
And thank you for telling us allabout Avalon, and we'll make
sure all your contactinformation is showing up here
and the website and all of that.
I know Avalon is just I've beenthere and I know it's beautiful.
So thank you.