Avery Point Residents Benefit from An Array of Outdoor Amenities

Every Tuesday and Thursday in the spring, you'll find Joyce Fratkin leading a group of residents on a walk around campus at Avery Point, an Erickson Senior Living community in Short Pump, Va.

"I think it's so good for everybody to walk. It's good for your health. It's good for everything! I really think it keeps you young," says Joyce. "My mother lived to be 100, and she walked every day. I feel like it's in my genes."

In fact, a growing body of research supports the fact that spending time outdoors results in improved health in older adults. 

So whether you prefer dining alfresco, spending time with friends around the fire pit, or playing bocce, enjoying the fresh air in a serene environment is just one benefit of living at Avery Point.

"Being outdoors makes me feel better," agrees Joyce. 

So much to do

With amenities just steps from their front doors, Avery Point residents can easily spend time outside at the pickleball court, the dog park, and the community garden. Joyce especially likes to join neighbors for a friendly game of bocce. 

Residents can also participate in the many events that take place outdoors throughout the year. In the past, community staff members have organized activities for National Dance Day, National Senior Health and Fitness Week, and the Senior Olympics. 

"Fitness center team members have held demos of some of their classes outside, so that residents can see what they're about," says Resident Life Director Abby Fuller. "Anybody who comes by is welcome to join in. It's made the classes more accessible."

The community has also hosted a Walk to End Alzheimer's, in which residents and staff walk the "loop" around campus. In 2024, the walk raised more than $25,000 for the Alzheimer's Association. 

Last September, Avery Point planned an outdoor carnival for Grandparents' Day, featuring big inflatables, food, and carnival games. "Many residents brought their grandkids, and others just came by themselves," says Fuller. "But everyone had a great time!"

Investing in amenities

Although Avery Point is a relatively new community in the Erickson Senior Living family, additions have already been made to support residents' interests and the community's growth. 

The community garden--in which residents are assigned a personal space, either in the ground or in a raised bed, to grow their vegetables or flowers--has really taken off. As a result, Avery Point invested in adding more garden spaces for resident green thumbs. 

"We've had high resident interest," says Fuller. "We regularly hear from incoming residents that one of the big reasons they're choosing to move to Avery Point is because they don't want to do yard maintenance anymore, but at the same time, they love their outdoor space." 

She continues, "The beautiful thing about living here is that you don't have to do any of the maintenance, but you still have access to all these outdoor amenities just steps away--you get to maintain the physical, mental, and social health benefits."

Joyce agrees. "If I feel a little stress or anything, I go outside," she says. "It always makes me feel better."

Time for family

While Joyce only leads a walking group two days a week, she makes sure to walk on the other five as well. 

"I try to get 10,000 steps every day," she says. Having a community of like-minded neighbors makes it easy to find others to join you in the moment. "There's always somebody you can call and say, ‘Do you want to go take a walk?'"

And when she's not out walking, she's often busy hosting her two sons and her three grandchildren, who live in the Richmond, Va., area--and love Avery Point's outdoor amenities just as much as she does. 

"They love sitting outside here. If it's a beautiful day but a little chilly, we can sit by the fireplace outside of Magnolia's Bar," she says. "But a lot of times, when they come for lunch and it's nice, we always sit outside."

"There's a lot of social engagement happening here," notes Fuller. "Spending time outdoors has proven to have mental health impacts for people, so it's great for our residents to have these spaces."

Invest in your future self at Avery Point. From top-notch amenities to affordable, maintenance-free residences, you are sure to live your retirement to the fullest. Request more information today!