Fox Run Gives Seniors the Freedom to Do More in Retirement

Before Paul Carter and Jan Kirchgessner made the decision to move to Fox Run, the Erickson Senior Living community in Novi, Mich., they considered all the options available to them.

“I only wanted to move one more time,” explains Jan. “So wherever we went was going to be where we stayed.”

“Also, we didn’t want to wait too long to do it because we figured the longer we waited, the older we got, the more difficult it was going to be to do the move,” adds Paul. “And we wanted to be in a place where we could just do a lot of stuff.”

Since moving to Fox Run, Jan and Paul certainly have done a lot, both inside and outside of the community. They play the card game euchre on Friday nights and also play hand-and-foot canasta. Both of them enjoy using the fitness center. Jan likes attending Mass on Tuesdays, and Paul has fun making things in the woodshop.

Simple, worry-free senior living

“Residents often come here looking for a simpler life. They want to have things taken care of for them, so they can just enjoy the freedom,” says Director of Resident Life Barbara Jablonski. She adds that residents love participating in activities at Fox Run, which has more than 140 resident-run clubs with everything from gardening to a history club and Scrabble to four different book clubs. And they love pets.

“People have a lot of fun watching the dogs play in our dog park— whether they have a dog or not!”

Paul, a certified public accountant, still works, although now his commute is only five minutes as opposed to his former 40 to 50-minute one. The couple is looking forward to one of their favorite activities outside of Fox Run: ballroom dancing. Having taken lessons for more than 20 years, they’ve participated in Michigan Senior Olympics and in showcases.

“It’s something we like to do, and it keeps us flexible,” says Jan. “But you will not see us on Dancing with the Stars!”

Over the past year, Wednesday mornings were for bingo, where winners received their choice of ice cream delivered to their front door on Fridays. When Jan won, Paul got the prize, since “he’s the ice-cream eater,” says Jan. She jokes that she was in it for the “fame and fortune.”

Paul and Jan also like that they’re not quite as far away from the airport. They enjoy trips across the country and around the world, and living at Fox Run makes traveling easy.

“It’s a ‘lock-and-leave-type situation,” says Jan. “When we go on a trip, we just lock up and leave. We don’t have to worry about who’s going to watch the house.”

Fox Run is ideal for entertainment buffs

Since moving to Fox Run in July 2019, Carrie and Warren Phillips have taken advantage of the many opportunities to participate in entertainment-related activities both on campus and in the surrounding community. On campus, Warren participates in two choirs as well as the photography club. Besides being an avid reader, Carrie has served as a volunteer at the Treasure Chest, the community resale store.

“It’s a big step above a thrift shop,” she says. “We have one room that is strictly furniture and another that is smaller items. It’s all great stuff at really economical prices.”

The couple also likes attending Fox Run’s program called “Movies That Make You Think.” After the viewing, a presenter with knowledge about the film would lead a question-and-answer session. “We saw a few films we had never seen and enjoyed them.”

Maintenance-free senior living offers residents more time to give back

Because they're no longer bothered with home maintenance, Warren and Carrie have more time to devote to volunteering at the Penn Theatre in Plymouth, a historic theatre that shows inexpensive second-run movies. Carrie made popcorn and sold it to patrons, while Warren served as projectionist until it went digital—and then he operated that.

Back at their apartment home, they can listen to an album from Warren’s collection of more than 700 vinyl records. Before they moved in, they took advantage of Fox Run’s expert Custom Interiors team to build custom shelves to hold his albums.

“I’m a major fan of jazz of the ’50s and ’60s and the older artists, too, from the ’20s and ’30s,” says Warren, adding that Fox Run staff did a very nice job of installing the shelves.

Start your future at Fox Run independent living community

Whether you're looking to become part of a vibrant community or to make costly, time-consuming home maintenance a thing of the past, Fox Run is the answer for you! To learn more about the freedom of retirement living at Fox Run, request more information today.