Seniors enjoy amenities at Autumn Place

She moved to Autumn Place "kicking and screaming," Betty Spencer says, but said now, she'd "kick and scream" if her children tried to move her out of the independent living apartment she calls home.

Spencer, 80, walked on a treadmill while other residents, ranging in age from 67 to 98 visit around the community table contemplating a game of bingo.

Formerly from California, Spencer said her children brought her to Northwest Arkansas to be closer to them.

"My kids brought me out here from California kicking and screaming. I've been here three years," she smiled.

"She'd kick and scream if they tried to take her out," manager Rozella McKinney said.

Spencer has her little dog and several potted plants.

Jay Churchill, 98, said: "It's about as good a place as anywhere."

The apartments and the staff are both a drawing card to senior citizens who need to downsize from their homes but do not need assisted living, McKinney said.

The residents agreed.

"The people are nice," Mary Palmer, 89, said.

"We all love this lady right here," Curtis Lane said, adding that the dual access to each apartment was appealing to him. "It's not like a chicken house."

"It's not crowded here," Ralph Thornton, 94, said."You're not elbowing one another like you would in a big place. You can get acquainted."

He moved to Pea Ridge from the Republic, Mo., area to live closer to his daughter. He's lived here for four years. "It was getting where I couldn't take care of the house and yard. I just told my kids I didn't want them taking care of me."

With independent living, there are no restrictions. Many residents have their own vehicles; they come and go as they please. There is a laundry facility and for an additional charge, they can have their laundry washed for them. But, it is also available as a self-service. Each apartment has at least a mini-kitchen area, some have more than others.

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Editor's note: This is the first in a three-part series on Autumn Place, independent living.