Vison Hall Retirement Community and Homes in McLean, Virginia Outside Washington D.C.

Life at Vinson Hall

Click on any of the links below to see the services we offer and learn about opportunities at Vinson Hall to inspire mind, body and soul.

Transitioning From Your Home to Vinson Hall

“At Vinson Hall I found a community of men and women who shared my experiences of relocation, who welcome newcomers and who take care of each other.” VH Resident

Whether you are preparing for an immediate move or planning for your future, there can be apprehensions about leaving the place you have called home for so long and moving into a retirement community environment. At Vinson Hall we understand these concerns and want to help make your transition as smooth as possible. We have been helping incoming residents and their families navigate this process for many years; you can depend on our expertise.

Our Move-In Coordinator, with the help of other staff, will meet with you to provide support and acquaint you with our wonderful community. In addition, we have a wealth of community resources from which to provide assistance; from realtors and movers to relocation specialists.

Once you are here, a resident sponsor will be available to acclimate you to your new community. Your sponsor will “show you the ropes”, so to speak, introducing you to fellow residents, dining with you, accompanying you on one or more of our fabulous resident outings and telling you about the many in-house activities available at Vinson Hall.

And with a dedicated staff at your service, you can get settled and concentrate on what’s important to you.

Fitness Center

…this is our approach to fitness.

Your health is the key to your independence. With this in mind, our nationally certified trainers are committed to helping our residents set and achieve their health and wellness goals. As a member of the Vinson Hall community, you will have daily access to our state-of-the-art Fitness Center and services such as:

• Fitness Assessment
• Strength Training
• Flexibility Training
• Cardiovascular Training
• Functional Conditioning
• Aquatic Fitness Training
• Weight Reduction
• Hypertension/Diabetes Fitness Training
• Martial Arts (Tai Chi/Tae Kwon Do)

Regularly scheduled activities such as pool volleyball and dance classes, and special events such as our “Walk Across America” and Resident Olympics make maintaining health and wellness fun and entertaining for our residents.

Dining at Vinson Hall

Vinson Hall Dining Services offers a unique “Dining Room Plan” with the philosophy of having maximum options in choices for Vinson Hall Residents.

There is a weekly “Specials” menu with varied items for Luncheon & Dinner, as well as an extensive A la carte menu with options for Light Fare, Healthy Choice Items, Sandwiches and various Entrees of fish, chicken, pasta and beef. Our menus are not cyclical (we don’t have a Specials “template” that we simply re-offer every month)—our kitchen staff takes full advantage of the many fresh in-season items available at different times of the year.

While many retirement communities have a set “minimum” or dining plans where residents must select 20 -30 meals a month (and pay for them whether or not they actually eat them), Vinson Hall offers much more freedom of choice for residents. A much lower fee for fixed costs of the Dining Services is included in a resident’s monthly bill, and each resident then pays what essentially amounts to a raw food cost for the meals they choose. Our plan offers residents a maximum of choice – choice of what meals they actually want and the choice of dining when they prefer to. Vinson Hall Dining Room, for all practical purposes, operates just like a fine restaurant.

Spiritual Care

Spiritual Care is an integral component of the Vinson Hall tradition of holistic care provided for residents of all faith traditions.

Spiritual Care includes:

• A genuine respect for ALL faith traditions;
• Religious services to meet worship needs of all residents at the Vinson Hall Chapel and throughout the Vinson Hall Retirement Community;
• Availability of on-site spiritual counseling for residents, family members and staff;
• Visitation in residences, hospitals and other care settings to address spiritual and religious needs of residents who are ill or convalescing or in rehabilitation programs;
• A Director of Ministerial Services, who serves all residents and staff of Vinson Hall Independent Living, Arleigh Burke Assisted Living and Nursing Care and The Sylvestery.

Hobbies and Other Interests

The choice of hobbies and other leisure pastimes at Vinson Hall are as varied as the people who live here. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned veteran, you are cordially invited to join in on any of our resident-organized activities, just some of which are shown below:

• Painting
• Woodcarving
• Gardening
• Quilting and Knitting
• Pool, Poker Nights and Bridge Clubs
• Resident Computer Stations
• Woodworking and Electronics
• Framing

And if there are any radio buffs out there, you are invited to be part of the residents’ Amateur Radio and MARS Station.

If your particular interests aren’t currently represented at Vinson Hall, don’t be shy about organizing your own group. There are a lot of active residents, and chances are you’ll find others with similar interests.

Lifelong Learning

"If you prefer the quiet life, you can find it in your own apartment, or browsing in the well-stocked, genuine (not just a wall of books in some remote room) library.” VH Resident

Our lifelong learning philosophy starts with our spacious library, where you can, with the assistance of our part-time, volunteer librarian, check out or order books from the Fairfax County Public Library system. Our own library collection includes paperbacks, mysteries, biographies, historical works, fiction, reference, audio, large print books and movies on video cassette and DVD.

But the learning doesn’t stop here. Thanks to Rosa Weinstein and the other volunteer teachers from Himmelfarb Mobile University, residents of Vinson Hall are enjoying presentations on topics ranging from the history of man to the history of candy. Some classes are serious, some light-hearted—but they are all educational, entertaining and interactive. And they all take place at Vinson Hall.

Resident-Organized Groups

“There used to be a saying in my youth that everyone has at least one book in them. New-comers are cordially invited to take up pen, typewriter or word processor and take a whack at it.” VH Resident

Our residents, several of them accomplished writers, have formed their own literary groups, in which all residents, regardless of ability, are welcome to participate:

• Residents currently have 2 active book clubs, where group members read selected titles, and then meet to discuss both the artist and his/her work.
• There are also 2 in-house writing groups; one is called Memoirs, which meets monthly under resident leadership; the second has named itself Word Weavers, which has directed its attention to a free-thinking style of creative writing.
• Our monthly resident newsletter, News & Views, is written and published by a group of residents, who encourage new-comers to join the staff.
• And if Genealogy is your passion, several residents at Vinson Hall are very well-versed on the subject.

Health and Security

For Your Health and Wellness:

• Licensed Nurse on duty 24 hours a day
• Health and Wellness Center available 24 hours a day
• Doctor on premises three days a week for consultation and sick call
• Meals delivered when needed due to health reasons
• Military prescription pick-up service available for those eligible
• Bus transportation to Bethesda Naval Hospital scheduled four days a week
• Registered Dietician and Nutritionist available for consultation

For Your Safety and Security:

• 24-hour security staff
• 24-hour front desk service
• 24-hour exterior camera surveillance
• Emergency call system in every apartment

Other than appointments with the Registered Dietician and nutritionist, all of the above services are included in a resident's monthly maintenance fee.

Resident Outings & Social Events

“Refreshing the Sense of Wonder"

Our “Things To Do” program, developed in mid-2007, is running at full-steam in 2008. Inspired by resident suggestions and participation, our events and trips are limited only by the interests of the residents themselves. Almost every day residents stop by my office, call me or post notes, brochures and newspaper articles on my office door describing places they would like to see. Additionally, I solicit resident comments and suggestions on how and what I can do to maximize their social experiences.

To date, we have been on outings to museums, art galleries, concert venues, theaters and Charlestown Races and Slots; we have enjoyed Christmas festivities at the Mormon Temple and traveled to Bull Run Park; we have traveled the Maryland Scenic Railroad and been on overnight trips to Shenandoah National Park to enjoy the fall colors and to a magnificent Estate in Middleburg, VA for a “personal retreat.” Below is a list of events for the month:

Amenities and Transportation

For Your Convenience (all included in your monthly maintenance fee)

• In-house phone system in addition to your private telephone
• Cable Television (about 40 channels available)
• Laundry, trash, trunk and suitcase rooms on every floor
• Weekly housekeeping service
• Resident parking
• Use of our beautiful picnic area with barbecue pit (think family gatherings!)
• Use of the hobby shops, fitness center, library, chapel, auditorium and fireplace room

We also offer an in-house beauty and barber salon and, at scheduled times, a seamstress will be available (there will be an extra cost for these two services).

For Your Travel Needs (all included in your monthly maintenance fee)

• Bus transportation to Bethesda Naval Hospital scheduled four days a week
• Scheduled transportation to military commissaries, exchanges and area shopping centers
• Courtesy car available to take you to medical appointments and other important destinations

Resident Association

The Vinson Hall Residents Association is an organization of all Vinson Hall residents operating under By-laws and Standing Rules adopted by the residents. The purposes of the Association are:

• To encourage and maintain a cooperative and mutually-helpful attitude between the Association and the Management of Vinson Hall.
• To foster an interest in protecting and preserving the physical properties of Vinson Hall and present concerns of residents through a voting membership on the Board of Directors.
• To aid the Trustees, Directors, and the Administrator in all ways possible in the administration of Vinson Hall, such as planning for the future by making recommendations for improvements in facilities and services and use of financial resources.
• To foster an atmosphere of friendliness, dignity and mutual helpfulness among the residents and employees.
• Through representative committees, to provide communication between the residents as a group and Management, and to develop procedures for entertainment, recreation and other activities which will contribute to the well-being, security and happiness of all residents.
• To guard the good name and reputation of Vinson Hall, and through all these purposes combined, to materially contribute to both present and future successful operation.

As stated previously, the only requirement for membership is being a resident at Vinson Hall. The Association generally meets once each month, and there are no dues to pay.