Reimagining Retirement at Van Mall Senior Living

Mar 31, Alissa Sauer

With nearly 34 years in business, Van Mall is your resource in retirement planning. Perfectly blending experience and innovation, Van Mall is a trusted partner in independent living and assisted living for a new generation of older adults. Take a closer look at how we are meeting the unique needs of the latest retirement generation.

Where Experience and Innovation Meet

When Van Mall opened in 1989, the world was different in many ways. We were dancing to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” celebrating the destruction of the Berlin Wall, and playing ball on the “Field of Dreams.” Today’s older adults are still dancing, celebrating, and playing with a different cast of characters in many different ways. Our job at Van Mall has always been to ensure they have everything they need to continue showing up as their best selves for the moments that matter most.

The senior living industry is infamous for turnover – but not at Van Mall. Van Mall Retirement has been owned and managed by the same company since the day we opened. Managed by Leisure Care and owned by Chuck and Karen Lytle, Van Mall has retained a consistent culture of excellence while also delivering creative and innovative answers to the questions and challenges of changing generations.

Over the past three decades, Van Mall owners, Chuck and Karen Lytle, have worked diligently to create senior living communities and instill a family-oriented culture that focuses on customer service.

“We have always stressed customer service and a family orientation or our communities. We have selected leaders and staff based on their caring and giving attitude and their ability to have fun. Early in our career, it was typically a 60-plus hour work week. We traveled extensively to each retirement community to inspect operations and get to know employees and residents. Today, as we approach retirement, our work week is closer to 20 hours per week. With our daughter, Jill Ashton, as our President, we can play more with our grandkids but still have fun with the business.” – Chuck and Karen Lytle, owners of Van Mall Retirement

Through their partnership with Leisure Care, the Lytles and Van Mall are committed to their core values of providing employees a unique working environment where they are free to practice well-being, live a balanced lifestyle, given permission to play, leave their mark in the community, and break the mold of every day.

Where Community is a Priority

We know our residents and staff play an important role in the health of the Vancouver community – and doing so plays an important role in their personal health! Chuck and Karen Lytle prioritize community involvement in their own lives, which naturally flows into the planned and more organic activities of Van Mall. The Lytle Center for Pregnancy and Newborns at Swedish in Seattle, named for Van Mall’s owners, is just one way their commitment to community manifests itself.

“Having the birth center named after us was a proud moment. We are fortunate to have so many great things in our lives. Building a successful family business that has improved the lives of seniors was definitely the biggest challenge and biggest reward.” – Chuck and Karen Lytle, owners of Van Mall Retirement

At Van Mall, residents, and staff participate in regular philanthropy events, like our annual car show benefitting worthy causes.

A Legacy of Excellence

Van Mall Retirement has an established legacy of treating people well and caring for others with excellence.

“We have probably had over 100,000 employees and 50,000 residents. We are proud of the many leaders we have trained and mentored over the years.”- Chuck and Karen Lytle, owners of Van Mall Retirement

With every new generation (and sometimes every new day!) comes a new way of doing things, but some things remain the same. As we change and adapt to the evolving needs of our older adults, we remain committed to a culture of excellence that prioritizes community.

To learn more about Van Mall, contact us today! We can’t wait to help you reimagine your retirement!