Artificial Turf in Retirement Communities

By Sean Lowry

Artificial turf can be used in a multitude of settings: sports complexes, businesses, home landscaping, golf greens and pet areas. Furthermore, the quality and selection of synthetic grass materials have vastly improved over the past decade, and new uses for artificial turf are frequently found.

One new trend is the use of artificial grass in retirement communities. People using wheelchairs, scooters and walkers find artificial grass to be smoother and easier for navigation (eliminating soft spots and holes which can cause falls). In addition, community management improves the appearance of its property, while also reducing their maintenance costs.

Most residential artificial grass also meets or exceeds the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which all senior living communities in the United States must be compliant with. Synthetic grass makes it easier for retirement communities to create an environment that looks professional, is easy to maintain, and meets government regulations.

Managing hundreds of aging patients is not an easy task. Replacing grass with synthetic turf helps retirement community owners save time. Once the turf is installed, the lawn becomes a hassle-free asset that helps attract new customers and saves owners money in maintenance fees.

Top 10 Benefits of Artificial Turf

By Sean Lowry, On Deck Sports

Homeowners are discovering many of the benefits of installing artificial turf on their lawns. The benefits which accompany installing synthetic grass at home include:

10. Quality of Grass/Options: There are wide varieties of colors, lengths and thickness to meet personal preferences. Synthetic turf is a high-quality, durable solution (often lasting 10+ years) commonly used for sports fields, home lawns, golf greens, pet areas, and retirement community centers.

9. Time Savings: No more cutting the grass. No more shopping for lawn mowers. No more going to get gas to put in the lawn mower. No more changing the oil in the lawn mower. No more weed-whacking. No more weeding.

8. Great Drainage: Mud is no longer a problem. The yard stays much drier than grass yards, making outdoor activities easier for the families.

7. Fresh-Cut Grass: Homeowners always have a “perfect yard” appearance. Many people driving by won’t realize the yard is artificial. No more rushing to mow the lawn before guests arrive.

6. Financial Benefits: Artificial turf increases the value of your home. It will also help you save money. Duke University environmentalist Bill Chameides reports that over $30 billion is spent on lawn care annually in the U.S. Each day, more than 7 billion gallons of water are used for residential irrigation. Turf eliminates the need to spend thousands on watering, lawn care equipment, gasoline and fertilizers.

5. Kid Safe: Kids and pets won’t be playing in toxic chemicals anymore. A detailed study by the Toxics In Action organization shows the danger of using fertilizers to acquire a “perfect” lawn. In addition, artificial lawns are much safer for recreation. The Department of Health and Human Development found that artificial turf results in 74% fewer muscle tears and 42% less ACL trauma.

4. Dogs Love It: Dogs love the comfort of synthetic grass. It’s also easier to clean up after pets, and there is no discoloration from pet waste. Also, pets will no longer be tracking dirt and grass into your home.

3. Pest-Resistant: Moles and insects are no longer multiplying in your backyard. Having dinner outside? Now, it’s less likely insects and bugs will bother your house. They’ll move to the neighbor’s yard, where they can live in a natural grass environment.

2. Environmentally Responsible: No more toxic chemicals, pesticides or lawn mower emissions. In addition, artificial grass uses recycled tires for its rubber filling, and saves water. Recycled synthetic grass is also now an option, giving a second life to discarded turf fields.

1. Not What It Used To Be: Artificial turf is no longer what is used to be: hard, carpet-like material with cement underneath. You will enjoy the benefits of a comfortable, easy-to-maintain lawn, while also saving money and helping the environment.

http://www.real-estate-info-articles.com/instantly-increase-the-value-of-your-home-with-synthetic-grass/

http://www.refusetousechemlawn.org/uploads/12/Refuse_to_Use_Chemlawn_Be_Truly_Green.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyOEImcsbaE

http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/thegreengrok/lawns

Facility Profile: In the Zone, Fall River, Mass.

Located next to the Nokona bat factory in Fall River, Mass., the In the Zone training center was opened by area baseball coach Ron Westmoreland in October 2009.

The 12,000-square-foot facility includes six batting cages with retractable netting, soft toss stations, and three pitching lanes. On Deck Sports helped to outfit the facility with ATEC Junior pitching machines, screens, netting, batting tees and more.

Individual, group and family memberships are available at the facility throughout the year. In the Zone also operates a travel baseball program for teams from U9 to U17, and travel softball squads from U12 to U17.

A part-owner of the New England Collegiate League’s Newport Gulls, Westmoreland coaches the varsity baseball team at nearby Portsmouth High School. He is the father of Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Westmoreland (right), who is scheduled to return to action in 2012; he missed the entire 2010 and 2011 season after suffering a brain aneurysm.

A number of area youth coaches are instructors at the facility, as is Craig Albernaz (below), a Fall River native who has spent the last three seasons at the Triple-A and Double-A level in the Tampa Bay Rays’ system. Daniel Nava, who played for the Boston Red Sox in 2010 and the Pawtucket Red Sox, their Triple-A affiliate in 2011, worked out at the facility during the past season.

In the Zone offered a Pro Scout Clinic for talented players during the 2011 off-season, administered by Major League Baseball scouts from the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers. Among the instructors were Matt Antonelli, currently on the Baltimore Orioles’ 40-man roster, and Mickey Wiswall, a Boston College standout who completed his second season in the Seattle Mariners’ organization in 2011.

Based in Brockton, Mass., On Deck Sports is the leader in designing, installing, and supplying indoor sports facilities throughout North America. For more information, visit the Facility Portfolio page on OnDeckSports.com.