WellSpire’s Guide to Healthy Senior Living in the Quad Cities

Healthy senior living in the Quad Cities is about more than just exercising and following your doctor’s recommendations. It’s about adjusting your perspective to think about your overall well-being. This holistic approach puts value on friendships, passions, spirituality, volunteering, and anything else that brings you joy and purpose.

Why is healthy senior living important?

Healthy living is about engaging in the activities and with the people who mean the most to you. In fact, studies have proven the relationship between activity engagement and health. Participation in activities such as working, engaging with hobbies, volunteering, and visiting friends produces positive physical and mental health outcomes. 

The opposite is true as well. Studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness can cause serious health complications related to cognitive decline, heart disease, and depression. 

How does healthy senior living help people thrive?

Senior living communities offer opportunities to enhance wellness. In addition to providing exceptional care and support if needed, communities offer experiences that connect residents, opportunities for residents to hone in on their passions, and spaces for spiritual growth. 

Communities for senior living in the Quad Cities provide even more possibilities to engage with what matters most to you. 

When is it important? 

Whether you want to continue pursuing what interests you most or make changes to your lifestyle, it’s never too late nor too early to find ways to enjoy life. 

Independent living can turn your life up a notch with a wealth of choices, including diverse floor plans, delicious and nutritious dining options, engaging events, new friends, and concierge-level services. It’s about providing opportunities to find joy, experience freedom, and explore!

The Quad Cities is a region of cities that includes Bettendorf and Davenport in Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. Each city and its surrounding towns and villages — such as Silvis, Illinois, and DeWitt, Iowa — has something unique to offer.

The many fun things to do in the Quad Cities include opportunities to move, connect, explore, and participate in a variety of activities and experiences. 

Are you someone who loves to take advantage of a beautiful day? The Quad Cities has plenty to offer, from walking trails and golf courses to fishing and boating opportunities on the mighty Mississippi.

Here are a few spots to try:

Walking and Hiking Trails 

• Black Hawk State Historic Site: Explore hiking trails along the Rock River and through the nature preserve in this 208-acre park that showcases the fascinating cultural history and diverse natural resources of the Quad Cities. 
• Illiniwek Forest Preserve: Take a day or weekend to visit this 174-acre park that offers family-friendly campsites, trails, fishing, and scenic views of the Mississippi River. 
• Sylvan Island Trails: Walk, run, or bike on this island’s fairly flat, 1.2-mile network of multi-use trails.
• Ben Butterworth Parkway: Part of the Great River Trail, this Mississippi riverfront trail is 2.2 miles long and includes playgrounds, a marina, restaurants, two boat launches, and a picnic area.
• Vander Veer Botanical Park: Within the 33-acre park, visitors can experience a botanical center, lagoon, special gardens, and several walking and jogging paths.
• Westbrook Park: This 100-acre park is the largest in DeWitt and includes picnic areas, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, an 18-hole disc golf course, a dog park, and a mountain bike trail.

Golf Courses 

• Crow Valley Golf Club: One of Davenport’s most sought-after courses, Crow Valley provides a challenging, exciting game with beautiful scenery. Members can access golf clinics to improve their skills.
• Emeis Golf Course: Take a day to play a round of golf in Davenport’s most well-known golf course, which hosts the qualifying round of the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic.
• Glynns Creek Golf Course: Located just 15 miles north of Davenport and within Scott County Park, this 18-hole, par-72 course's layout resembles the great courses of Scotland, featuring tree-lined watered fairways, rolling hills, and grass bunkers.
• Highland Springs Course: This Rock Island course is recognized as one of the best-designed in the area and includes enough length to challenge all skill levels. Rugged terrain, rolling hills, and numerous lakes and ponds contribute to the beauty and challenge of the course.
• Palmer Hills Golf Course: Located in Bettendorf, this award-winning public golf course includes 18 holes, a driving range, hundred-year-old oak trees, rolling hills, ponds, and a meandering creek.
• TPC Deere Run: Located in Silvis, Illinois, this premier PGA Tour course offers golfers of all levels the opportunity to experience a course that challenges Tour professionals each summer. 

Fishing and Boating

• Rivers, Waterways, and Bodies of Water: Located on the Mississippi River (the fourth-largest river in the world) and settled among many waterways and other bodies of water, the Quad Cities offers many opportunities to spend the day fishing or relaxing on a boat.
• Channel Cat Water Taxi: Although not suitable for fishing, the Channel Cat Water Taxi is an affordable, flexible way to spend time on the water and experience stunning views.
• Celebration River Cruises: The “Celebration Belle” is a 750-passenger paddlewheel boat designed for cruising the waterways of the great Mississippi River, offering casual sightseeing, luncheon, and dinner cruises. 

Other Outdoor Activities

• Niabi Zoo: Love wildlife? Visit the Niabi Zoo to see more than 600 animals representing 200 species. You can always purchase a membership to spend plenty of time on one or two exhibits and come back another time to see the rest!  
• Snowstar: One of the region’s top-rated winter attractions, this sports park offers 15 skiing and snowboarding lanes ranging from beginner to seasoned. Once the snow melts, the spring season brings plenty of outdoor activities, including slacklining, disc golf, and more.
• Broadway Historic District: If you enjoy historic neighborhoods and architecture, stroll through Broadway, an active 19th-century neighborhood in the heart of Rock Island, Illinois. It’s known for its historic homes, innovative preservation activities, and front-porch socializing. 
• Freight House Farmers Market: From the start of spring to the end of fall, visit the largest farmers market in the Midwest to pick up local produce, listen to live music, and eat local fare while looking over the Mississippi River.

Whether you’re interested in attending group exercise classes, centering yourself with yoga, or incorporating natural movement into your day-to-day life, the Quad Cities has plenty to offer. 

Wellness Centers

• Older Adult Wellness at the YMCA: Join the YMCA to take advantage of water exercises, group exercises, low-impact aerobics, and personal trainers who can help you find areas of strength and improvement. 
• Fitness Pools: Join one of several YMCAs throughout the Quad Cities region if you want to exercise by swimming laps for a low-impact cardio workout.

Disc Golf 

• Disc Golf Courses: Disc golf is a great way to walk and have fun at the same time. Play your way through more than 15 courses throughout the area. 

Yoga

• Whether you’re interested in beginner-level yoga, advanced flows, hot yoga, or yoga with a pilates influence, you have plenty of studios to choose from, including Living Yoga, One Tree Hot Yoga, or Tapas Yoga.

If you want to connect with friends and the city beyond a night out on the town, the Quad Cities offers plenty of opportunities to meet like-minded people through social programs.

Community Organizations

• Quad-City Plus 60 Club: This unique social club is made up of members age 55 and older and offers activities such as theater shows, sports games, dinners, and small cruises to keep older adults active and engaged with the community.
• American Legion: At American Legion Post 26 — an organization of U.S. veterans — join members for community events or schedule your own to use the seating and party area, bar and lounge, and full kitchen.
• Center for Active Seniors, Inc.: For opportunities to connect with new friends, the Center for Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI) provides daily activities, classes, community forums, a fitness center, and educational activities.
• Moline Township Activity Center: This Center gives people 55 and older a place to share life experiences, learn new things, and make friends. Membership is affordable, and programming includes fitness classes, games, and casual get-togethers over meals. 

Libraries 

• Read, Research, and Listen: In every city of the region and beyond, you have the opportunity to read books from around the world, research nearly any topic of your choice, and hear from visiting authors and speakers at local libraries.

Sporting Events 

• Modern Woodmen Park: All summer long, enjoy minor league baseball from the Quad Cities River Bandits at Modern Woodmen Park. These games come with all the food, fun, and atmosphere you’re used to at a major league stadium.
• Vibrant Arena: Join one of the newest sports teams in the area, Quad City Storm, as they play hockey — one of the fastest, most engaging sports in the country.

If you’re a lover of art, history, and culture or love to create your own work, you’ll never find a lack of opportunity. 

Museums

• Figge Art Museum: Located in downtown Davenport, this encyclopedic collection serves as the major art museum for the region with art sourced from around the world.
• Quad City Arts: This organization is on a mission to bring the arts to the residents of the Quad Cities by offering community arts opportunities, programming, and events.
• John Deere Pavilion: With displays featuring new and vintage equipment, interactive and immersive exhibits, and a few surprises, visitors can find out how John Deere forges the cutting edge every day.
• Putnam Museum: Visitors of Putnam connect with history and ideas by doing, making, and experiencing through classes, informational films, and science, history, and natural world exhibits. 

Performing Arts

• Ballet Quad Cities: Spend the night out enjoying classical and contemporary dance featuring both original and holiday-themed shows. 
• Adler Theatre: The prime location for performing arts in the region, Adler Theatre is the place to be if you enjoy live theater, ballet, and shows featured on Broadway. 
• Circa ‘21 Dinner Playhouse: Another well-known theater in the region, Circa ‘21 is an excellent venue to visit if you enjoy local talent, original shows, holiday classics, and musical performances. 
• Quad City Music Guild: If you enjoy classic and contemporary musicals, visit Prospect Park Auditorium to experience quality musical theater.

Music 

• Quad City Symphony Orchestra: The QCSO is a favorite of the region’s classical-music lovers. They inspire, entertain, and engage the community through superb symphonic music.
• The Tangled Wood: If you enjoy outdoor music, the amphitheater at The Tangled Wood is a great place to listen to numerous bands playing various genres of music.
• Vibrant Arena: For concerts in a larger setting, the Vibrant Arena regularly hosts bands and musical artists from various genres. If you aren’t a fan of large concerts, the Arena hosts other events, including The Harlem Globetrotters and rodeos.
• Bass Street Landing: This unique venue hosts outdoor events, festivals, and gatherings. Events are hosted among water features and sculptures lit by string lighting to illuminate the area. 

With hundreds of denominational choices that span across multiple religions and spiritual practices, the Quad Cities is a great place to find spiritual fellowship. 

• Churches and Synagogues: In the Quad Cities and the surrounding region, you’ll find plenty of churches representing different denominations, including non-denominational, interdenominational, and community churches.
• Islamic Center of the Quad Cities: The ICQC provides dedicated space and personnel for Muslims to practice prayer and access language education, social and religious interaction, and outreach programs. 
• Worship and Fellowship at a Senior Living Community: Senior living communities are great places for fellowship, worship, and prayer circles. 

Are you a student of life? Or just a lifelong student? The Quad Cities is a great place to take a class and expand your knowledge through one of the many local colleges, universities, and organizations. 

• Colleges and Universities: Audit a class at either the undergraduate or graduate level at Augustana College, St. Ambrose University, Black Hawk College, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, or Western Illinois University. Two other local colleges, Palmer and Trinity, offer specialized programming.

At WellSpire, we are dedicated to providing opportunities for adults throughout the Quad Cities to create experiences that foster friendships, learning, spiritual growth, and more.

Our organization was formed in 2019 in collaboration between WesleyLife and Genesis Health System. Combining WesleyLife’s 75 years of experience and expertise serving older adults with Genesis Health System, the Quad Cities’ most trusted name in healthcare, WellSpire serves seniors in both Iowa and Illinois through a comprehensive health and well-being network.

Curious about what life can be in a WellSpire community? Join us for a personalized tour of any of our Quad Cities senior living communities.

The Summit of Bettendorf

Our largest community in the Quad Cities, the Summit offers a modern look, a full programming calendar, an on-site theater, and much more. 

Residents of the Summit are a social bunch. You’ll have plenty of new friends to join for a meal or a walk in the courtyard. Or venture together a few blocks away for shopping, dining, entertainment, church, and anything else your active lifestyle requires. And your new friends won’t be the only friendly faces you’ll see! The Summit also has plenty of canine friends to greet you around campus.

Our amenities: 

• State-of-the-art wellness center
• Salon and barbershop
• Three restaurants
• Golf simulator
• Rooftop bar
• Outdoor walking paths
• Open balcony with a firepit
• Onsite store for convenient purchases
• Guest room for friends and family

Our lifestyle options: 

• Independent Living
• Assisted Living
• Short-Term Rehabilitation
• Long-Term Care
• Memory Support

Fieldstone of DeWitt 

Providing senior living for Clinton County and surrounding areas, this community emphasizes well-being that goes beyond physical exercise. If a resident eventually needs to transition to another level of care, this community offers several lifestyle options. 

Our amenities:

• State-of-the-art wellness center
• Salon and spa
• Manicured walking paths
• Flexible dining options, including a bistro
• Community spaces for friends and family
• In-apartment emergency call systems
• Three sunrooms that connect residents to outdoor spaces
• Private suites with private bathrooms

Our lifestyle options: 

• Assisted Living
• Memory Care
• Short-Term Rehabilitation
• Long-Term Care

Senior living in the Quad Cities invites you to explore your current passions and discover new ones. Whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, an admirer of the arts, or a seeker of spiritual experiences, there are plenty of things to do in the Quad Cities!  

Tour one of our WellSpire communities!