Senior Living Blog

Kind gestures, no matter how small, have an incredible ability to create lasting joy and happiness for all parties involved. This certainly was true for the residents of Crosby Commons, an independent and assisted living community in Shelton, CT, as they worked to inspire New Haven schoolchildren. This mission was part of a project where volunteers created inspiring messages on lunch bags for local schools in hopes of reducing stigmas within their communities. After hearing about this cause, Crosby Commons residents helped make 100 inspirational lunch bags for students who participate in the Free Lunch Program. The bags were covered in drawings, colorful stickers, and quotes like “Happy Lunching”, “Do Great Things” and “Have a great meal!”

What better way to stay active and inside this winter than participating in a Wii bowling tournament? Age was certainly not a factor for over 100 seniors who participated in an annual Wii tournament held at the Bristol Senior Center. The Residents from Middlewoods Independent and Assisted Living Communities in Farmington and Newington, accompanied by their teammates from the Newington Senior Center, played exceptionally well at this fun-filled event! “The Woodchucks”, as this team is known, is comprised of 14 players, all of whom have been practicing daily for months in preparation of this tournament.

Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center was recently selected by U.S. News and World Report to receive a Best Nursing Homes Ranking for 2016-17, a title they have continued to earn since 2013. U.S. News rated over 15,000 nursing homes across the country in an effort to help caregivers and families find the best nursing home for their loved one. At the top of the Connecticut nursing homes list are those with a rating of five stars from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for their overall performance in health inspections, nurse staffing and quality of medical care. Of the 227 nursing homes in the state, 16 percent earned an overall five-star rating, including Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center. To view the rankings by location, visit http://health.usnews.com/best-nursing-homes.

The Connecticut Assisted Living Association (CALA) recently selected United Methodist Homes (UMH) as the recipient of three of their Annual Best Practices awards for 2016! UMH, a mission based, not-for-profit organization, with independent and assisted living communities in Newington and Farmington, as well as Shelton, CT, were presented these prestigious awards at CALA’s 21st Annual Meeting and Awards Program held at the Aqua Turf in Southington on Wednesday, December 7th.

The Connecticut Assisted Living Association (CALA) recently announced their Annual Award Winners for 2016! This trade association, formed in 1995, has served to promote and support assisted living providers through education, programming and newsletters, legislative and public policy advocacy, and assessment of organizational best practices. Each year, CALA chooses various assisted living organizations to receive awards based on their exemplary practices, programs or individuals.

Shelton, CT - The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all the residents to hear! Shelton’s Brownie Girl Scout Troop #60465 helped spread the holiday spirit this season by visiting residents at Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation Center for a fun-filled day of caroling and gift giving. The Girl Scouts handed out handmade Christmas cards and jingle bell wands to the residents of Bishop Wicke to use during their caroling. Debra Samorajczyk, Administrator at Bishop Wicke, says, “To see the smiles on the residents’ faces is such a wonderful sight. This fun event brings both the younger and older generations together which is something we really love to see here.”