Celebrations mark so many of the highlights of our lives, giving us fabulous memories to look back on and cherish.  From birthdays to graduations, weddings, anniversaries, religious events, holidays, and other important occasions, we love to gather together to enjoy good food, music, friendship, conversation and fun.  In our senior years, these celebrations become more important, more meaningful – and more anticipated.

At The Saybrook at Haddam, we love celebrating throughout the year and often host parties, dinners, small gatherings and other special events for all to enjoy.  The best example of this was our end-of-summer luau when we literally transformed our community into a Hawaiian oasis complete with a pig roast, tropical foods and drinks, live music, hula dancers, fire jugglers, wonderful decorations, and even a photo booth.  With so much to see and do, residents truly got into the spirit of the day and had a great time.  Friends and family said it was one of the most fun days of their summer, and one of the best times they had visiting with us.

Another example is our “Winter Wonderland” which we create each December, turning our lobby and other common areas into a snowy village with Victorian carolers, artisan vendors, and other old-fashioned touches designed to kick off the holiday season in style.  Our kitchen staff brings out the hot cocoa, cider, cookies, gingerbread, and other treats that give us all a warm feeling and bring back memories.

Birthdays are another natural reason to celebrate, so we have monthly parties with cake, entertainment and special decorations.  Then, our executive director, Jeff Williams, invites the birthday “boys and girls” to share a more intimate luncheon with him in our private dining room.  We love to mark their milestones in these special ways – and residents look forward to it each time their birthday month rolls around!

In addition to these ambitious events, we host many other smaller ones throughout the rest of the year.  Whether it is Halloween, New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, the Kentucky Derby, or the Fourth of July, we pull out the decorations, serve the special foods, bring in the best entertainment, and invite everyone to gather for some great fun!

Our Safe Harbor memory care community also gets in on the fun by hosting many parties, including their ever-popular “Family Game Night.”  Once a month, residents join family and friends to make new memories, enjoy a casual dinner, play some traditional board and card games, and share a lot of laughter. These nights are really relaxed and help those struggling with memory-related illnesses and their families to simply enjoy themselves and each other.

In these small and large ways, we help senior citizens celebrate each holiday and special occasion.  They are so happy to decorate their own homes and join in community baking, singing, or other activities tied to each party. Through these events, we share the anticipation of each holiday, and bring a certain joy to daily life.  We also learn more about each other and the lives we have led, and we grow closer as a community.

And that’s the kind of party senior living should be!

For a private tour of The Saybrook at Haddam or its Safe Harbor memory care neighborhood, please fill out the form below or contact David Downey at 860-345-3779.