We welcome a new face to The Saybrook at Haddam: Jennifer Armenia, our new director of marketing! Hopefully you have met Jennifer already, but if not, we wanted to introduce you to her here.
Jennifer is a native of Connecticut and has spent her career working along the shoreline and in Middletown. She loves the natural beauty of the area, particularly the Connecticut River and surrounding woods and hills. In fact, The Saybrook at Haddam’s bucolic setting is one of her favorite parts of working here.
Jennifer has a strong history working in the senior living industry. She was marketing director at One MacDonough Place, an assisted living community in Middletown, and she worked as director of community outreach at The Hearth at Tuxis Pond in Madison, focusing on building relationships and connections throughout the community.
Just prior to joining The Saybrook at Haddam, Jennifer worked as marketing director of Freedom Land Group, LLC, in Clinton. She also is a founding member of the Central Connecticut Senior Network (a prominent networking group) and served a one-year term on its leadership team. She remains heavily involved in local networking associations as she is an active member of the Shoreline Senior Network, the Shoreline Eldercare Alliance, the Middlesex Elderly Service Providers, and the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the “TIME” to Act Interdisciplinary Council.
Jennifer graduated magna cum laude from Bryant University in Smithfield, RI, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing. While there, she was a member of the Delta Mu Delta National Honor Society and helped direct the Northern Rhode Island Special Olympics.
“I have always admired The Saybrook at Haddam for its great reputation and am so thankful to be part of this community,” Jennifer said. “I already feel like part of the team – which is one of the hardest working and most dedicated I have ever known. You can tell this is an exceptional place by all the smiling faces and the wonderful activity going on all day long.”
Other things Jennifer says she loves about The Saybrook at Haddam include the beautiful building with bright and spacious apartments and common areas, the many outdoor spaces, and the convenient location. Mostly, though, she loves the residents and everyone who works to make the community so successful!
We are so happy Jennifer has joined us and we invite you to stop by to meet her! She is available to give you a private tour of the community – which you can request by calling 860-345-3779 or by filling out the form below.
We love to celebrate these birthdays, too. Each month, we host a community party in our front parlor to recognize all those with a birthday that month. These parties are always a great deal of fun with activities, live entertainment and, of course, birthday cake. They are particularly meaningful for the resident who has family far away or who maybe prefers not to be the soul center of attention on their “big day.”
Sometimes, especially on milestone birthdays, families and friends plan larger parties or activities for residents. Whether these are held here in the community or in another location, we love seeing pictures and hearing stories from the big day – and we are always willing to help with any planning or organizing if needed.
We also appreciate families of residents struggling with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other memory-related illness who come to us for guidance on how to celebrate birthdays and other special events. We have many suggestions on activities, gifts, and even foods that focus on creating a sense of specialness for the resident – allowing them to enjoy the moment when they are the center of attention.
Joan has been reading aloud to residents for several years. She started “Books with Joan” because of her own love of reading and because she had received input from residents that this would be a welcome activity. In truth, she was a little doubtful that the group would take off and was pleasantly surprised when it became a fast favorite. She also loves the fact that the group is well attended, the discussions are interesting, and everyone gets involved in picking the next book or series.
“When we finished learning about John Lennon, we had a special treat,” Joan said. “Our maintenance director, Barry, stopped by with his guitar and gave us a private Beatles concert! The residents had a blast, sharing stories of when their children first brought The Beatles into their homes. Some like the older Beatles songs best, but everyone appreciated the impact their music had on the culture.”