Life at The Saybrook at Haddam focuses on independence, wellness and involvement. By involvement, we mean participating in the activities and events we host on a daily basis for plenty of social, educational, creative and physical opportunities. We also mean residents play an active role in helping others and making our retirement community (and the surrounding greater community) the best it can be.
Many independent residents continue to be active members in their churches, synagogues, local libraries, museums, and other volunteer organizations. Sometimes they organize collections for non-profit groups at The Saybrook at Haddam to help meet needs within the larger community. These volunteer hours are invaluable and have an estimated $77 billion impact on the country’s overall economy.
Other residents look for ways to help out right here within our community. Some make regular visits to the Safe Harbor Memory Care neighborhood to spend time with those suffering from memory-related illnesses. They help with craft projects or puzzles, join in sing-a-longs, or share a meal with a friend. These connections are crucial to supporting a high quality of life for everyone involved.
Residents also help plan recreational and cultural activities and trips to museums, theaters, and concert halls throughout the region. They provide suggestions and input on the types of educational and artistic programs they would like to see at The Saybrook at Haddam. They help take care of the many indoor and outdoor gardens, and they love to help decorate the community for special events and occasions.
Oftentimes a resident will share something from their home with the community for all to enjoy – another form of contributing to the greater good. One resident displays her oversized creche in the front lobby at Christmastime. Another donated her upright piano to the Safe Harbor neighborhood. Another placed a hand-made and fully furnished doll house in the hallway for all to enjoy. These efforts help make The Saybrook at Haddam feel like home – and make ours a special place to be.
All residents play an equally important role in volunteer efforts– sometimes without even realizing it – by being a friendly audience. We often have young performers (musicians, singers, dancers) from local schools share their talents by entertaining us. These events give the young students a chance to perfect their performance skills (perhaps even overcoming some stage fright), while giving the audience a wonderful shared experience. We also enjoy visits from the Girl Scouts who spend time with us on service projects so they can earn badges and reach goals. Of course, we also welcome high school and college students who need to earn required volunteer hours to participate in a whole host of projects and activities with us. Their interaction with residents is inspiring and motivating.
Each of these types of participation (“volunteerism”) is encouraged every day at The Saybrook at Haddam – and for good reason. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, seniors benefit from using their lifetime of skills and experience to meet community needs, and “giving back” helps them stay active and healthy. We believe this to be true and we support this in every way we possibly can. Come see how powerful that is!
For a personalized tour of The Saybrook at Haddam and its Safe Harbor memory care neighborhood, please fill out the form below or call David Downey at 860-345-8779.
nd pine cones, then glue them together to make a “sculpture” or centerpiece. Or, place items in a glass jar then wrap with raffia or burlap ribbon. Add some dried flowers or plants for extra flair. If you choose to include cattails or milkweed pods, spray first with a fixative so they don’t shed.
Host a themed party – From football to Halloween to Thanksgiving, there are many days and reasons to host a fun party. Keep your senior-citizen-aged friends in mind when setting the time (early to late afternoon is best) and menu (mix in softer foods and less-spicy options), and entertainment (not too loud or agitating).
By planning healthy meals that use locally grown ingredients whenever possible, the dining staff at The Saybrook at Haddam makes it easy to eat well. Meals are planned around resident requests, seasonal favorites, and chef-inspired creations. Portions are managed so residents don’t feel overwhelmed with too much food on their plates – but, at the same time, there always seems to be more than enough food for all. Of course, with no shopping, prepping, or clean up, all residents need to do is simply enjoy themselves!
Meals can be a particular frustration for seniors facing dementia or other memory-related illnesses. Many of these folks become indifferent to eating, overeat, or get stressed out with the process of eating. In 
Having said all of this, there are independent residents who are life-long cooks who enjoy preparing meals and baking treats. This is why our fully stocked Country Kitchen is such a popular feature – a place where residents can cook or bake with grandchildren or with friends when the mood strikes. It is fun to see a lot of activity in that room – and who doesn’t enjoy the smells of homemade goodies?
These past few weeks were extremely busy with educational-oriented events. We attended several programs at local libraries: one lecture on how our beloved Connecticut River Valley region was formed geologically, and another that took a close look at the life of a “good” colonial wife. We also continued popular on-site programs featuring visiting professors and other local experts, Great Courses video programs, book discussions, Bible studies, and art classes. We host these learning events in our movie room, Country Kitchen, library, front parlor or second-floor great room– helping ensure residents use and enjoy all the many wonderful areas of our community!
The Saybrook at Haddam knows that overall wellness and quality of life absolutely includes a strong element of learning and engagement. We are always encouraged by the diverse suggestions for educational activities residents (and families) send our way because it shows their high level of curiosity and wonder at the world around us. Our activities team takes these suggestions to heart and relies on this input to build meaningful experiences each week.
For instance, 
Flowers are always a popular gift and we know residents loved receiving some this past Mother’s Day (and many shared them with the rest of the community). We regularly decorate our dining room and gathering spaces with flowers to bring cheer and brighten our days. Now that the weather is warming, our many gardens are starting to bud and sprout (one of the greatest gifts from nature) – which we enjoy inside and out. Additionally, we offer a year-round program called “People-Plant Connection” that helps residents best maintain their own houseplants or container gardens.
Additionally, we find it inspiring that Mother’s Day began as far back as the 1850s and, early on, included “
Our community setting means residents can simply open their doors to find plenty of activity – and many happy faces. Through the community, residents easily create new friendships and take part in many different types of social, cultural and educational events and activities. 
Striking a balance between preserving a sense of independence while providing an increasing level of care is an ongoing pursuit at The Saybrook at Haddam – but it is clearly one of the best reasons we have been so successful over the years. We love when family and friends join us for meals, special events, movies, or for personal visits with residents. And family and friends tell us they love the peace of mind knowing their parents are no longer isolated, receiving wonderful care, eating better, staying active, and making friends. It’s how senior living should be!
anything, families want to know that their mom or dad, grandparent or other relative will be happy living here.Recently, the New York Times published 
We also use daily meals as an opportunity to promote happiness. Residents never dine alone, and they have many choices where they eat: in our beautiful circular main dining room, our elegant private dining rooms, our courtyard, the country kitchen, or in Safe Harbor’s family-style dining room. Residents and guests tell us our meals are delicious, and we know they are also nutritious, a little adventurous, and full of seasonal favorites. Good food goes a long way towards happiness!
The New York Times suggests spending time with seniors will change your perspective and increase your own level of happiness. Looking around at the smiling faces at The Saybrook at Haddam, we couldn’t agree more!
Having the “time for assisted living” conversation with an elderly parent or relative is likely one of the hardest things an adult child will ever do. Be sure to work closely with your preferred retirement community for advice on walking through this step in a kind, caring and respectful manner. Many communities will invite you to enjoy lunch or dinner, to attend a concert or other event, or even to try a short-term or respite stay. These simple steps take much of the fear and anxiety out of the decision-making and eases the transition from independent living in a home, condo or apartment, to retirement living in an assisted living or memory care environment.
Additionally, as difficult as assisted living planning may be, we can tell you that, in our experience, once residents are settled in to life at The Saybrook at Haddam, they often wonder why they waited so long!
