Maplewood Senior Living

From what I see my dad seems to be settling in nicely. It can be an adjustment but he's getting used to it. He likes having his meals etx. He like to be outside. He really likes the staff at Maplewood and thinks everyone is really nice.

One good thing in this crazy year has been knowing that everyone at Maplewood has been taking good care of my Mom. It's made dealing with my own issues easier. Thank you to everyone for putting themselves at risk for others.

Whoever hired everyone for this building was a genius- all the staff are angels. There are a lot of sweethearts that live here too. It is a real community and family here.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for arranging the wonder, magical, date night the other night for our aunt and uncle. It was a special evening for them and memories for all to treasure. We are so grateful for all you and your staff have done for them to make sure this special time they have together is peaceful and relaxed so they can enjoy each other’s company most of all.

We found this place to be more like an upscale hotel than an elderly care facility. We were visiting a friend and was very impressed with all the attention to detail. The cafeteria was set up more like a restaurant theme. The chairs positioned throughout the building was a nice touch for those who were unable to walk long distance at a time. The patients’ rooms were spacious and homey. Most importantly, the caretakers were friendly and accommodating . Very friendly, regardless of their job responsibilities. We found it to be a very beautiful place to take care of these well deserved elderly people.

Our loved one recovered from a stroke here and it’s a wonderful facility. We were able to visit and share a meal which was absolutely delicious. So very impressed! Would not hesitate to recommend.

Mom had Alzheimer’s so it was just a matter of time before she would need more help than we (my sister and I) could provide. So we began our search. Four places in the local area met our criteria, but Maplewood showed us a whole nother level of living for Mom. From our first, emotional visit, we were assured and supported and helped along the way. The admission process was seamless. We were able to move Mom’s personal, important things into her apartment and get it set up just right. I stayed with her that first night and for the next almost-three years enjoyed hanging out at Mom’s place. My sister, being local, visited almost daily, and I, driving in from Dayton enjoyed many weekends at Maplewood. Attention to each resident's specific needs and safety, unique as individuals, as well as in their care are always a priority. Enrichment activities abound! The residents feel a sense of purpose, make friends, laugh, sing, dance, travel locally and experience the joys of living to the best of their abilities. Mom was very particular about her appearance, her nickname, “Hollywood” confirms this. So, the beauty parlor was very important to her, as was being well dressed, including pearls and her purse. The staff facilitated this, as things changed, and she was always proud of the way she looked. Communication was paramount, and we always felt involved and informed in the best of times and the worst of times. When we made the transition between Tides and Currents it was seamless and caring and perfect. All of her needs, as she declined, were lovingly taken care of; and when the time came for Mom to leave us, we were supported in such indescribably heartfelt ways. From our first visit we knew Maplewood was a special place. We knew the staff was trained and valued, but more importantly, serving with passion. We knew the residents were loved, cared for, and special, but more importantly, they are really wonderful people. When folks ask us about Maplewood we can't stop talking. We rave about everything and everyone; from the facility to the staff to the amenities to the philosophy to the activities and the food. Everyone, truly every staff member stands out as amazing models of caring, professional, dedicated, going-beyond-the-call-of-duty, passion-driven caregivers; and their dedication is palpable in everything they do. When looking for the best place in a difficult time, Maplewood stands out as an oasis of love and care. Truly a home for Mom.

It took my family and I a while to find the right place. I am currently a resident at Maplewood at Strawberry Hill and want to share how much I enjoy the community. The food is delicious, especially breakfast because that meal is my personal favorite. My apartment is sunny, overlooking a lovely garden and patio. There is always a great variety of activities. I especially enjoy the walking club, daily exercise programs, and the women’s group. The staff is wonderful, always very helpful to everyone, whether the Dining Room or Activities or Care staff. Everyone knows you and cares that you have a great day! The grounds are so beautiful and I especially appreciate that. I definitely recommend Strawberry Hill to anyone looking at senior living.

Cannot say enough wonderful things about Maplewood at Darien! What sets it apart is the genuine care and kindness of the staff....whether nurses, aides, office, dining room.....everyone! Not to mention encouraging their residents to socialize and meet one another; even making it safely possible during this COVID19 pandemic time. Lastly....the beautiful decor, gardens and cleanliness are certainly a plus as well. They make it truly feel like home.

Great community and staff! Welcomed my family with open arms and gave us all of the right information. Would highly recommend Maplewood Darien!

The community is usually clean. The staff was pretty engaged. Overall, a good team. The food was really good. They offered a number of choices for activities as well. Maplewood was pretty expensive but a good community.

From both mom’s feedback and my own observation, the staff in general have been very caring, attentive and responsive. I can’t imagine the increased pressure you’re all facing and am very thankful for all you are doing!

I'd like to take a few moments to express my gratitude to the leadership and staff at Maplewood at Newtown. Throughout these challenging times, they have been caring, consistent, and communicative. I know that I will leave out individual staff members who have been influential in my parents' experience, so I think I will just speak in general terms. The nursing staff has been wonderful and caring. There have been times when Mom and Dad were impatient when their requests for visits were not answered promptly. I always tried to encourage them to be patient and call again, if necessary. I'm sure there are so many critical needs that need to be dealt with, and triaging decisions are not always clear to the patients. But, in terms of the care they ultimately received, Mom and Dad have always been satisfied. The staff has always been responsive and professional in communications with me. The dining hall staff has been as attentive as possible. Mom and Dad always comment on how the waitstaff must move so quickly to accommodate all of the diners - I can't imagine the amount of patience that must be needed to deal with all of those hungry seniors! The aides who help my parents seem like family members. When someone has popped in while I was visiting, the conversations were friendly and personal, demonstrating a special level of care. I recall my dad asking one aide if she would be coming back to help him to bed that night, and she assured him that yes, she would. He appreciated the care that person delivered. I fear that this lockdown might be putting a crimp in consistency like that, but I haven't heard any complaints. The folks in maintenance perform their jobs with competence and compassion. From assisting during move-in, to helping Mom and Dad to put up pictures, to helping them with apartment issues, they are always responsive. At one point, the apartment was stiflingly hot, despite the proper settings on the thermostat, and [name removed] stopped in frequently until the problem was solved. While I've always admired the organizational work of administration, the work done during the pandemic has been exceptional. Roughly weekly updates, honest communication of the situation, on-the-fly adjustment of facility procedures to keep residents and staff as safe as possible, are some of the things that are visible to the outside world - I'm certain there are many more activities that go on that are less visible but equally important. I think I had better end here, despite my suspicion that I have left out some important points. I am so grateful that Mom and Dad landed at Maplewood. Thank you, everyone, for the work that you continue to do during this very challenging time.

Maplewood at Danbury was a very wonderful experience for our family. The community is small and everyone knows and recognizes each other, The care was excellent. The staff are caring and wonderful people. They were very good to my loved one. She needed a higher level of care, and they were able to provide that. We were very lucky to her her there. The care was top notch and I couldn't have asked for better. The food was very good. The communication was good. They called me all the time and kept me updated. We felt very comfortable with her there because we knew she was being well cared for.

We have found nothing but love and kindness from the entire staff at Maplewood. From the dining room to the front office, everyone has been helpful, caring and dedicated to the people they serve. This dedication has become unmistakeable in the past few months as Maplewood has tried to find new ways to connect families and to engage residents. They have reached out in multiple ways with creative and resourceful ideas. Mother's day was one such example: despite being quarantined, I know that each and every resident was made to feel special and loved through small but meaningful acts of kindness by staff members. You have continued to make these very difficult circumstances tolerable. Thank you!

• Safety precautions put in place during this pandemic have aligned with state guidelines and have been strictly adhered to. Management has implemented and adjusted protocols quickly as needed. We have felt that the best interests of the residents, families, and staff members have been foremost in making difficult decisions. • Staff in place have stepped up to fill the absences of staff that are out due to illness or personal reasons. We can see them going above and beyond, working long hours, and performing a variety of duties to “keep the ship afloat”. They do all that they do with a smile and compassionate understanding. They should be highly commended for their hard work and commitment. • Activities to keep residents engaged and supported are appreciated. Staff in this area have been very creative about keeping some kind of entertainment going (i.e. outdoor concerts). They have also made a good effort to keep communication going between families and residents (i.e. facetime opportunities). A schedule to give residents time outdoors with a staff member has been developed. Not sure but some of these may not be happening as regularly as you hoped, given the limitations in staffing. • [name removed] at the front desk, has been a stabilizing force for everyone who enters and exits the building, keeping a positive attitude, and answering the phones in a pleasant manner. Staff members from activities who also assume front desk duties do the same. • Management’s openness and willingness to listen to families’ concerns, worries, and frustrations is appreciated.

I have been here at Maplewood Newtown for a year and a half and have enjoyed my stay completely with all my needs being met and especially my security. Last year in February 2019 we had a virus infect our residence. We were all in a 9 day lockdown and the staff and aides took such good care of us - had our meals and activities and care under control. It was perfection! I am very grateful to all for my care.

For the most part my feedback is almost entirely complimentary. Throughout my stay at Maplewood I had always felt that I was treated with care and compassion. Almost entirely the aides were the kindest and most considerate human beings that I had ever encountered.

From the time that my parents moved into Maplewood, the staff that have cared for them, in general, have been caring and capable. My family has been very comfortable with the decision that we helped my father to make in choosing the facility. We were and continue to be very concerned about our parents during this pandemic. From what I understand, Maplewood is taking all of the proper precautions to try to keep its residents safe. The screening of employees entering work each day is critical and I hope that this will continue for the indefinite future as it does not appear that covid will be going away any time soon. I am equally pleased that residents' temperatures are taken daily and that my parents and other were tested for covid when there was the potential that they were exposed. As you know, I was an early advocate of all employees wearing masks and gloves when around my parents and I hope that they will continue to do so throughout the facility. As careful as employees are and as thorough as the daily screening processes are, there is no guaranty that someone entering the facility is not asymptomatic and so I truly hope that these precautions will remain in place. . While I miss seeing my parents, I am thankful that family members are not allowed to visit for the time being. And that any residents testing positive are immediately isolated. I am comfortable from everything that you have told me and that I have read in your newsletters and heard from my father, that those of you running Maplewood are doing everything in your power to keep the residents safe. In conclusion, I want to give my sincere and heartfelt thanks to each and everyone of the Maplewood staff that comes to work everyday to take care of the residents. It is a wonderful place.

Maplewood at Newtown has been the perfect place for my aunt. It is not so large that she would get lost or become just a numbered resident. It is not so small that she would become bored. My knowledge of Maplewood at Newtown has derived from what I have seen for the last 7 years and from stories. Maplewood at Newtown has made great efforts to keep the environment updated and comfortable. It is a bright clean facility that to our families account is "nicer than a 4 star hotel", the only thing missing is a pool! There is an outdoor garden for gardeners, a movie theatre, a small store to buy any needed sundries, a pub, and a lovely courtyard with colorful plantings. To my recollection, within the past 7 years the carpet has been switched out twice. The wallpapering and painting redone once, and the artwork moved and changed to create a new, interesting space. The HVAC has been updated. Maplewood at Newtown staff has worked hard to keep everyone happy. Offering meetings for residents to hear requests on anything from food to trips to activities. The staff has worked to create a friendly environment in the dining room by taking seating requests - switching out table sizes to accomodate those requests and honoring birthdays with flowers and balloons. Food choices can be made from the daily menu of locally sourced foods to almost anything a resident could dream up off menu, including special dietary needs being accomodated. Activities are numerous - although my Aunt says that there is never enough BINGO!! - which is played at least once a week or more. The best part of Maplewood at Newtown is the staff. The most caring and accomodating staff you can find is at Maplewood at Newtown. Every nurse has for the last seven years has been kind, communicative and skilled. They have always had an open-door for any questions or concerns that myself or my aunt have had. They had assisted my aunt through her life journey at Maplewood which has included several of the expected illnesses that the general population contracts with ease and success. The receptionists make it a point to know names of not only residents but every family member so that as they enter the building they are greeted by name. [Name removed] has made it her job to not only know my whole family and their names, but also what they do and has taken it upon herself to provide residents with change/dollar bill requests. She has been a treasure. The aides at Maplewood at Newtown work hard to facilitate ease of living and seem to always slip in and out unobtrusively when needed. My aunt has been in residence for at least three executive directors and four activity directors each of which have worked hard and been successful to meet the needs of the residents and their families. They are easily accessible and work with positivity and care. I have always witnessed a smile and an ackowledgement by name. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the custodians as well as the former head custodian, now excutive, [Name removed] who not onlys keep the facility comfortable, but clean, bright and running smoothly from puttting up chairs for a music venue weekly to assisting residents with looking for an earring that may have fallen into their personal lounge chair! Religious services are held on site for those that wish to partake for both Catholics and Jews with celebrations throughout the year to meet every resident custom. Circle groups facilitated for bereavement have been done with care and have been a blessing to both the residents and their families. The past couple of months has really challenged the staff at residents at Maplewood at Newtown - as it has to the rest of the world - with Corona Virus. The executives and nursing staff at Maplewood of Newtown were early in making the decision to quarantine, disinfect, mask and change the daily routines of the staff and residents. As a result the families have been quite fortunate to rest easy knowing that their loved ones have been cared for with catered dining brought to each quarantined resident, activities rearranged to accomodate social distancing measured, and the use of technology to keep everyone connected with the outside world. Staff has gone above and beyond to successfully distract and care for residents during their now 2 1/2 month quarantine going so far as to cut hair, provide zoom meetings, and create a tv channel for all residents to view. As a result, the Maplewood at Newtown residents and their families have been so very fortunate to not have to endure what has occurred at many other assisted living facilities throughout the northeast. The families have always been updated on when Covid finally did make its way into the community as well as any number of residents that contracted the virus. At the present time, I can share that Maplewood of Newtown escaped the horror that occurred in nearby facilities due to the diligence, expertise, care, and attention to all that could potentially occur with their population recognizing early on the potential threat and creating and implementing mitigating policies. My family and I are most thankful for the work done at Maplewood at Newtown. Sure, there have been speedbumps along the way, like not enough BINGO! or the apartment being too hot or too cold, or some laundry getting lost, or the response of an aide to a call button not timely enough, but for the most part Maplewood at Newtown has been a most wonderful place for my Aunt to live and be cared for and if asked, I know that she would say the same.