The 10 Best Assisted Living Facilities in Norwich, CT for 2023

Norwich is a city in New London County, a short journey down the Thames River from Long Island Sound. The city is home to 40,125 residents, with the 65+ age group making up about 16.9%. Norwich is an affordable city, with costs typically below the state and national averages. It also provides its older residents with numerous free and subsidized transportation options and impressive medical care. The city’s many other attractions include the Slater Memorial Museum, home to an abundance of Greek, Roman and Renaissance sculptures and American and world art. For those who like to gamble, there’s Mohegan Sun, a casino resort on the Mohegan Reservation.

Assisted living communities are homes for seniors who would otherwise struggle with common tasks, such as managing their medications. Seniors are free to use their time as they wish, while staff ensures their rooms are cleaned and meals prepared. The average cost in Norwich is $5,700 per month, about 10% below the state average of $6,300.

This guide reveals the average fees for other types of senior care in Norwich and discusses the pros and cons of living in the city. There’s also a short list of resources for seniors.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health doesn’t license individual assisted living facilities, issuing licenses to the agencies that provide assisted living services in managed residential communities instead. The department is authorized to conduct unannounced inspections to ensure agencies are abiding by the terms of the assisted living regulations and revoking licenses from those that continually underperform. 

• According to Sperling’s Best Places, Norwich offers an affordable alternative to other cities in Connecticut and many across the country. Its average cost of living index is 93.5, which is below the national average of 100 and substantially below the state average of 107.8. Although not the only category outperforming other cities, Norwich’s below-average health care costs may be of particular interest to seniors considering assisted living placements in the city.
• Instances of property and violent crime happen less often in Norwich than the average U.S. city, although in both cases, they also happen more often than the Connecticut average. However, crimes occur more often in specific areas, which in Norwich tends to be the city center and the neighborhoods east of it. Also, many of the city’s assisted living communities provide 24/7 security in addition to care services.
• Considering its location in the north, Norwich has a generally good climate, although winter’s snow and ice may be a concern for some seniors. The city gets 200 sunny days per year, only five below the average, and in summer, temperatures of 81 degrees are normal. At 51 inches per year, rainfall is more frequent than usual, but without it, residents wouldn’t be able to enjoy the numerous dense forests and green parks that circle Norwich.
• Eastern Connecticut Transportation Consortium, Inc. is a private nonprofit that brokers low-cost or free transportation services for Norwich’s seniors. It can connect the city’s residents with the appropriate service for their needs, such as ADA Paratransit, a curb-to-curb service for seniors unable to use fixed-route buses, and the Eastern CT Travel Voucher Program, which subsidizes taxi costs for qualifying seniors.
• The William W. Backus Hospital is the primary medical facility in Norwich. It’s rated as high-performing by U.S. News & World Report, particularly in treating heart and kidney conditions. There are also 86 internal medicine physicians in the city registered to treat seniors with Medicare.

The average monthly fee for an assisted living placement in Norwich is $5,700. The findings of the 2020 Genworth Cost of Care Survey also reveal that the city is one of the most affordable in Connecticut, although still more costly than the $4,300 average paid in the typical American city. Since Connecticut is in the top 10 most expensive states in the country, this shouldn’t be a surprise.

In New Haven, a senior can expect to pay around $6,445 for assisted living, making the city the most affordable in the state. Hartford’s seniors pay a little less than Norwich’s, at $5,753, while Bridgeport’s seniors are loaded with the most expensive fees in Connecticut, at $7,838.

Nursing homes charge the highest fees, typically $13,688 for a private room, reduced to $12,463 if the room is shared. Assisted living comes next at $5,700, although it should be remembered this is for care and accommodation. Housebound seniors who can remain at home without 24-hour supervision can get home care and home health care services for $4,767, even though the latter includes basic medical support. Seniors able to attend adult day care centers can get professional care for $1,907 per month.

While many families use their own funds or personal assets to pay for assisted living, there are plenty of additional options to cover these costs. Some additional ways to finance assisted living costs include:

• Veterans Benefits
• Life Insurance Policy
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Reverse Mortgage

For more information about different ways to finance assisted living, visit our Assisted Living in Connecticut page.