The Best Independent Living Communities in New London County, CT

By The River in Marlborough is a new concept senior living home that allows residents to enjoy a home environment without the stress of maintaining a household. Caregivers are built in the model and are standing by to help as little or as much as you need without extra hidden costs. We provide home-cooked meals in an open-concept kitchen and family-style dining. Residents enjoy open spaces, large porches and a spacious room in a beautiful country setting in Marlborough CT. To learn more about this providers license and review other available state reports, please visit: State of Connecticut License Lookup

"I toured Fairview - The Odd Fellows Home of Connecticut. I was hoping to get my aunt in there. It's superb. I know them from having visited the father of a friend three years ago who was in their skilled nursing/memory care, and they're amazing at what they do in their memory unit, even so far as finding out from the family what kind of music that the individual likes. Each resident got a little Nano. They had a cage of lovebirds and a beautiful aquarium. It's very enriching, especially for people like my aunt now who doesn't have an immediate grasp on their memories. The staff was truly excellent and incredible. It is the most updated one here for skilled nursing. They just went through an incredible rebuild two to three years ago. It's immaculate, plus there were lots of windows and lots of light. It's just clean as can be. They really set the standard."

"I toured Victoria Gardens Apartments. They provide meals, and they have transportation. They have community groups for everyone and get together. I chose Victoria Gardens Apartments because of the cost and location. The staff was very friendly and informative, but the rooms could be a little bigger. The place is nice. It has a small library, and the area is quiet. It's close to parks and walking, and my bank is close by."

"Sheltering Arms just didn’t have the best levels of services. It wasn’t quite on the level of assisted living, and that’s why it just wasn’t working for my mother anymore. I can say that it was a good place; she just needed more services. When she first went there almost four years ago, it was fine for her, but by the time she left, it just wasn’t enough for her. It was a good facility. They’re very clean; it’s just not for her at this point. They don’t do that much for people. The staff and I talked about that, and they were the ones who told me I would either have to get more assistance in there or move her, because they could not provide the services that she needed. The staff was very good. They were very nice, but they didn’t have quite enough, so they couldn’t give her the assistance with dressing, changing, bathing and things like that. They weren’t understaffed; it was their level of care. I knew that when she went there. Mom just got a little older and deteriorated a little more, so it just wasn’t right for her toward the end. She would’ve stayed there a few more years, but she couldn’t. It just didn’t have the services that she needed. They had daily activities as well. Because the high school is close by, they have volunteer students that would go over and do things. "

Welcoem to Mystic River Homes Congregate! Located in the Village of Noank, Connecticut, Mystic River Homes Congregate (MRHC) is a senior living community with services for individuals at least 62 years of age. MRHC provides traditional retirement living services in a residential, home-like environment. View the beautiful Mystic River from the main floor dining room, or have a quiet conversation with a new friend in the lovely Richards Room; Congregate is true New England.The Congregate overlooks Beebe Cove and the Mystic River where it joins Fishers Island Sound. The three-story complex consists of 50 apartments. Each 700 square foot unit has a living room, a kitchen with appliances, a bedroom, and a bathroom. Mystic River Homes, Inc. is a non-profit organization operated by a volunteer Board of Directors elected by the Noank and Union Baptist Churches. Many people from the churches and the community volunteer at MRHC offering programs and services for our elderly residents. The Congregate provides an environment that permits frail elderly persons to continue an independent life style. Residents are expected to care for their personal needs but congregate services relieve them of some of the responsibilities of ordinary home or apartment living. The daily meal program in the dining room proves a vital link in fostering proper nutrition and fellowship among the residents.

"My mother moved into Masonicare at Mystic. Everyone's friendly and professional. It's reasonably priced. The facilities are gorgeous. They have a full calendar of activities. They have chair yoga, a saltwater pool, a movie theater, happy hour in their pub, and a nice shop where you can pick up basic necessities. My mom's very pleased. She gets one meal a day. She gets dinner every day and for the rest she's on her own. It's nonprofit, so their rates are much lower than in other places."

"The apartment I saw at The Elms Retirement Residence did not have a kitchen. It was just a bedroom, living room, and bathroom, which was fine. They have a beautiful rec room, gorgeous gardens outside, and a beautiful sitting area. They had access where they could walk into Westerly where there are a lot of activities like concerts at the park. I have had the meals down there and the food was delicious. People could go in and get meals for $10 if they're visiting somebody. We had an aunt that moved in there. The activities were great. They had exercise classes. They didn't have cooking classes, but what my aunt liked a lot about it was they had a hairdresser right on the premises so she could get her hair, nails, and toes done. That was part of the fee, which was a plus for them because women like that kind of thing. When you go there, it's like going to a five-star resort. It was very luxurious. I ate there, so I went down and sat with my aunt at dinner time, and everybody was dressed up like they were going out to a fancy restaurant. All these old ladies had their pearls on and had their hair done. So, it is an upscale retirement home. It's for a wealthier clientele. They brought entertainment in. It's a different vibe, which is great if that's what you want."

Welcome to Meadowbrook Manor Senior Living Located just outside the charming rural Connecticut Village of Essex, Meadowbrook Manor is a wonderful residential care home with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere and a professional caring staff. The fully air-conditioned home features private and semi-private rooms, 24 hour care, three home cooked meals, daily laundry service, and med supervision. We offer an enclosed sun porch overlooking spacious grounds and a wonderful gazebo to enjoy the outdoors. We provide spacious, color-coordinated private and semi-private rooms that are cable ready. Also, residents may include some personal pieces to their room. Our qualified staff attends to your every need. You may retain the services of your family doctor. Appetizing meals are prepared by professionals, and are served in our beautiful dining rooms. Laundry service is also provided daily. AMENITIES AVAILABLE Activities Offsite Meals Provided Beautician Onsite Devotional Services Onsite Outdoor Common Areas Indoor Common Areas Activities Onsite OTHER SERVICES Resident Parking Available Transportation at Cost Property Convenient to Bus line Complimentary Transportation Respite Offered Hospice Available STAFFING 24-Hour Awake Staff Visiting Nurse Thank you for your interest at Meadowbrook Manor Senior Living. Please give us a call to schedule a free tour.To learn more about this provider’s license and review other available state reports, please visit: State of Connecticut License Lookup

"My mother is in Masonicare at Chester Village. We chose it because it was the most country setting, like being in a home. It's not an institution. It's very homey. You have your own apartment. They have a dining room, and they have meals. It's very luxurious. She's independent living, with an aide living with her in her apartment, but they have assisted living and memory care as well. The staff members are all very, very caring, and very helpful. They're always available for whatever you need. If you need maintenance, they fix it. If you can't get your TV on, they come turn it on for you. She has the option to have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the dining room or she can have breakfast in their apartment. It's like a five-star restaurant. We eat there all the time. There are all kinds of activities. They have everything you could want to do if you're able to do it. They do movies, they do plays, they do bus trips, they have a gym, they have an indoor pool, they have an outdoor pool, and they have walking trails. They take them to dinner at outside restaurants three times a week with the bus. They have all kinds of stuff. If you need somebody just to give you meds, they give you meds. If you need somebody to come in and give you showers, they'll give you showers. It's like you can pick and choose what you need."

"We toured the independent living part of Peconic Landing and it was a very positive experience. The facility is beautiful. The actual location of it is right on the water which gives it almost a vacation feel that, at times, I thought we were at a country club. They have many amenities that I think my parents would certainly be taking advantage of. What we like most about it is the proximity to where we will be living. My son works right across the water from there so I think the proximity is number one. I think my parents would be very happy there. There are very wonderful apartment accommodations that they were very happy with and it's easy to get around. It looks like there are a lot of happy residents walking around saying hello, and a lot of activities they can take advantage of while they're there. We did not have a chance to try the food, but they have a beautiful waterfront restaurant where they shared the menu with us. They were also cooking while we were there and it smelled wonderful. They had quite a choice of entrees for dinner. They also have a bistro which is a little more casual. They offer a complimentary breakfast each day and they also have what they're doing now which is points for the meal plan. They give you a certain number of points per month and you can use them as you choose. If you don't want the full meal, you don't need to get it. If you just want the soup you can use fewer points than the full meal points."

"The person who gave me a tour of Creamery Brook Village was Courtney. She was very informative and very nice. She showed me the apartment which would be a normal apartment my mother would be staying in. They had elevators. They had laundry on every floor. So, it's not like you had to go to a special laundry area, and the apartment was just perfect. It had a walk-in shower or a chair in the shower. It had a full-size kitchen. So, an elderly person could still bake or cook if they enjoyed it. They had a sensor that could tell if the oven had been left on. So, they had a lot of safety features, which I liked. The residents I met seemed very nice and they ranged from canes to walkers to wheelchairs. There was a wide arrangement. The activities they had made me say, "I wanted to stay there." They had cooking classes, a library, an exercise room, and bingo. They have all kinds of activities like chair aerobics and walking groups. Some of them had walkers and they were going through this beautiful stream that went through the property. I like that they went from senior living to assisted living to an attached nursing home. They had each phase of your life. Even if you ended up in a nursing home, you would probably have friends that you made along the way who would come and visit you, which I thought was nice. They had the bus, in which they had just gone up to see a play at the Bradley Playhouse. It is a community theater, but they have very good plays there. If the seniors want to go, they can buy their own ticket for $20 and they have a bus up and back. It was near suppertime when I toured. The meal smelled delicious. Their main meal that day happened to be spaghetti (because it was a spaghetti night), but they had other choices, too, if you didn't want it. Another thing I liked about it was they had a snack bar that offered coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. It encourages meet-and-greet type of things. I was very impressed with it. The facility is spotless. It's got a beautiful library and their prices are very reasonable."

"One Macdonough Place was a really good place. I stayed there overnight. The room was very comfortable, and the place was well cared for. I had an extraordinary lunch of a lobster roll for lunch. They had a chef who will make you custom food if you want it. That was quite a place. The staff went out of their way to make sure I got there safely, and they constantly checked on me to make sure I was comfortable. They couldn't have been better. They provided movies in your room or downstairs. There were some people playing board games, and they had a very comfortable room with newspapers. They also had a room where you can get coffee and snacks 24 hours a day."