Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Given the choice, most of us want to stay in our homes. Sometimes, people need help to remain at home. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Personal Care Consultation

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TESTIMONIALS

“We appreciate all that you did and would have loved to have Seth with us longer than we did. This was very sudden and in Gods hands I guess. Her last meal was the pasta you made. We tried it too. It was excellent. So you provided her favorite meal. Thank you for that. We would recommend you to anyone who is in need of such services. Be well”

Melinda M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Bessie has been an exceptional Health Care Provider. She takes such pride in her work and truly cares about the people she is in contact with. She is dedicated, diligent, and is devoted to her job assignment. She not only takes care of my Mom, but she goes above and beyond her call of duty. Bessie has a unique ability to connect with every person she meets. No day goes by that my Mom is not pampered. Bessie make sure she's always comfortable. She makes exceptional meals for her 3 times a day, cleans her clothes, gives her showers, washes her hair and makes her look amazing every single day. Bessie is so beneficial to our family we can't imagine our family without her. I myself and my family members could never do what she does for our Mom. She has been with my mom and our family for almost 1 year and we don't know what we would do without her, she truly is a gift from God. She not only takes care of my Mom daily, nightly and weekly, she also takes care of her personal life and whatever life throws at her. She is a devoted caretaker and should be recognized with the utmost respect. Her dedication to improving the health and well-being of my Mom is commendable. You can't find anyone as special as she. Her life commitment has touched our lives through her delivery of exceptional care in a compassionate, respectful, and safe manner on a daily basis. She has become a member of our family and she has shown us the meaning of adaptability. Her strong faith in God, Forgiveness, and Believing in each other makes her the great person that she is. On behalf of our family, we would like to thank you for the extraordinary care and services your company has provided to us. Thank you for all you do”

Debra T.
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TESTIMONIALS

“We used Always Best Care for my mother. They provided basically anything we needed a few hours a week, they were very thorough in asking about my mother's condition, and what were the needs that were required. It's more like bathing, medication, and companionship. We used them for about a week.”

Anita
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you so much for all the incredible attention you gave our family and dad during his illness. We are so grateful that your service was available and that you were all true to your words - you were there to help EVERY step of the way - Our words don't seem enough to express our gratitude. We will miss you all but never forget and we tell everyone we know about your agency and staff.”

Nancy S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you so much for all the incredible attention you gave our family and dad during his illness. We are so grateful that your service was available and that you were all true to your words - you were there to help EVERY step of the way - Our words don't seem enough to express our gratitude. We will miss you all but never forget and we tell everyone we know about your agency and staff”

Nancy S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“To honor Bob's memory, enjoy a round of golf, share your music with others, make your town a better place, have coffee with a friend, help someone in need, and fill every day with two days' worth of life! The family would like to thank caregivers Pauline and Yvette of Always Best Care of Bristol and Hartford Healthcare at Home for their extraordinary care.”

The M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you again to you, Susan and the rest of the care-givers and staff of Always Best Care for the outstanding service you have provided for our parents. ABC provided professional, first-class support that allowed our parents to remain in their home while relieving of us of concern for their care and is something we will never forget. You can be sure we will happily refer any family member or friend that is seeking care at home to Always Best Care.”

Madison R.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you again to you, Susan and the rest of the care-givers and staff of Always Best Care for the outstanding service you have provided for our parents. ABC provided professional, first-class support that allowed our parents to remain in their home while relieving of us of concern for their care and is something we will never forget. You can be sure we will happily refer any family member or friend that is seeking care at home to Always Best Care.”

Dan A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you for the excellent care given to my mom. It was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders knowing that Cynthia was there to care for her. Mom was very fond of Cynthia as well as the rest of the family.”

Sue L.
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TESTIMONIALS

“The Renchy family of Guilford would like to thank the staff and caretakers at CT Hospice of Branford and the CT Hospice Homecare as well as the staff and caretakers from Always Best Care. A special thank you to Sue Dow who helped the family navigate the homecare process over the past several years.”

Renchy F.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Dear Rick, Over the past three plus years, my father Joseph Ceuch has lived at home assisted by the caregivers from your company Always Best Care of Greater Bristol. This letter is a personal thank you from my father and the entire Ceuch family on how your caregivers treated and attended to my father during this time. The caregivers became part of our extended family who shared in countless family events resulting in beautiful lasting memories. Caregivers Frances Boateng, Jeremy Turner, and Yanice Hernandez were awesome in their care of my father. I want to especially acknowledge Francis as a person who went above and beyond his responsibility and became part of the Ceuch inner circle. It was not uncommon for Francis on his off days to stop by during a family picnic to say hello...he is truly loved by my father. Again, I want to thank you for the loving care your caregivers provided my father. I would highly recommend your company to anyone interested in having a caregiver attend to a loved one. Thanks again”

Gregory C.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Heather, I just wanted to thank Always Best Care in helping to provide care for my step father, Daryl. It's unbelievable how the progression of his illness happened so quickly, however, Always Best Care was always ready to provide the level of care he needed as it increased. Most importantly, I'd like to thank his aide, Sue Malasics. She was wonderful to Daryl and took great care of his needs. I knew I did not have to worry with Sue there with him. She was always cooking wonderful homemade meals and desserts and I was happy to see how happy she made Daryl. I think she is a wonderful asset to Always Best Care. Should I know of anyone needing help in the future, I would recommend Always Best Care and Sue Malasics.”

Milissa K.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Rick/Heather, Thank you for providing excellent customer service !! I have received several emails and phone calls from caregivers who have provided positive feedback about the aids that you deploy to their loved ones (my consumers). This can only be a reflection of your hiring practices and the training that you provide, we appreciate the excellent quality of service.”

Lee M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am a past client of this provider Dave and staff, thank you or consistently caring and comforting my Mom. Your quality of care will be recommended to others. You went above and beyond what was expected.”

Caitlin M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I had a very good experience ! I really appreciate the service that your company, Always Best Care, offered our family and especially the caring, loving attitude that Amber and Natalie displayed to Carol at all times. They were outstanding and you should be proud to place them in any situation with the full expectation they will represent your firm in a most professional manner. Thanks again for all your help.”

A G.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am a retired registered nurse, and for several years, I have been the primary caregiver for my husbamd/ My husband suffers from dementia and is aphasic. On a Saturday morning in October of 2015, a sudden change in my health required an emergent hospitilization, which late resulted in an extensive rehabilitation stay. Upon my hospitalization, my son reached out to Always Best Care Senior Services of greater Bristol. The Always Best Care team assessed my husband, his needs, and had his care staffed within hours of my son's call. The care provided to my husband has been exceptional. The caregivers as well as the office staff have been attentive to our needs and have met all of our expectations. I would highly recommend Always Best Care to you and anyone who is in need of care for their loved one.”

Pope A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Our sister, Barbara has early-onset dementia , and was in sudden need of a personal care assistant until placement in a quality skilled nursing facility became available. We reached out to home health care agencies in her local area but, by this point, had already worked with several agencies for med reminders for Barbara (and 24/7 care for our Mom in another area of CT) and were a bit skeptical that that we’d find one that could provide consistent quality of care.When I spoke with Rick Downey of Always Best Care Senior Services in Bristol, he conveyed both confidence in his knowledge of health care and empathy in understanding the frustrations that families experience when seeking quality care for their loved ones. We were next contacted by their care coordinator,Heather Kozikowski, who came to our sister’s home to conduct an assessment and further explain the services offered by Always Best Care.A further testament to the exceptional quality of Always Best Care is the service and care we’ve received after Barbara is no longer a client; our thanks to Always Best Care for the excellent care of our sister, and the peace-of-mind it afforded our family knowing that she was in such kind and competent hands!”

Susan W.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am a past client of this provider My journey with Always Best Care began with a visit from the owner and office manager. Soon after, I was introduced to the caregiver who would provide care for me. All 3 persons seemed very knowledgeable, experienced anf caring. I was certainly provided with quality service and much respect and compassion.”

Dorothy W.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My mother was bedbound for months and had serious health related issues including kidney failure. My mother was also very demanding about her care and who she would allow into her home. After several attempts with various in-home care agencies my mother really responded well to Always Best Care Senior Services of Greater Bristol and we cant thank them enough for the high level of compassionate care they were able to provide during my moms final months.”

Liam C.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I had a very good experience ! I really appreciate the service that your company, Always Best Care, offered our family and especially the caring, loving attitude that Amber and Natalie displayed to Carol at all times. They were outstanding and you should be proud to place them in any situation with the full expectation they will represent your firm in a most professional manner. Thanks again for all your help.”

Kevin N.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I am a retired registered nurse, and for several years, I have been the primary caregiver for my husbamd/ My husband suffers from dementia and is aphasic. On a Saturday morning in October of 2015, a sudden change in my health required an emergent hospitilization, which late resulted in an extensive rehabilitation stay. Upon my hospitalization, my son reached out to Always Best Care Senior Services of greater Bristol. The Always Best Care team assessed my husband, his needs, and had his care staffed within hours of my son's call. The care provided to my husband has been exceptional. The caregivers as well as the office staff have been attentive to our needs and have met all of our expectations. I would highly recommend Always Best Care to you and anyone who is in need of care for their loved one.”

Christie A.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My journey with Always Best Care began with a visit from the owner and office manager. Soon after, I was introduced to the caregiver who would provide care for me. All 3 persons seemed very knowledgeable, experienced anf caring. I was certainly provided with quality service and much respect and compassion.”

Dorothy29
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TESTIMONIALS

“Dave and staff, thank you or consistently caring and comforting my Mom. Your quality of care will be recommended to others. You went above and beyond what was expected.”

Caring5863
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TESTIMONIALS

“I have a very good providers from this Company”

elizabeth S.
 In-Home Care Goshen, CT

How does In-home Senior Care in Goshen, CT work?

Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it's especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age. When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one ages, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

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 Senior Care Goshen, CT

Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a unfamiliar assisted living community, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

Comfort
Comfort

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them? A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old. With the help of elderly care in Goshen, CT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Healthy Living
Healthy Living

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors. Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

Independence
Independence

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like an assisted living community. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

Cost and Convenience
Cost and Convenience

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, can be less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care in Goshen, CT gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

Empowers Seniors

Affordable Care Plans

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

Veteran's Benefits
Veteran's Benefits

Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.

Long-Term Care Insurance
Long-Term Care Insurance

Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.

Private Insurance
Private Insurance

Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.

Life Insurance
Life Insurance

Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.


Respite Care Goshen, CT

During your Care Plan consultation with Always Best Care, your Care Coordinator will speak with you about in-home care costs and what options there may be to help meet your budget needs.

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Goshen,CT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

 Caregivers Goshen, CT

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

An assessment of your senior loved one

01

An in-depth discussion of the needs of your senior loved one to remain in their own home

02

Reviewing a detailed Care Plan that will meet your senior loved one's needs

03

Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

Latest News in Goshen, CT

Most of Goshen was without power in wake of Winter Storm Brenda

GOSHEN, CT (WFSB) – As Eversource crews continue to work across the state, some homes are still in the dark while others are getting the lights back on.Along Route 63 in Goshen there are Eversource crews wrapping up services.One former resident, Don Pardon, said he went more than 12 hours without power.Don lives in Louisiana but is visiting his sister in Goshen in the house they were raised in.His childhood home saw the brunt of winter storm Brenda and was one of many locations that was in the dark Tuesday i...

GOSHEN, CT (WFSB) – As Eversource crews continue to work across the state, some homes are still in the dark while others are getting the lights back on.

Along Route 63 in Goshen there are Eversource crews wrapping up services.

One former resident, Don Pardon, said he went more than 12 hours without power.

Don lives in Louisiana but is visiting his sister in Goshen in the house they were raised in.

His childhood home saw the brunt of winter storm Brenda and was one of many locations that was in the dark Tuesday into Wednesday.

“They gave us a couple of estimates, I think the first estimate was about 8 in the evening, then it got pushed back to 9:30 then pushed back again to 12, then we were asleep. So it came back at about 4:30,” Don said.

Strong winds in the northwest today brought several trees down and outage numbers up.

Those winds left Norval Lunan in the dark for quite some time.

The damage also extended outside his home where several tree limbs and other debris covered his yard.

“Kind of scary hearing all the limbs coming down and the trees cracking,” Norval said.

With several inches of snow on the ground, he will have to wait a bit to clean it up.

“I’m figuring next week hopefully, we got some snow melt. I do it myself. It’ll probably take me a good 2-3 days to clean it up,” said Norval. “Born and raised here so it’s nothing new.”

At one point, 96 percent of Eversource customers in Goshen were without power on Wednesday morning following Winter Storm Brenda.

Heavy wet snow and gusty winds were to blame.

As of 6 a.m., however, crews made some headway and the number dropped 1,680 customers, 86 percent. Soon after that, most of the town was back on.

Residents in town said when a storm hits, they know outages are more than likely.

“We kind of are used to this, whether its 12 inches, 14 inches or 16, after a while it doesn’t make a lot of difference,” said Mark Harris of Goshen.

It wasn’t just power outages. Phone lines also came down.

“It started off as a very moist snow that actually froze,” Harris said. “I know we have trees down. I have a couple in my yard.”

Harris wasn’t alone. Thousands of customers in Goshen woke up to darkness.

“It went out yesterday at 1 p.m.,” said Mike Fitzgerald of Goshen. “[There was a] lot of snow and [we] waited for it to come on for awhile, and then ended up hooking up a generator.”

Some businesses fought to keep doors open as the storm continued into Tuesday night.

Goshen Pizza knew customers without power would rely on some food from it to ride out the storm. Propane and a generator were what owner Resmi Rizvani said he relied on to stay open.

Eyewitness News spoke to some people who shoveled in Goshen Tuesday night. They too said they had to rely on a generator.

Eversource said it brought in crews from across the country.

Those crews worked around the clock to get power back up and running.

Eversource customers Channel 3 spoke with said their power was lost in the late afternoon.

“My power’s been out since 2:30 p.m. [Tuesday],” said Steve Guletsky of Goshen. “So, I [needed] more gasoline for my generator.”

Harris said he remembered a few big storms.

“My first year in Goshen was ‘94 or ‘95,” he said. “We had 54 inches of snow that year. That’s the biggest I’ve seen.”

Wednesday, a day after the storm, Harris warned that the roads in town could still be slick.

“If they don’t have to be out there, they should stay home,” he said. “Some of the roads are actually impassable still.”

Read Channel 3′s complete forecast in its technical discussion here.

Download the WFSB Weather and News apps here.

Copyright 2023 WFSB. All rights reserved.

Litchfield County Residents Clean Up After the Nor'Easter

Snow continues to fall and it has taken its toll in Litchfield County. Eversource reports nearly all of Goshen is in the dark and utility crews are working around the clock to restore power here and around the state.Utility crews in Goshen are working through wind-driven snow and freezing temperatures after a Nor’easter knocked out power to thousands in the state.“The power is out. The internet is out. We’ve been reading books all afternoon,” Ian Ingersoll of Cornwall tells us.Cornwall was also on...

Snow continues to fall and it has taken its toll in Litchfield County. Eversource reports nearly all of Goshen is in the dark and utility crews are working around the clock to restore power here and around the state.

Utility crews in Goshen are working through wind-driven snow and freezing temperatures after a Nor’easter knocked out power to thousands in the state.

“The power is out. The internet is out. We’ve been reading books all afternoon,” Ian Ingersoll of Cornwall tells us.

Cornwall was also one of the hardest hit spots in the state, heavy, wet snow falling there.

It’s very wet, very heavy. [Do you have to go slow when shoveling?] Go slow. Don’t want to get in trouble,” Richard Wolkowitz says.

The snow piled up on trees and branches, taking down power lines.

“We have backup heat, but we also have a generator if we need it so we are good. We’ve been through, in the past five days, without power, so a day or two is not going to kill us. It’s a little inconvenient, but we will make it through it,” explained Ingersoll.

This complex and long duration storm is causing a host of issues, especially in the northwest part of the state.

“There's a lot of impact up there. We have a huge contingency of crews working up there to restore power,” Eversource spokesperson Tricia Taskey Modifica said.

Eversource says besides their workers, they brought in hundreds of crews from as far away as Indiana, Missouri, and Texas to help get the lights back on.

Besides the snow, the wind is another concern and the damage it could cause.

“That's what we're expecting to see tonight is more and more of the winds, seems like that'll be the biggest challenge next now that the snowfall has somewhat wrapped up, so we're preparing for that, not only in the northwest part of the state, but we could see that along the shoreline as well,” Taskey Modifica added.

Eversource says they are working as quickly as possible to get everyone’s lights back on, but the situation is still fluid with the storm ongoing and if winds get up to forty-five or fifty miles per hour, that could make it difficult for crews to go up in bucket trucks.

In Goshen, Weigold’s nursery builds on family farming roots

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateGOSHEN - When Richard Weigold looks up at a former hayloft window at 59 Old Middle St., he sees himself as a child in the postwar years, tossing hay bales down to his brother for the family farm.Now he owns the building and the 7.4 acres on which it sits; and in April, he opened Northern Farm and Forestry, Goshen’s only plant nursery.“It’s great that this building is sta...

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GOSHEN - When Richard Weigold looks up at a former hayloft window at 59 Old Middle St., he sees himself as a child in the postwar years, tossing hay bales down to his brother for the family farm.

Now he owns the building and the 7.4 acres on which it sits; and in April, he opened Northern Farm and Forestry, Goshen’s only plant nursery.

“It’s great that this building is staying agricultural,” said Weigold, a Cornwall resident, standing near a hothouse where herbs, flowers and other plants were soaking up sun on a mid-May morning. He has learned that the building was constructed in the 1940s and was a dairy farm until the late 1970s.

By opening the nursery, Weigold is honoring a family tradition of farming and farm-related activities, he said.

“My great-grandfather, Arthur Weigold, was the first to homogenize milk when he ran the Torrington Creamery on Riverside Avenue,” he said.

“Believe it or not, it was an accident,” he said. “At the creamery, to move milk throughout the plant, they used glass pipe. It was thick, a quarter-inch thick, and there were bleeder valves every so often. At night, when they were done moving the milk throughout the plant, they would open up these bleeder valves and pump hot water through it to sterilize the pipes.”

But once, one bleeder valve accidentally was left open after the sterilization process, and when plant workers ran milk through the pipes, the milk was heated and the cream did not separate, he said.

This fortuitous accident occurred in 1919, and put Torrington Creamery in the history books as the first creamery in the United States to homogenize milk for commercial sale, according to connecticutmills.org.

Weigold said he and his wife, Cara, always have been interested in plants, and when the property in Goshen became available last year, he purchased it.

“Even pre-COVID, there has been a huge movement toward homesteading, a resurgence of small farmers, people leaving big corporations and going back to basics,” he said. “When we found this building, we thought it would be a perfect location. We have great exposure here on Route 63. It's a busy road.”

For now, Weigold is propagating herbs, flowers and shrubs for resale, as well as vegetable starters for replanting. “We are not going to do vegetables. We will sell tomato plants, but not tomatoes. There is no shortage of farm stands to buy produce,” he said.

“The longer-term plan would be a full-sized nursery and you-pick flower area,” he said. “We are going to continue to build out our nursery and eventually we will have a full-sized greenhouse. We might grow some fruit trees here, but not an orchard.”

An area on the south side of the building will be used for growing chrysanthemums, protected by a shade cloth, he said.

The nursery is an homage to his father’s side of the family, but another business he owns honors his mother’s side.

Weigold Floor Covering, at 148 East Albert St. in Torrington, is a direct descendant of A. A. Smith on City Hall Avenue.

Wolcott House on East Main Street was owned by his maternal grandfather and two great-uncles, and featured furniture, bedding and flooring. “In 1980, my mother and father made a decision that they were going to go strictly flooring,” Weigold said.

The couple sold the flooring business in 1991, but in 1997 Weigold and his father opened Weigold Floor Covering on Migeon Avenue. It later was moved to the southeast corner of Water and Prospect streets. Weigold took it over when his father retired in 1991, and in 2014, the business moved to East Albert Street.

But farming was in his blood. Northern Farm and Forestry was launched not only for his own satisfaction, but to bring satisfaction to others, he said.

“A lot of people get enjoyment out of improving their yards,” Weigold said. “It brings them happiness. And the way the world is now, when somebody gets excited about some flowers for their planter boxes, that’s a good thing. There’s a lot of bad out there. So this keeps everybody away from watching the news too much. Some things are important to do.”

Northern Farm and Forestry is located at 59 Old Middle St., about a quarter-mile south of the rotary on Route 63 in Goshen. It is open Fridays from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit northernctfarm.com for information.

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