It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Litchfield Town Green gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Litchfield, CT is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“We have been very pleased with Always Best Care Agency for the past year. Sue has”
“This is a 5 star home care company. Our aide Seth is very professional and”
“We have had wonderful aides. Agency has been responsive to our needs.”
“I am a current client of this provider Most caring agency around. My husband needs total”
“Other ABC provides a person to cook and do laundry for my mother. The people I”
“We appreciate all that you did and would have loved to have Seth with us”
“We appreciate all that you did and would have loved to have Seth with us”
“Bessie has been an exceptional Health Care Provider. She takes such pride in her work”
“I am a current client of this provider We used Always Best Care for my mother.”
“Thank you so much for all the incredible attention you gave our family and dad”
“Thank you so much for all the incredible attention you gave our family and dad”
“To honor Bob's memory, enjoy a round of golf, share your music with others, make”
“Thank you again to you, Susan and the rest of the care-givers and staff of”
“Thank you again to you, Susan and the rest of the care-givers and staff of”
“Thank you for the excellent care given to my mom. It was a huge weight”
“The Renchy family of Guilford would like to thank the staff and caretakers at CT”
“Rick/Heather, Thank you for providing excellent customer service !! I have received several emails and”
“I am a past client of this provider Dave and staff, thank you or consistently”
“Dear Rick, Over the past three plus years, my father Joseph Ceuch has lived at”
“Heather, I just wanted to thank Always Best Care in helping to provide care for my”
“I had a very good experience ! I really appreciate the service that your company,”
“I had a very good experience ! I really appreciate the service that your company,”
“My mother was bedbound for months and had serious health related issues including kidney failure.”
“I am a past client of this provider My journey with Always Best Care began with”
“I am a retired registered nurse, and for several years, I have been the primary”
“Our sister, Barbara has early-onset dementia , and was in sudden need of”
“I am a retired registered nurse, and for several years, I have been the primary”
“I am a past client of this provider My journey with Always Best Care began with”
“I am a past client of this provider Dave and staff, thank you or consistently caring”
“I am a current client of this provider I have a very good providers from this”
“We have been very pleased with Always Best Care Agency for the past year. Sue has helped us with finding the perfect match for our mother’s needs. The caregivers that they screen are kind and capable, very professional, my mother glows with contentment when they arrive which puts us at ease as a family.”
“This is a 5 star home care company. Our aide Seth is very professional and caring. She does a great job making my life much easier. I would recommend Always Best Care Bristol to anyone.”
“We have had wonderful aides. Agency has been responsive to our needs.”
“I am a current client of this provider Most caring agency around. My husband needs total care and the agency does a perfect job supplying us with the right caregivers.”
“Other ABC provides a person to cook and do laundry for my mother. The people I have spoken to at the agency have been extremely helpful but more importantly kind and understanding. I have gotten quick responses to any inquiries I have made. The caregiver has been more than flexible and provides reliable help for my mother. I am feeling confident my mother is getting quality care to help her stay in her home.”
“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.”
“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”
“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”
“I am a current client of this provider 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.”
“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.”
“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”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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!”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“I am a current client of this provider I have a very good providers from this Company”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is 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 gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Topsmead State Forest with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local West Street Grill or visit White Memorial Conservation Center, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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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 - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
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, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Litchfield, 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.
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.
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 a nursing home. 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.
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 and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often 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 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.
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:
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 Litchfield, 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.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care 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:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
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.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Litchfield, CT 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
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.
The Hamptons: you already know about the East Coast summer destination that’s an international shorthand for an enclave of the 0.001 per cent. But drive two hours north of Manhattan instead of east and you’ll find a far more discreet haven – one that a certain intellectual-leaning, old-money crowd has for more than two centuries managed to keep almost entirely to themselves.Litchfield Hills is a bucolic 1,000 square miles in the north-west corner of Connecticut, dotted with Revolution-era towns. Spectacular in the au...
The Hamptons: you already know about the East Coast summer destination that’s an international shorthand for an enclave of the 0.001 per cent. But drive two hours north of Manhattan instead of east and you’ll find a far more discreet haven – one that a certain intellectual-leaning, old-money crowd has for more than two centuries managed to keep almost entirely to themselves.
Litchfield Hills is a bucolic 1,000 square miles in the north-west corner of Connecticut, dotted with Revolution-era towns. Spectacular in the autumn, painted in red and gold foliage, it evinces low-key privilege; sprawling country estates are obscured at the end of long dirt driveways and owned by the likes of arts patron Agnes Gund and fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. A library is named after early resident Oliver Wolcott, a signatory of the Declaration of Independence. The artist Alexander Calder threw wild parties attended by neighbours Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe here; Marcel Breuer and John Johansen designed a handful of the schools. And everyone drives a Subaru.
A new wave of influential urban creatives and their families has been accompanied by a marked opening-up to the outside world in recent years. There are now three new hotels in and around Litchfield town, one of the region’s largest and most historic. Founded in 1719, its postcard-perfect centre, anchored by a leafy green and surrounded by historic brick buildings, is on top of a hill, its four main streets – North, South, East and West – lined with elegant colonial-revival and Victorian mansions.
“It’s the best of two worlds,” says Anthony Champalimaud. “Historically significant and vibrant with contemporary culture.” Champalimaud, a hotelier and investor, grew up in the area; his mother, interior designer Alexandra Champalimaud, and her husband Bruce Schnitzer lived in the Oliver Wolcott residence on South Street he purchased in 1978. Six years ago, Champalimaud junior and his wife Charlie purchased their own 18th-century house on North Street. He says the region has always been a place for established New Yorkers “to socialise, be productive and live closer to the land and community. They don’t come here to peacock.”
In 2017 the Champalimauds opened Troutbeck, a 37-room inn on a 250-acre estate across the border in Amenia, New York. Their new project, Belden House & Mews, is an exclusive hotel based around a 19th-century Victorian mansion, with 10 rooms and suites, on North Street. In the garden, designed by award-winning architecture practice Reed Hilderbrand, there is a pool and an extension with a further 21 rooms.
Already up and running just outside Litchfield is the Lost Fox Inn, whose buildings include a 1745 tavern. Its restaurant, overseen by Hudson Valley-based chef CJ Barroso, is a major success with the discerning locals. Owners Eliza Clark and Tim Trojian already operate Foxfire Mountain House near Woodstock, New York; they were drawn to the Litchfield Hills, explains Clark, “because it’s like the glamorous sister of the Catskills – a little older and more refined, but equally nature-based and beautiful”.
Back in town, the old 1890 courthouse on West Street reopened last September as intimate 20-room The Abner. The name honours Reverend Abner Reeve, the father of Tapping Reeve, who founded the country’s first law school (it’s just around the corner on South Street).
People come here to be productive. They don’t come to peacock
All three hoteliers were in consultation with Litchfield’s Historical Society; the town was the first approved National Historic Landmark District in the state, inducted in 1959. While conferring with the extremely active 169-year-old institution isn’t compulsory, the new hotel owners were happy to use it as a resource. “Being in the business of history doesn’t mean we aren’t interested and engaged in what is happening in our community today,” says Jessica Jenkins, the society’s executive director.
Litchfield’s second creative wave began arriving around two decades ago. New Yorkers and others were drawn by the radical midcentury architecture movement sparked by Litchfield industrialist Rufus Stillman and his wife Leslie: in 1949, inspired by Marcel Breuer’s model house in the garden at MoMA, they invited the Bauhaus-trained architect to build a house off North Street. Between 1950 and 1953, Breuer added a studio building and a pool, with a mural wall created by Stillman’s friend Alexander Calder. Soon after, Breuer’s contemporary John Johansen, a fellow Harvard Five architect, built a neighbouring house for the Huvelle family.
Today both houses are owned by the art consultant Ed Tang, son of the late Sir David Tang, and his partner John Auerbach, CEO of Pharrell Williams’s digital auction house Joopiter. “When I first moved to New York [from Hong Kong], I never thought I’d want to escape from the city,” says Tang. “But when we stumbled across the Stillman House we were completely smitten. I started diving into the stories of Tapping Reeve and Sarah Pierce, who built one of the first academies for women at the end of the 1700s, and of course the bohemians and intellectuals who were here in the ’50s.”
This dynamic midcentury era briefly came to the attention of the mainstream in 2021 with the release of the documentary Breuer’s Bohemia. It was written and directed by James Crump and produced by his wife, the art historian Ronnie Sassoon, who split their time between a Richard Neutra house in Los Angeles and a Breuer house just outside Litchfield.
I can’t save the world, but I can help save my little piece of paradise
Steve Shabet of The Smithy Market and Cafe
“I think about the Stillmans all the time,” says Crump, sitting in his house’s light-filled open kitchen. “After the second world war, he came back wanting to create a better world for his community and family.” Sassoon adds that she thinks many New Yorkers are moving to the area to connect with nature and “breathe fresh air”. Among them are newcomers like interior designer Giancarlo Valle and his wife Jane Keltner de Valle, who recently renovated an 1863 Italianate Victorian house in Litchfield; and Abby Bangser, curator and founder of the art-design fair Object & Thing, who purchased a 1930s wood cabin on Lake Waramaug, near the town of New Preston. It’s people like herself, Bangser says, that new hotels and restaurants are targeting. She’s especially excited about The Pink House, in the village of West Cornwall, already packed with locals and New Yorkers.
Litchfield’s new wave also comprises a handful of environmentalists and philanthropists, some experimenting with building sustainability projects on existing farms – a continuation of the work of early-20th-century progressive gentleman farmers, who bought up large plots of land and turned them into working country estates. The movement has benefited the local food scene, which until recently was a bastion of fairly joyless WASP-iness. At the Winvian, a historic estate just outside Litchfield town that in 2006 was transformed into an exclusive resort, the restaurant is headed up by Alain Ducasse prodigy Chris Eddy, who sources produce from its own gardens. The late New York-based Anne Bass made decades’ worth of investment in the area; her passion project, the Rock Cobble Farm, continues to be overseen by her estate and supplies two restaurants in South Kent, the elegant Ore Hill and the more casual Swyft. Steve Shabet, a former hedge-fund COO, supplies his hugely popular The Smithy Market and Cafe, located in New Preston, with produce from his farm, Sunny Meadow in Bridgewater. “I am hyper-local when it comes to conserving the environment,” he says. “I can’t save the world, but I can help save my little piece of paradise.”
Not far away, the investor Rosemary Ripley (daughter of the late ornithologist and Smithsonian Institution secretary Sidney Dillon Ripley) has evolved part of her family’s former estate into the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy, which recently rewilded a neighbouring meadow and wetland, adding a walking trail. But the most low-key glamorous of them all may be Arethusa Farm, a dairy farm purchased in the 1990s by Anthony Yurgaitis and the late George Malkemus – director of Manolo Blahnik USA – and turned into an artisanal creamery and cheesemongers, with a restaurant and two cafés.
On the estates of Litchfield, whether midcentury or Mayflower-descended, and on the food scene, the pottery made by the local artisan Guy Wolff, produced at his 18th-century workshop in Bantam, is ubiquitous. The seventysomething Wolff, who was discovered in the ’90s by Martha Stewart, was a close family friend of Calder. His elegant vessels are all stamped with “G Wolff” and a number that signifies the “wet weight” of the clay, a standard used by Victorian-era potters.
Wolff has stayed in the Litchfield Hills, he says, because for him the region is an endless source of inspiration. “The artists who worked here, like Sandy [Alexander Calder], were seekers of beauty and truth, and strove to make beautiful things,” he says. “If one does the same, like I try to do, people sense it. These days, we are hungry for things that are honest.”
LITCHFIELD — Taxpayers in the new Regional School District 20 — which serves students in Litchfield, Goshen, Morris and Warren — could face a tax increase of 15% or more in the next fiscal year.The district, formed July 1, 2024, is projected to have a $2.3 million deficit when the fiscal year ends on June 30, financial consultant Thomas Ariola told the Board of Education on Thursday night at Lakeview High School. One of the main reasons for the deficit is that revenues have come in much lower than expected.Act...
LITCHFIELD — Taxpayers in the new Regional School District 20 — which serves students in Litchfield, Goshen, Morris and Warren — could face a tax increase of 15% or more in the next fiscal year.
The district, formed July 1, 2024, is projected to have a $2.3 million deficit when the fiscal year ends on June 30, financial consultant Thomas Ariola told the Board of Education on Thursday night at Lakeview High School. One of the main reasons for the deficit is that revenues have come in much lower than expected.
Acting Superintendent Kristen Della Volpe said actual revenue is $739,062 less than what was adopted in the current budget. Some grants came in lower than anticipated.
Chief Operating Officer Julia Cardillo said revenue is down, in part, because the tuition projection from out-of-district students was too high, based on the number of students enrolled. Projections in Medicaid reimbursements and the renting of district facilities are not coming in nearly as much as what was budgeted.
Della Volpe said expenditures are $1,204,783 over what the district had planned on spending.
Ariola said the administration is curtailing spending everywhere it can. He said the deficit may be a little higher or lower than he’s currently projecting but “there’s no way out of paying it. It’s just what’s the least painful way?”
Della Volpe presented a “draft” budget for 2025-26. Thus far, not including the $2.3 million projected deficit for 2024-25, the budget would require a 6.8% increase in spending, from $41 million to $43.9 million.
Board member Matthew Terzian said that a 7% budget increase equates to about a 17% increase in taxes.
“I couldn’t vote for that,” he said. “ I couldn’t do that to our taxpayers. I just want to make sure we’re looking everywhere (for reductions).”
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Goshen Board of Finance member Robert Valentine said to give the Region 20 school board a better idea of the potential tax burden, the median assessment of a house in his hometown is nearly $600,000.
He said if Goshen increased its budget by 4%, and Region 20 went up 11%, Goshen’s tax rate would go up by 3.5 mills, from 14.2 mills to 17.7 mills, or 25%. At an assessment of $600,000, the property owner would pay $2,100 more in taxes, from $8,520 to $10,620.
Litchfield First Selectman Denise Rapp read a letter on behalf of the four towns’ first selectmen and finance board members, saying that the Region 20 board has spent more than it is legally allowed and asked that it “immediately discontinue spending more than was approved by our taxpayers.” It should call a district meeting, if it can “make the case” that it needs more money.
“We are supportive of a school budget that’s reasonable,” Rapp said. “But if we approve a budget that requires a 16% or 17% tax increase, that is going to be detrimental to so many people that live in our towns.”
Della Volpe said the draft budget includes the reduction of the equivalent of 12 full-time staff members, a 15% increase in health insurance, heating oil at $2.45 per gallon, an increase in grant funding for special education students, $13,500 savings on technology efficiencies, and the possibility of saving more money through retirements and replacing them at a lower salary.
If the board wants to reduce the budget increase to 5.54%, it would need to cut $531,000 and closing the Litchfield Intermediate School would achieve that, she said. If it wants to increase spending by 4.8%, it could close the school and charge pay-to-play for high school sports, generating an additional $273,000.
Della Volpe said she is not recommending to close a school or implement pay-to-play but rather give the board “perspective of how much it takes to get where you need to go.”
Board member John Moroni, chairman of the board’s building utilization committee, said the committee went on a recent tour of the schools and came up with three options. One would be to close Litchfield Intermediate School, and move the 4th and 5th graders to Litchfield Center School, which has pre-kindergarten though third grade.
The second option is to close Litchfield Center School and move pre-kindergarten through third grade to the intermediate school.
The third option is to move the fifth grade into “some underutilized space” at the middle school, and then move pre-kindergarten through third grade into the intermediate school with the fouth-graders and close Center School.
Moroni said the committee is concerned about whether the district has the adequate space to make these moves, and whether closing a school would leave the district without any room to grow, should student enrollment at the elementary schools rise in the future.
“All a variety of concerns there,” he said. “There’s a lot of costs that need to analyzed. We need to talk a lot about planning and how feasible this would be.”
Enrollment districtwide is not expected to change much in 2025-26. In 23-24, enrollment was 1,387 students and 1,351 in 24-25.
As for the deficit, Della Volpe said the school board has options. First, it could bond for $2.5 million, “understanding that you want to bond more than what is owed because there are bonding fees you have to cover.”
On a 10-year bond for a property assessed at $250,000 would cost $23 per year in Litchfield, $18 in Goshen, $20 in Morris and $10 in Warren. This would require voter support at a referendum. The district could take out a 20-year bond, spreading out the cost to each town to lower amounts each year.
The district could also do a supplemental budget, whereby a one-time assessment charged to the towns would take care of the entire $2,346,000 debt at one time. Again, based on a $250,000 property, each taxpayer in Goshen would pay an additional $166 for that one year, $212 in Litchfield, $185 in Morris, and $98 in Warren. This would also require a referendum.
Or the district could do a supplemental for just $500,000. But the district would have to add the remaining balance of $1,846,000 into the FY26 budget. Under that scenario, Litchfield taxpayers would then pay an additional $45, $35 in Goshen, $39 in Morris and $21 in Warren.
Meanwhile, Della Volpe said she needs to find out from the state whether the district needs to meet its minimum budget requirement or whether it can qualify for a waiver. It may qualify because “newly formed school districts do not have to adhere to the MBR during the first fiscal year following its establishment,” she said.
The state's minimum budget requirement prohibits districts from budgeting less for education than the previous year.
“We need to get an answer on MBR before we pursue any of the options,” Della Volpe said.
Board members also plan to find out the status of a legislative bill that would grant $1.5 million from the state for the creation of the regional school district.
March 17, 2025
Kurt Moffett
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