We had a lovely tour in Maplewood at Danbury. The lady that spoke to us was very engaging. She was excellent, but the place seemed a bit too formal for us. We saw a room from the memory care and they showed us the dining room, and everything was very formal, very clean, and just not very us.

Our family member has been at Maplewood in Danbury for the past 2 1/2 Years. When I was looking for a special place for dear Esther I visited 8 facilities between NY and Ct. I was just about to put a down payment at a facility when I met a visiting nurse who spoke highly of the care given at Maplewood in Danbury. She did not work for that facility so I thought that her feedback must be sincere. When I went on my first visit to Maplewood, I was not disappointed. The staff were very attentive to the residents. The regular assisted living floor was lively with activity & people seemed happy. I knew Esther would need the dementia floor and I was surprised how calm & nurturing that environment was. There was a resident who preferred to sleep on the couch in front of the tv and that was perfectly acceptable. The nursing assistant spoke lovingly about the residents, telling me they are like grandparents to her. I later met the Director of that floor, Patti who sets the loving example of meeting each resident’s individual needs instead of forcing them into institutional standards & rules. I also learned that Maplewood provides extensive training to better understand and care for dementia patients. That is very obvious when so see the care given. Patti is a very “ hands on” Director of the dementia floor and is often in the great room sitting with a resident or providing support to her staff. She sets the tone by example and all the residents benefit. The food and activities are excellent & they always seem to come up with something fun & creative for the residents. They take them on nice rides on their bus, even during the winter months. It’s not easy when a loved one’s memory is fading and she can no longer live on her own, but at least I have peace of mind knowing Esther is safe, cared for appreciated for her uniqueness !

The memory care unit (secured on the second floor) has recently been renovated, and I'm told plans are in place to completely renovate the entire facility this year. Clearly managed by an experienced team, the entire facility is extremely clean and the renovations are upscale/modern without feeling too fussy. There's a lovely sunroom on the main level that's filled to the brim with beautiful, healthy plants, where residents and guests can sit and enjoy company, or even just the peace and quiet. I didn't see anyone just sitting in front of a TV during my visit (usually an issue in memory care facilities I've seen). The rooms/apartments themselves were relatively spacious with good-sized closets and modern bathrooms, though the showers were fairly small and the views aren't great (e.g., power lines, cemetery - though trees should obscure the view in warmer months). We toured primarily the secured "Currents" floor (moderate-to-late stage dementia) and were extremely impressed by the connection staff seemed to have with the residents (e.g., greeting each other by first name, lots of smiles and affection, hugs during the shift change). The facility allows someone to age in place - so barring any extreme nursing requirements, residents would not have to move into a skilled nursing facility. Residents appeared to be extremely engaged (on various levels) with personalized activities - they have monthly meetings to provide input on a variety of topics; there was a visiting pet for therapy, word games, tactile therapy for those with more advanced dementia, etc. Even with multiple activities happening, it didn't feel too busy or potentially overwhelming for a dementia resident. By reputation, the farm-to-table food is amazing...and they sent us home with a homemade apple pie made by the resident chef (which was delicious!). They also pride themselves on having an RN onsite 24/7, and a "brain center" where residents work with computers that have special programs for cognitively impaired residents. The only potential downside I could see, other than the views, is the fact that it's in a fairly congested area so the outdoor space might be noisy. Parking is tight, but they do have a parking lot and you can call ahead to let them know you're coming and they'll reserve a space for you - also, they just secured additional parking for staff in a separate area, leaving more space for residents/visitors. Overall, the community felt incredibly welcoming and personalized - I would have no concerns about my mom living here. It's definitely on our short list.