Soaring Aging Population Prompts Senior Living Community Expansion

May 20, 2016

WEST HARTFORD, CT–Brookdale Chatfield is investing $26.6 million to meet the growing need of seniors in Connecticut. The senior living community is expanding its assisted living and dementia care services creating dozens of new jobs in the local community. Brookdale Chatfield is located at 1 Chatfield Drive in West Hartford.

Scheduled for completion in June, the project is creating 50 assisted living apartments and 34 memory care units for those living with Alzheimer's and dementia. The community's 117 independent living apartments are getting a renovated entrance and new bistro.
 
The Alzheimer's and dementia care community will feature the Clare Bridge program developed by Brookdale, the nation's largest senior living provider. Clare Bridge focuses on providing meaningful and purposeful daily life for those in dementia's middle to later stages through activities and events tailored to individual interest.

"When new residents move in, we learn as much as possible about their life stories," said Juliet Holt Klinger, Brookdale's senior director of dementia care program development. "We design activities that meet their interests, stir their memories and match their current abilities so they can be successful in their daily lives. This provides our residents with a sense of purpose and accomplishment that raises self-esteem."

There are 74,000 people in Connecticut living with Alzheimer's and dementia. The Alzheimer's Association estimates this figure will reach 91,000 by 2025. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, people 65 and older make up nearly 16 percent of Connecticut's population.

"We are expanding our services so we can serve more seniors and provide a greater range of services," said Rose Thomason, executive director of Brookdale Chatfield. "As our resident's needs change, they will still have access to care at the community they call home."