Meet Bill Bassett
This Month's Spotlighted Independent Living Resident
Bill Bassett has always lived a full life. “I was married to my wife, Judy for 54 wonderful years,” said Bill, “and we had a such a great life. She was diagnosed with ALS in 2017, and I became her caregiver. It was a hard few years, but I tried not to look back and miss the life we had but kept looking forward at the time we still had together. It’s all about perspective.”
Bill grew up in Woodbridge, Connecticut, and he met his future wife, Judy, when they were both undergraduates at Ohio Wesleyan University. “We got married after senior year and moved to St. Louis for a short time while I worked on my MBA,” said Bill. “After I got my graduate degree, we moved to Southbury so that I could be part of my family’s manufacturing business here in Connecticut. We raised three children, and two of them eventually joined the family business, so it has kept all of us close. I see my seven grandchildren, my children, and my brother all the time. Southbury has really become the hub of my professional life as well as my personal life. My friends are all here. My church is here. For 30 years I’ve been on the board of BHCare, a non-profit that helps those in need suffering with mental health, addiction, and domestic violence issues. Southbury means a lot to me. So, when Judy passed in 2020, it didn’t occur to me to leave the area. Southbury is my ‘home.’ When I decided to downsize, I wanted a place that kept me connected to the life we had built in Southbury but offered me support if I ever needed it. Pomperaug Woods is the perfect home base for me.”
Bill laughs when he thinks back to his first day living at Pomperaug Woods. “I woke up and in the distance I could hear a chain saw,” said Bill. “I said to myself, ‘Bill, you didn’t have to call that tree service. You didn’t have to negotiate with the tree guy about what to do and when to do it. And you didn’t have to pay that guy. You’ll never have to do yardwork ever again!’ And then I rolled over and went back to sleep, smiling the whole time.”
Bill is most impressed with the practical solutions Pomperaug Woods provides. “I have to have a little surgery on my elbow soon, and I know I’ll be going to the rehab center for a bit after I am discharged from the hospital,” said Bill. “I don’t ever want my care to be a burden for my children, and the rehab center solves that issue. When I return to my apartment, I can get all my PT right here, or work on strength training in the fitness center. It’s all so convenient.”
Bill was also impressed with Pomperaug Woods’ unique approach to Assisted Living. “Other senior living communities have separate wings for Independent Living and Assisted Living,” said Bill. “But Pomperaug Woods has assistance come straight to your apartment whenever you need it. You don’t need to move to get more support if you need it. And if you have a spouse that needs assistance, you remain together in the same apartment. It all makes so much practical sense here. I’m so glad this will be my home base for many years to come.”
Pomperaug Woods is so happy to have you, Bill. You have a zest for life!
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