Joyce Haskel understands the importance of asking for help. “I have had two careers in my life,” said Joyce. “I was an art teacher in an elementary school, and after putting my career on pause to raise my children, I pivoted and became a social worker for the State of New York for 20 years. At the heart of being a teacher and a social worker is the effort you put into helping others. So now that I am 93 years old, I acknowledge that I occasionally need help myself. And at Pomperaug Woods the staff goes out of their way to help you. They always put the residents’ needs first. There is a waiter in the dining room who helps me with my iPad. When I needed to return my Rollator, Jeff found me a box on his own time. When I was sick with Covid, the nurse sent an aide to my apartment to straighten up while I rested. Everyone is so nice here.”

Joyce was born in Waterbury, Connecticut, and she and her second husband, Fred, lived in Heritage Village for many years. “When Fred passed away in 2018, I knew I needed to make plans for my own care,” said Joyce. “I looked at other senior living communities in the area, but Pomperaug Woods stood out to me because of the small, intimate feel of the community. It makes a big difference. The staff knows you by name from the first day that you move in. They made me feel welcome, and I’ve been very happy here. This is the best place to be.”

Joyce had only been at Pomperaug Woods for three weeks when she felt pain one day. She called the Pomperaug Woods nurses by phone, and they knew to immediately send her to the hospital. “They saved my life,” said Joyce. “If I lived alone, I probably would have put off seeing a doctor. I needed surgery, and after I was discharged from the hospital, I spent three weeks in the Rehab Center here. The care I received was excellent. Living in Pomperaug Woods made the different stages of my recovery easy to navigate. They took care of everything, and I went back to my apartment feeling stronger and ready to go on living my life.”

Joyce stays active, with plenty on her calendar. “I’m a member of two book clubs, one here at Pomperaug Woods and one on Zoom with old friends, so I’m a big reader,” said Joyce. “I go to our Current Events class every week, and I play bridge twice a week. I go outside and walk with a friend every day, and I make it a priority to go to Chair Exercise class. And I love going to the classical music concerts here. There’s plenty to keep me busy.”

Joyce’s final thoughts about Pomperaug Woods are words to live by. “People here are happy,” said Joyce. “There’s never a complaint about the staff. From the young people waiting tables in the dining room who are so polite, to Therese at the front desk who is nice as can be, to Melissa in housekeeping who helps me with little things around my apartment every week, the byword in this community is ‘helpful.’ It means a lot to me.”