Shady Oaks Assisted Living

01/31/2026

Great news! In September, our pay reached $25/hr for CNAs. In October, 93% of our staff rated us "Great Place to Work", and we earned national certification. In November, our families took the U.S. News & World Report Best Senior Living survey, and we earned the highest score the survey team had ever seen. In December, we earned the Connecticut Assisted Living Association Best Practices Award for Recruiting & Retention. In January, we met with 3 state legislators and representatives from the Governor's Office to advocate for higher Pilot Program aid for low-asset disabled seniors. We now look forward to more happy milestones and care moments during 2026. This year marks our 50th year of continuous Shady Oaks care for Bristol area seniors. Happy 50th!!!

Shady Oaks is the best high care assisted living in Connecticut. We’re a great alternative to 24hr. home care and nursing homes. Call: (860) 583-1526.

09/07/2025

We celebrate 3 milestones: Bristol Press, Google, and COVID.

First, with your help, we won Best of Bristol for the 6th straight year.

Second, we recently earned our 80th five-star Google review online.

Third, COVID is now a real but ordinary danger, and no longer extraordinary. Immunities, therapies, and viral variants all helped.

The CDC reported 460,000 COVID deaths August 2020 to July 2021, but only 31,000 this year. The flu averages 30,000 deaths per year.

Moreover, by Medicare data, 24% of CT nursing home residents died if they got COVID in 2020. In 2024, this figure dropped to just 1.5%.

With COVID’s lower mortality, including for the elderly, we will reduce some precautions. We will risk COVID, but boost quality of life.

Through 5+ years of pandemic, only 11 of our residents ever caught COVID here. Plus, no family, visitor, or staff ever caught it here.

We thank everyone who supported our residents, families, and staff through this odyssey. It's not over, but we are safer now.

I also wish to specially thank my mother. She has been my trusted foundation of compassion and support. I love you Mom!

Shady Oaks is your best choice for strong nurse assisted living. We’re a smart alternative to 24hr. home care & nursing homes. Call: (860) 583-1526.

05/20/2025

THANK YOU!
# VOTING HAS ENDED FOR BEST OF BRISTOL 2025

Shady Oaks = 5 stars in 77 Google Reviews. We earned Best of Bristol in 2024, '23, '22, '21, and '20. The owner is a 3-tour Marine Iraq veteran. His parents built Shady Oaks in 1976. We earned CT Family-Owned Business of 2024 & Humanitarian Home of 2021. We have the best care. Thank you!

04/18/2025

Did you know Connecticut helps six of our residents with up to $3,000 per month? This aid helps low-asset seniors afford assisted living, so they do not need nursing home Medicaid. And by helping seniors avoid Medicaid, this program saves taxpayers millions of dollars each year!

To build on this success, State Senator Henri Martin and State Representative Mike Demicco sponsored legislation to increase aid levels. Additionally, Senator Martin and I recently met for two hour-long meetings with the Department of Social Services. Thank you Henri and Mike!

In support of Henri’s and Mike’s efforts, I last month wrote an opinion piece for the Bristol Press. Thank you Bristol Press!
https://shadyoaksassistedliving.com/improve-assisted-living-affordability-ct/

If you care about helping low asset seniors, please show your support by emailing Henri and Mike.
> Senator Henri Martin
Email: Henri.Martin@cga.ct.gov
Facebook: Senator Henri Martin
> Representative Mike Demicco
Email: Mike.Demicco@cga.ct.gov

Do you want to learn more about the CHCPE Pilot Pay Program? Please call me, Tyson, at 860-583-1526. In 8 years, I have helped 36 residents get aid. I also highly recommend Allaire Elder Law 860-259-1500. They are excellent CHCPE Pilot Pay experts. They help many of our residents.

02/03/2025

Shady Oaks had a wonderful 2024! We hired top staff, gave great care, made renovations, and earned recognition.
> We welcomed Laurie Ranous as our Evening RN.
> We now have 1 full-time RN per 14 residents & 1 CNA per 7 residents 6am-10pm. This is the best assisted living staffing I know.
> We had 3 resident COVID cases, 0 flu, and 0 RSV in the past year, while other Bristol senior homes had over 265 COVID cases.
> We upgraded our porch, lawn irrigation, and border trees.
> We created and installed a Memorial Tree at our front door, with the names of all 220 residents who have lived here since 2016.
> One of our CNAs earned the Connecticut Assisted Living Distinguished Service Award for extraordinary resident service.
> We earned the Connecticut Small Business Administration (SBA) Family-Owned Business of the Year Award for 2024.
> Bristol Press readers voted us "Best of Bristol" for the 5th year, and New Britain Herald readers voted us "Best of New Britain."

Reflecting on 2024, we hold dear memories of our residents who passed or moved. With heavy but hopeful hearts, we pledge to continue providing strong nursing in a cozy and loyal home.

Thank you!

05/29/2024

Online voting is now closed.
Thank you for your support!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Posted 29 May 2024:

ONLINE VOTING IS OPEN!
# BRISTOL PRESS: Best Assisted Living
Shady Oaks or the Pines?
>>> https://www.bristolpress.com/bestof2024/ #/gallery?group=483544
# # NEW BRITAIN HERALD: Best Assisted Living
Shady Oaks or Arden Courts?
>>> https://www.newbritainherald.com/bestof2024/ #/gallery?group=483421

Shady Oaks averages 5 stars in 71 Google Reviews. We earned Best of Bristol in 2023, '22, '21, and '20. We earned CT Family-Owned Business of 2024 & Humanitarian Home of 2021. We are now Connecticut's only family-owned and veteran-owned assisted living. Thank you!

03/29/2024

We have happy news! Shady Oaks won CT Family-Owned Small Business of the Year.

My family began senior care 55+ years ago, and my parents built Shady Oaks in 1976. We were the 2nd licensed assisted living in all Connecticut. Shady Oaks is now the only family-owned assisted living and only veteran-owned assisted living in Connecticut. We today have a perfect 5 stars in 72 Google reviews. Bristol Press readers voted us Best of Bristol in 2023, '22, '21, and '20.

Last week, we had a once-in-a-lifetime honor to host U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, CT SBA Director Catherine Marx, Bristol Mayor Jeff Caggiano, State Representative Joe Hoxha, and State Representative Mike Demicco. Our residents, families, and staff enjoyed the day.

For me, the event's high point was celebrating my mother Kay, aunt Debbie, and brother Ron. Kay built Shady Oaks with my father, Vernon. Debbie was our lead RN for 21 years. Ron served 10 years as co-Director with his wife, Jean. They are true heroes in our home.

I wish to also thank our extraordinary staff, inspiring residents, and supportive families. Because of them, we have love in our house. A wise man once sang: "Cause I have all of life's treasures and they're fine and they're good. They remind me that houses are just made of wood. What makes a house grand, oh, it ain't the roof or the doors. If there's love in a house, it's a palace for sure." Shady Oaks is a palace for strong nursing in a cozy and loyal home.

To learn more, please *click* on our website:
> www.shadyoaksassistedliving.com

Extra appreciation goes to Fox61 and the Bristol Press for sharing our home's story of love and care for disabled seniors.
> https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/shady-oaks-honored-as-family-owned-small-business-of-the-year/520-6e40fb92-1023-4121-bfe0-ae23581bb6d1
> https://www.bristolpress.com/news/friendly-family-shady-oaks-sba-honor-latest-of-many/article_ed264184-dda8-11ee-abbb-cf58f3c94278.html

The U.S. Small Business Administration recognized the Bristol facility, which took aggressive and innovative measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

03/25/2023

We are doing well. We today average 5 stars in 29 replies to our 2022 family survey. We also average 5 stars across 53 Google reviews.

Bristol Press readers voted us Best of Bristol in 2022, 2021, and 2020. We also won 2021 Connecticut Humanitarian Home of the Year.

In 2022, we earned a perfect 100% rating in our CT Department of Public Health inspection for our assisted living nursing procedures.

So far, for the whole pandemic, only 6 residents caught COVID here. Elsewhere in Bristol, over 800 nursing home residents caught it.

We thank our residents, families, staff, and supporters. We promise to continue providing strong nursing in our cozy and loyal home.

10/03/2021

Shady Oaks provides strong nursing in a cozy and loyal assisted living home. We thank Bristol Press readers for voting us Best Skilled Nursing Facility in 2021 and 2020.

With our Bubble, testing, KN-95s, air purifiers, vaccines, staff effort, family support, and luck, no resident, visitor, or staff member has caught COVID-19 from in our home.

So far, our home has been a safe place to live, visit, and work.

10/03/2021

We feel grateful we received resident booster shots. We are now at 100% resident vaccination, 80% resident booster shots, and 100% staff vaccination. WTNH Channel 8 covered our booster milestone:

When it comes to Pfizer COVID booster shots, Gov. Lamont said the top priority would be the most vulnerable. At Shady Oaks Assisted Living in Bristol, everyone who could get the booster was able to…