Standish Village Celebrates Remarkable 30-Year Anniversary
BOSTON, MA— Standish Village at Lower Mills, an Assisted Living and Compass Memory Support Community, celebrated their 30-Year anniversary in style. With fun for the whole family, everyone from residents, to loved ones, to associates and friends of Standish Village celebrated a remarkable three decades of carrying out the community’s mission to provide the highest possible quality of life for local seniors.
Over 150 people attended the sunny gathering to mark the 30th anniversary of the community’s opening. Attendees enjoyed a delightful luau-themed summer barbecue, lawn games, a photo booth, a live steel drum musician, and elaborately carved display of fruit.
Standish Village opened its doors in 1994 and has been at the heart of Lower Mills ever since. The building is a complete renovation and expansion of a former Fabreeka Mills textile factory and is steps away from the beautiful Neponset River and the famous Walter Baker Chocolate Factory.
This milestone anniversary inspired the community to reflect back on what has made Standish Village special over their rich 30-year history. The community is immensely proud of their unique and diverse resident population, with a significant number of residents originally from Dorchester who have formed bonds over their local pride. Standish also has a 10% higher proportion of male residents than found, on average, in assisted living communities.
Resident Elaine Major, who has lived at Standish for over 18 years, shares what she loves most about the community:
“I like Standish Village because of the friendly atmosphere. I love the trips, entertainment, eating with others, and the whole team is great. My favorite thing about Standish Village is the freedom we have as residents to choose how we want to live our lives. I am close to family, able to go to church, and really enjoy my time.”
Standish Village has also stood out over the decades as a pillar of innovation and steadfast dedication to their residents and associates. The community is known for their cutting-edge programs aimed at treating the symptoms of memory loss and, in 2023, became one of the first in Massachusetts to earn the Purple Flag for Dementia Care™ Accreditation. This highly esteemed recognition rewards those who meet the gold standard of memory support practices and showcases Standish Village’s commitment to providing high-quality, therapeutic and person-centered care to older adults.
Also among the community’s accolades is a Platinum accreditation from SAGECare’s Cultural Competency program, which is a training program for managers and frontline associates to learn about the experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults. The program, which only a handful of senior communities in Boston have adopted, fosters an inclusive, welcoming, and uplifting environment for everyone at Standish Village to embrace their unique identities.
One of Standish Village’s proudest accomplishments is the longevity of their compassionate and hardworking frontline associates. Amidst serious retention challenges in the healthcare industry, Standish is fortunate to have several associates who have chosen to stay for over two decades.
A couple of those individuals express what working at Standish Village means to them:
“I love working at Standish Village. When you hear the words team players, most people don’t mean it. Here, we do mean it. We work together, pitch in to help wherever we can. No two days are the same and I love that. There isn’t one person here that I don’t like and it is a very caring community. For residents, we find ways to make things work for them, think outside the box, come up with creative solutions to aid in their quality of life.”
– Katy Adams, Wellness Nurse, 21 years at Standish Village
“I have stayed at Standish Village for 25 years because you have to like what you do. I love what I do. The residents, the people I work with. The best part of the job is keeping each resident safe. I come and do what I do and I do it to the best of my ability.”
– Savitri Harkess, Resident Care Associate, 25 years at Standish Village
###
Standish Village at Lower Mills offers local seniors service-enriched Assisted Living and a state-of-the-art Compass Memory Support Neighborhood® featuring innovative, research-based programming for those with memory loss. To learn more about the community, including care options and career opportunities, visit www.StandishVillage.com.
