Salisbury affordable homes take shape

A crane crew carefully installs the second story of a future affordable home on Undermountain Road.
Patrick L. Sullivan
A crane crew carefully installs the second story of a future affordable home on Undermountain Road.
SALISBURY — Workers from SRC Construction carefully craned a section of a modular home in place at 26/28 Undermountain Road in Salisbury on Thursday, Aug. 28.
The crane moved the second-floor section slowly as men with long ropes tugged it in the desired direction.
The houses are being built by the Salisbury Housing Trust and are part of a multi-town affordable housing effort in Litchfield County.
The two three-bedroom homes on Undermountain Road should be ready for occupancy before winter.
Applications are open at cho.thehousingcollective.org/litchfield-county-affordable-homeownership-program
Corinne Kalser, MD, left, talks about the benefits of animals as therapy partners, as Renee Bouffard, LCSW, of Healing Hoofbeats of CT, on right, watches Harry Potter, a young horse at Time Out.In the background, Finnegan, lead horse at Time Out comes to see what’s going on.
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
— Renee Bouffard, LCSW
In 2008, Time Out Foundation became an official rescue and therapeutic riding facility, fulfilling a lifelong dream of founder, Corinne Kalser, M.D.With her husband, David McArthur, LCSW, and the rest of their staff, they offer a haven for children and adults through gentle, relaxed therapies centered around animals — rescued horses, dogs, cats, and goats — on their 35-acre farm in Lakeville.
To ensure the foundation continues, Kalser is partnering with Healing Hoofbeats of CT, an organization with a similar philosophy of care.
“This is a way to keep it going after retiring,” said Kalser. Renee Bouffard, LCSW, founder of Healing Hoofbeats, along with Nikki Hedden, LMSW, and Rebecca Caruso, LCSW, will begin offering therapy at Time Out beginning Oct. 13. Based in Bethlehem, Connecticut, the Healing Hoofbeats team will bring their animal-assisted therapy services to Lakeville — and, as Kalser noted, “takes most insurances.”
Bouffard explained the process: “At the initial meeting, we introduce clients to all the animals with the intention of choosing who their therapy partner will be. This will be their partner for the duration of the therapy.”
“Through that process of building a relationship, issues come out — depression, anxiety, trauma. The therapist can address and can help solve them,” she added.
“Horses and other livestock maintain their wild instincts. They sense what we are feeling and that makes them amazing therapy partners.”
Relationships are built through groundwork and learning about your therapy partner.
“My oldest client is 89.We treat all ages — children, adults, families, couples, veterans,” Bouffard said.
For more information or to schedule an appointment at Time Out with the Healing Hoofbeats team, visit healinghoofbeatsofct.org or call 203-244-8411.
The living room is light, airy, and quiet, with works from local artists on the walls...and no television.
Craig Davis and Keavy Bedell have opened East Mountain House in Lakeville. It is an end-of-life facility — a home, really — that can accomodate up to two guests at a time. The first guest arrived in mid-September.
The house, at 14 Bostwick St., is the one Davis shared with his wife Sandy Dennis, who died in 2020. Davis said her spirit lives on in the house itself and in the approach taken for the guests.
When a visitor enters the house from the back, the first thing to do is greet Lucy the dog.
Next is to change into a pair of slippers, supplied by management.
Then the visitor is led around, with a stop in one of the guest bedrooms, complete with hospital bed and television.
The living and dining area is spacious and comfortable.
And quiet. No TV in here, quite deliberately.
In fact, there are no televisions anywhere except in the two guest rooms.
Davis said the house had to be remodeled to some extent, including removing a spiral staircase for something more conventional and practical. But the antique windows remain.
On the second floor are bedrooms for nursing staff and family members of guests, plus an office for Executive Director Cristin Gallup.
The third floor has a quiet space or “hangout.”
The house is decorated with works from local artists.
The yard is fenced in, and guests can bring a pet if the pet “is nice and gets along with Lucy.”
The entire atmosphere is influenced by Buddhism.
“It’s Buddhist without being Buddhist” said Davis.
One of the two guest bedrooms at East Mountain House, with a hospital bed, television, and Lucy the dog being helpful on the couch.Patrick L. Sullivan
Bedell, who is a certified end-of-life doula, said she and Davis talked about starting something for end-of-life care for some time.
“East Mountain House is 10 years from inception, with three years of earnest, hard work” she said.
The facility is affiliated with Visiting Nurses and Hospice of Litchfield County (VNHLC), so there is a trained staff presence around the clock.
Plus there are between 20 to 30 volunteers involved.
To qualify, a guest must be enrolled with VNHLC, have a medical diagnosis of three months or less to live, medical insights on what to expect at the end of life, have a signed MOLST form indicating Do No Resuscitate, have a designated health care proxy and financial power of attorney, and have a hospice plan for continued care in case of discharge.
There is a sliding scale for payment, and if a guest has few assets, there is no charge.
The effort relies on donations and volunteers. East Mountain Foundation Holdings is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
East Mountain relies on donations and volunteers, both of which are cheerfully accepted.
East Mountain House is “our gift to the community,” said Davis, and added, “Ultimately the community will have to keep it going.”
860-596-4117
With four urgent care centers and an emergency room, there are a number of options for immediate care in Torrington.
Emergency rooms are intended to treat severe conditions such as major trauma, chest pain, difficulty breathing, stroke, head trauma, neck or spine injury, severe bleeding, seizure lasting longer than 3 minutes, severe burn, vision loss, choking, electric shock or struck by lightning.
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital emergency roomRiley Klein
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, part of the Hartford HealthCare system, operates an emergency room in its main location at 540 Litchfield St. Live wait times can be checked online at charlottehungerford.org/services/emergency-room
Urgent cares often treat conditions such as colds, flu, fever, asthma, allergies, emphysema, minor skin lacerations, cuts, burns, urinary tract infections, sport or occupational injuries, sprains and strains. Many locations offer x-rays, drug screening, biometric testing and physicals.
Hartford HealthCare GoHealth on East Main St.Riley Klein
Hartford HealthCare GoHealth operates two urgent cares in Torrington: The location at 996 East Main St. is open Monday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Phone: 860-866-5809; the location at 112 South Main St. is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 860-387-4365
Hartford HealthCare GoHealth on South Main St.Riley Klein
Concentra urgent careRiley Klein
Concentra operates an urgent care at 333 Kennedy Dr. Suite 202, which is open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 860-482-4552
American Family Care (AFC)Riley Klein
American Family Care (AFC) operates an urgent care at 1171 East Main St., which is open Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone: 860-407-5048
In the event of an emergency, dial 9-1-1.
Hudson Valley Hospice House in Hyde Park is the first freestanding hospice to serve Dutchess and Ulster Counties.
If you or someone in your care are approaching end of life, Medicare’s hospice benefit provides comprehensive, coordinated care for people with a life expectancy of six months or less, as certified by a doctor who can prescribe hospice services. The goal of hospice is to improve quality of life by providing support rather than curative treatment.
Hospice care under Medicare is delivered by a team that typically includes doctors, nurses, home health aides, social workers, chaplains, counselors and trained volunteers. Hospice nurses can manage symptoms and medications; aides assist with personal care such as bathing and dressing; and trained volunteers may offer companionship, run errands or provide respite for caregivers. Drugs related to the terminal illness, as well as equipment such as hospital beds, oxygen, wheelchairs and wound care, are covered at no cost by the program.
The hospice benefit is available in a patient’s home, a nursing facility, an assisted living community or an inpatient hospice center. Patients can continue receiving hospice as long as they remain eligible, and they may stop hospice care at any time if they choose to pursue curative treatment again.
The Hudson Valley Hospice in Poughkeepsie (phone: 845-485-2272) covers all of Dutchess County including the northeast corner. Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Litchfield County provides care in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut (Phone: 860-379-8561, Winsted office). In addition, your doctor or nursing facility may recommend private hospice services, which are also available at no cost.