Our Care, Services, & Signature Programs
When you’re a resident at a community of The Bristal, life is full: There’s always someplace nice to go, someone special to meet, and something memorable to share. You’ll encounter a community of genuinely caring professionals who love what they do, excel in their skills, and embrace your priorities as their own. Each of our communities features a unique personality and energy, and if that were not enough, we also provide innovative programs that enhance our residents’ experiences every day. The result: Independence, safety, and life enrichment. This is The Bristal way.
Independent Living
The Bristal offers independent senior living at each of our licensed assisted living communities. Residents who are self-sufficient enough to operate independently live here to enjoy our fine amenities and programs, which reflect the high-end hospitality values of some of the world’s finest hotels.
Assisted Living
With communities on Long Island and in Westchester County in New York, and Bergen, Passaic, and Somerset Counties in New Jersey, our assisted living communities feature modern apartments designed for seniors who need daily or weekly assistance. You choose how to live. A personal care assistance plan is here whenever you need it.
Memory Care
All of our assisted living communities include memory care neighborhoods called Reflections, which are specially designed to reinforce a sense of purpose for those facing memory loss. At Reflections, residents have private and secure accommodations along with individually personalized programs to help them manage Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-related cognitive disorders.
Enrich Life with These Signature Programs at The Bristal
The Bristal has created a series of initiatives known as our Signature Programs to help residents flourish in all aspects of their daily lives — body, mind, and spirit. These voluntary programs evolve based on continuing resident feedback and are intended to make life at The Bristal as meaningful as it can be.
Hands-On & Hearts-In®: Staff Sensitivity Training Program
At The Bristal, we implemented Hands-On & Hearts-In®, a comprehensive sensitivity training program, to better understand the challenges our residents may be experiencing day-to-day. Through this program, our staff becomes that much more sensitive to our residents’ varying degrees of ability and capacity. It makes for more compassionate decision making and more realistic goal setting — all of which results in better care, happier days, and improved quality of life for our residents.
Mobility Enhancement Program
One of the most important initiatives for our residents is the Mobility Enhancement Program, which is designed to reduce the risks of falling, fall-related injuries, and hospitalizations. This voluntary, individualized program combines the expertise of physical therapists, nurses, and primary care physicians in one comprehensive multidisciplinary approach, addressing both the medical and physical risk factors that commonly result in falls.
The Bristal Helping Hands
The Bristal Helping Hands started when groups of our residents and staff came together to organize for community support. Since then, members of The Bristal Helping Hands committees at each of our communities regularly seek similar service-based projects for staying active and engaged as volunteers. With neighborhood programs in perpetual need of resources and our seniors eager to stay in touch and involved, The Bristal Helping Hands presents a win-win opportunity for both our residents and the communities they serve.
BBU: The Bristal Better U
Developed in conjunction with Hofstra University Continuing Education, The Bristal Better U is a voluntary lifelong learning and personal enrichment program throughout all communities of The Bristal. The BBU presents lectures, discourses and other educational components covering a wide range of topics of both general and specific interest. Society, global culture and politics, science, media, entertainment, and more — the areas presented and taught on are as diverse as the imaginations of our residents.
Alluring Eats: Appetizing Dining Program at The Bristal
Along with being nutritious, the food at The Bristal is fun and creative, as our award-winning chefs are committed to making meals a culinary experience. We collaborate with the Activities Department and hold festive food tastings, competitions, demos, and themed lunches and dinners, such as Italian Night, Oktoberfest, Cinco de Mayo, and more.
Enjoy prepared-to-order meals at our Chef Action Stations, spend a special evening of elegant dining at The Executive’s Table, or enjoy delicious munchies, desserts, and drinks. The choice is yours. In addition to wine and beer at dinner, we introduce specialty cocktails at The Bristal Spotlight Tavern.
With our Taste of Home program, share your favorite recipe with your peers. Simply fill out a recipe card and return to your Director of Food Service. The Director may then serve the dish at mealtime or may hold a demonstration and tasting event with residents.
Residents at The Bristal also influence what’s on the menu at their community. Through monthly Food Committee meetings, a group of representatives meet with the location’s chef and discuss likes and dislikes, and offer ongoing feedback for the menu.
All in all, we have fun with food, and we are conscious, of course, to comply with all religious holidays and observances.
SmartChoice: Brain Food Program at The Bristal
A vital part of healthy living, of course, is a commitment to healthy eating, and we educate residents on how smarter eating promotes better health and well-being. The chefs at The Bristal have made it their mission to present our residents every day with more nutritionally-conscious choices by creating recipes focusing on “clean foods,” foods that promote healthy brain function and improve cognitive ability.
From local seafood to produce, The Bristal also partners with local farmers and providers to ensure that only the freshest, in-season ingredients go into every meal we serve.
At The Bristal, you’ll also find heart-healthy, sugar-free, and no-salt-added options available at each of our communities.
