Culinarians' Home Foundation, Inc.

Culinarians' Home Foundation, Inc., known as The Culinarians' Home, sits on 40 acres of original farmland at 71 Old Tschirky Road in New Paltz, New York, in a historic Victorian house that once belonged to Oscar Tschirky, the famous maître d'hôtel from the Waldorf-Astoria, with connections to early New York City culinary history and roots from the Société Culinaire Philanthropique, which first built it as a retirement home for chefs over seventy years ago before making it an assisted living community for seniors from any background who just want good care and a calm setting. The facility takes a calm approach and helps a small group, caring for no more than 15 residents at a time-though it often has about 13-with private bedrooms and bathrooms, some on the main floor and some upstairs, where a few rooms stay empty now and then, and there's a real sense of quiet and shared space with walking paths, gardens, a community room, and roomy common areas, plus the added benefit of scenic outdoor spaces. Meals come from the kitchen as home-cooked dishes, three times a day, plus snacks and tea, and the menu always considers special diets, allergies, and diabetes when needed, all while keeping a nod to the home's deep culinary roots. Each resident gets weekly housekeeping and laundry, private rooms come fully furnished, and there's help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and transfers, along with medication management, emergency alert systems, and 24-hour staffing. They help residents schedule doctor visits and arrange transportation to medical appointments or shopping trips, and the staff does its best to treat everyone like family, which is easier with a small group and long-standing managers like Administrator Terry Newman and Assistant Administrator Kathleen Simpson, who have each worked there for decades. There's always supervision, and support covers assisted living, board and care, and even memory care for folks with dementia, but residents do have to be ambulatory, take care of basic hygiene, and get along with others, and the application includes a doctor's check and a personal chat to make sure it's a good fit. The home supports those who've just had illness, surgery, or need skilled care too, though it isn't a nursing home, being licensed instead as an adult home by the state Department of Health. Folks pay between $1,800 and $2,200 monthly-this covers meals, services, and the room itself-and there's all-day dining options plus scheduled activities and community events, making life here steady but never busy, with the added comfort of knowing there are Cantonese-speaking caregivers for those who need it and transportation or parking for those who still like to get out and about. Sustainability is a focus in the building design, thanks to years of leadership in green practices from Rick Alfandre and his experienced team, who manage everything from design to operation, making sure the buildings are energy efficient, healthy, and built to last. Residents get a mix of independence and support, board and care, assisted living, skilled nursing care when needed, and even short-term respite stays if families need a little time to recharge, all in a home that still holds onto its history but keeps moving forward with green practices, friendly staff, and a calm, settled atmosphere.