Farmington Senior Community Loves 'Elvis' Tenderly

Middlewoods of Farmington

FARMINGTON, CT — Elvis did not leave the building at a Farmington assisted living community last month, as residents there celebrated the King of Rock and Roll in style.

The “Elvis Week” tradition continues to delight residents with its annual week-long celebration of Elvis in music, pop culture, and personal memories.

The 2024 edition took place Aug. 12-16 at Middlewoods of Farmington Senior Living Community, 509 Middle Road, Farmington.

The week was coordinated by the activities director, Debbie Astrom, and the Middlewoods team, and included various Elvis-themed programs, a daily Elvis film or documentary spotlight, a quirky “Elvis-sighting” scavenger hunt, Elvis music features, and a surprise Elvis visit.

“The residents have a fabulous time going back to simpler times as we celebrate all that Elvis brought to the world,” said Astrom.

“This year we added an Elvis challenge: a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of Elvis movie posters from around the world. With only seven days to complete it, the residents did more than rise to the challenge, they exceeded the challenge by completing the whole puzzle in just six days! That was quite a feat!”

Resident Anne Shortier, winner of the Elvis Sighting game said “every day they hid a life-sized cutout of young Elvis and we had to record his daily locations. I was fortunate to have turned in the winning answer sheet. It was fun searching for where he’d be each day – plus we all got a little more exercise in the process! It was a terrific week of memories and nostalgia.”

This year, Middlewoods of Farmington residents welcomed friends and fellow residents from Middlewoods of Newington, a sister community, for a special Elvis-themed bingo.

“We have a few people from both communities who love any kind of program or performance with Elvis,” said Astrom. “We thought it would be fitting to invite them to join us for the fun this year.”

Middlewoods of Newington Executive Director Lori Pisani and resident, Shirley Salafia are just two of the many Elvis fans in the Newington community.

A group of 14 residents and staff from Newington attended the bingo event, which was quite a draw.

But that was upstaged by a surprise visit by Elvis himself, who was actually maintenance director Michael LaMere.

LaMere has dressed the part of Elvis for many years, draping white scarves from his neck to the adoring resident fans, many of whom he stopped to pose for photos with during the event.

“We had a fantastic time hosting our friends from Middlewoods of Newington and the appearance by Elvis was such a highlight; everyone had a blast,” said Middlewoods of Farmington Executive Director Bianca Turcotte-Reome.

Middlewoods of Farmington Independent and Assisted Living Community is affiliated with UConn Health and is located at 509 Middle Road in Farmington. It is owned and operated by United Methodist Homes, a not-for-profit, mission-based organization in Shelton. For more information about senior living at Middlewoods, contact Ginny Brown at 860-284-5700 or visit www.middlewoodsoffarmington.org.