Benchmark Celebrates Opening of First New York Community

There are many senior care communities on Long Island, but none are committed to keeping seniors and their families connected to what matters most in their lives, until now. Whisper Woods of Smithtown in Smithtown, N.Y., a Benchmark assisted living and memory care community with a mission to transform lives through human connection, has opened its doors and is now home to over 60 residents. This occasion marks the first New York community for Benchmark (www.benchmarkseniorliving.com), a leading provider of senior living and aging-well services in the Northeast.

“Smithtown is a proud, tight-knit community, and we are very excited to be part of it,” says Tom Grape, Benchmark’s chairman and CEO. “There has been a need for high-quality senior housing on Long Island, where the 75-plus population has grown by 20% in the last eight years! And Whisper Woods is in an ideal location – close to downtown Smithtown and St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center. Our second New York community, Orchard Estate of Woodbury, will open next summer in Woodbury allowing us to connect even more individuals to what’s meaningful at every stage of life.”

Recently, Whisper Woods held a ribbon cutting and grand-opening celebration with over 200 people in attendance. The community’s first resident, Marilyn Cavalluzzi, led the ribbon-cutting. Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, applauded the community’s early success and thanked it for supporting other local businesses. Guests were treated to a farm and sea to table menu featuring seasonal specialties from area farms. And each guest received a gift bottle of wine made by the community’s neighbor, Whisper Vineyards.

Whisper Woods is a 3-story community comprised of 88,500 square feet of living space set on 12.6 acres. With 101 assisted living and memory care apartments available in a variety of sizes and floor plans, it is capable of providing care for up to 136 residents. The community is home to a number of unique amenities, including a balcony ideal for happy hour and watching the sunset, a wellness center offering fitness and physical therapy and a private family room featuring a full kitchen and dining area for private functions.

Whisper Woods is led by Executive Director Desiree Krajnyak-Baker, a Port Jefferson resident and 18-year senior living industry veteran who has built an enthusiastic and caring team of 85 associates. “I am so incredibly proud of what we’ve created here, and the community response has been tremendous,” says Krajnyak-Baker. “Our associates are deeply passionate about caring for seniors. In just a short time, we’ve developed wonderful relationships with our residents and their families, and we look forward to building upon those relationships and providing experiences to help them thrive.”

Whisper Woods of Smithtown is located at 71 St. Johnland Road. For more information, visit www.WhisperWoodsSmithtown.com.