New Canaan, Connecticut
Senior living and care options in New Canaan, CT
Assisted living, memory care, a nursing home, rehab, independent living and adult day, with the places that are in New Canaan named, the ones in Norwalk and Wilton marked, and how care at home can work with any of them.
What senior living and care options are there in New Canaan, CT?
Most are on the Waveny campus at 3 Farm Road: The Inn for independent living, The Village for assisted living and memory care, the Care Center for skilled nursing and rehab, and the Navigator Adult Day Program. Brightview on New Canaan is in Norwalk, not New Canaan. Wilton and Norwalk have more. Care at home works alongside any of them.
Start here
How to decide which kind of place or help fits
Start with the day, not the building. What does a normal day look like for your parent now, and which parts have become hard: the morning routine, meals, remembering medications, getting out of the house, the night? Then ask what your parent wants. Many people want to stay in their own house, some want company and a place that handles the meals, and some need nursing.
The options are not a ladder. A parent can use home care and an adult day program, or live in assisted living with companion visits added, or come home after a rehab stay with care in place. If you are not sure, a call to the Municipal Agent for Aging (Human Services) or the regional Aging Answers line is free, and a conversation with our care team costs nothing.
The options
Each option, and what New Canaan has
Most of New Canaan's senior living sits on one campus. Waveny is a non-profit continuum of care at 3 Farm Road, operating since 1975. Several nearby communities are in Norwalk and Wilton, and are marked as such below.
Care at home
Help in your parent's own house at the hours you choose, from a few hours a week to live-in or 24-hour care. In Connecticut Endurance provides companion care and personal care. Skilled nursing, home health aides and physical therapy come from Endurance Home Health, a separate company.
Independent living
Housing with services but without personal care. The Inn at Waveny is a rental residence with three chef-prepared meals a day, housekeeping and linen services, and 24-hour security and response systems. Schoolhouse Apartments, at 156 South Avenue, is affordable senior housing with a Resident Services Coordinator.
Assisted living
A residence where staff provide personal care and monitoring through the day. The Village at Waveny offers assisted living and memory care in one residence. Brightview on New Canaan is at 162 New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk, not in New Canaan. In Wilton, The Greens at Cannondale and Sunrise of Wilton offer assisted living and memory care.
Memory care
The Village at Waveny has a licensed nurse and certified nursing assistants on site around the clock, in studio apartments and deluxe suites, with short-term respite stays for caregiver relief. Waveny Care Center also has a secure unit for advanced memory impairment. In Norwalk, Bridges by EPOCH offers memory care, and Brightview does too.
Skilled nursing and rehab
Waveny Care Center is a 76-bed skilled nursing facility with short-term and long-term care, wound care, IV therapies and physical, occupational and speech therapy. It is operating now. Waveny broke ground on May 27, 2026 on a new 41,000-square-foot short-term rehabilitation building, and construction is underway. Wilton Meadows in Wilton has 148 beds.
Adult day
Waveny's Navigator Adult Day Program is for people with Alzheimer's or dementia, Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. ElderHouse in Norwalk is a medical and social adult day center, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and names New Canaan among its towns.
Together or instead
How home care works alongside a community, or instead of one
Home care brings the help into your parent's own house, and for some families that decides it. For others a community is the right place, and home care still has a part.
In Connecticut, Endurance provides companion care and personal care inside assisted living and other communities. A caregiver can add hours for company, for meals, for the evenings, or for the days after a move, when your parent knows no one. Ask the community how it works with outside caregivers.
Home care also covers the gap around a day program. The Navigator program runs 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and ElderHouse 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, so the mornings, evenings and nights still need someone. And after a rehab stay, a caregiver can be in place when your parent comes home.
On a tour
Questions to ask on a tour
Bring a list and ask the same questions at each place, so the answers are comparable.
The day
What does a normal weekday look like for a resident like my parent? What happens at night, and who is awake? How quickly do staff come when a resident calls?
The help
Which kinds of personal care are included, and which cost extra? What happens when needs increase, and at what point would my parent be asked to move?
The staff
Who is on site overnight, and what are their licenses? Is the same person usually there from week to week?
The practical
What is the monthly fee, what does it include, and how much notice is given for an increase? How does the community work with an outside caregiver or a family member who visits daily?
The setting
Can my parent bring their own furniture? Where do residents go outdoors, and is it easy to walk? What are meals like, and can they be changed?
Paying
Paying for each option
Medicare does not pay for most long-term, custodial care, and the rules differ between settings. Its home health benefit covers part-time skilled care for people who are homebound. It does not cover 24-hour care, or custodial care when that is the only care needed. Ask each facility and your parent's plan what is covered, for how many days and at what cost.
Home care with Endurance is private pay. Long-term care insurance can cover personal and custodial care at home, usually as a daily amount up to a limit, and we help with policy paperwork. Veterans may qualify for VA Aid and Attendance, an add-on to a VA pension. We do not publish prices.
For independent living, the Housing Authority page lists the affordable senior housing options. For adult day, the regional Agency on Aging notes limited scholarships for eligible adults. For assisted living and memory care, ask each community for its fee schedule in writing.
Worth knowing
A concept that is not an option yet
Waveny has published an early-stage concept for a Life Plan Community on town-owned land west of Lapham Road. It is not approved or built, no final design or layout has been approved, and no final ground lease has been proposed, so it is not something a family can use today. You can read Waveny's own FAQ about it.
Side by side
Care at home compared with the other settings
| Question | Care at home | Assisted living | Memory care community | Skilled nursing and rehab | Adult day program |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where your parent lives | In their own house | In an apartment in a residence | In a residence built for memory support | In a nursing facility, for a short stay or long term | At home; attends the program for the day |
| What help is there | Companion care or personal care, from a few hours a week to live-in or 24-hour | Personal care and monitoring from staff through the day | Staff trained in memory care; at The Village at Waveny a licensed nurse and CNAs are on site around the clock | Nursing, therapy and, at Waveny, wound care and IV therapies | Activities, meals, and care by program staff; at Waveny, light personal care |
| How the day runs | Set by your parent and family, around the routines they keep | Meals, activities and care follow the community's schedule | A structured day, with a layout designed for people with memory loss | Therapy and nursing care on a clinical schedule | Weekday, daytime hours, such as 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM at Waveny |
| How it is usually paid | Private pay; long-term care insurance can help with personal and custodial care at home | Ask each community for its fee schedule in writing | Ask each community for its fee schedule in writing | Medicare does not pay for most long-term custodial care; ask the facility what is covered after a hospital stay | Ask each program; limited scholarships are noted by the regional Agency on Aging |
| How Endurance can help | Endurance provides it, with a registered nurse's first visit and a Care Manager | Companion care and personal care inside the community, in Connecticut | Companion visits for familiar company, and respite for family, in Connecticut | Companion care to ease the stay, and a plan for coming home. Nursing and therapy at home come from Endurance Home Health, a separate company | Care for the mornings, evenings and nights around the program, and the ride |
Local directory
Senior living, rehab, memory care and adult day near New Canaan
From each organization's own site, checked 2026-10-22. We are not affiliated with any of them, and we do not rate or rank them.
Independent living and senior housing
- Independent livingThe Inn at WavenyWaveny campus, New Canaan, CT (campus address 3 Farm Road)
Waveny's rental independent living residence, close to the town center. It lists three chef-prepared meals daily, housekeeping and linen services, and 24-hour security and response systems. Residents have priority access to the rest of Waveny's services, including the Care Center. The town's own senior directory still links to an old Inn page that no longer works; use Waveny's current page.
- Affordable senior housingSchoolhouse Apartments156 South Avenue, New Canaan, CT 06840
Affordable senior housing in a converted 1931 school building, operating since 1993, with a Resident Services Coordinator who organizes activities and helps residents reach medical and social services.
- Town housingHousing Authority of New CanaanNew Canaan, CT (contacts on the town page)
The town page lists the affordable housing communities, including Schoolhouse Apartments as senior housing (studio and one bedroom). Start here if cost is the question for independent living.
Assisted living and memory care
Brightview, The Greens at Cannondale, Sunrise of Wilton and Bridges are in Norwalk or Wilton.
- Assisted livingThe Village at Waveny (assisted living)3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Waveny describes the Village as assisted living and memory-dementia care in one residence. Residents receive individualized personal care and healthcare monitoring throughout the day, every day. The assisted living and memory care entries are the same building on the Waveny campus.
- Memory careThe Village at Waveny (memory care)3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Waveny's memory care residence combines assisted living with a therapeutic approach to memory support, built around an indoor Main Street. A licensed nurse and certified nursing assistants are on site around the clock. Studio apartments and deluxe suites, and short-term respite stays for caregiver relief.
- Assisted living and memory care (in Norwalk)Brightview on New Canaan162 New Canaan Ave., Norwalk, CT 06850
The name refers to New Canaan Avenue. This community is in Norwalk, not in the town of New Canaan, about 7 minutes by car from Town Hall. Brightview offers assisted living and memory care and names New Canaan, Norwalk and Greenwich as the areas it serves.
- Assisted living and memory care (in Wilton)The Greens at Cannondale435 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897
A family owned assisted living and memory care community on an eleven-acre Wilton campus that also holds Wilton Meadows, so assisted living, memory care, short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing are on one campus. About 17 minutes by car from Town Hall.
- Assisted living and memory care (in Wilton)Sunrise of Wilton211 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897
A Sunrise Senior Living community offering assisted living and memory care, about 12 minutes by car from Town Hall. Availability is not published on the page we checked, so ask on your tour.
- Memory care (in Norwalk)Bridges by EPOCH Norwalk123 Richards Ave, Norwalk, CT
A memory care assisted living community with a Navigator Club program for early-stage memory loss. The town's Caregiver Support page lists a monthly family support group at this address; check with the community for the schedule. About 11 minutes by car from Town Hall.
Skilled nursing and rehab
- Skilled nursing and rehabWaveny Care Center3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
A 76-bed skilled nursing facility on the Waveny campus for short-term and long-term care, with a secure unit for people with advanced memory impairment. Waveny lists a wound care program, IV therapies, pain management, and physical, occupational and speech therapists. The Care Center is operating. Waveny broke ground on May 27, 2026 on a separate new short-term rehabilitation building at the same address, and its site says construction is underway.
- Inpatient rehabWaveny short-term rehab3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
An inpatient rehab stay at the Care Center for people recovering from surgery, a hospital stay, an illness or a fall who are not ready to go straight home. Therapists work toward getting patients home safely. Ask the hospital case manager whether a rehab stay is part of the discharge plan before you arrange care at home.
- Outpatient therapyWaveny Outpatient Rehab3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapy on the Waveny campus for people age 16 and over, with specialty programs that include LSVT BIG and LOUD, lymphedema and Vital Stim. A caregiver can drive your parent to appointments and stay through the session.
- Skilled nursing and rehab (Wilton)Wilton Meadows Rehabilitation and Health Care Center435 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897
A 148-bed skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation center on the Cannondale campus in Wilton, about 17 minutes by car from Town Hall. It lists short-term rehabilitation after surgery, injury or illness, long-term care, and physical, occupational, speech, lymphedema, cardiac and respiratory therapies.
Adult day programs
- Adult day programNavigator Adult Day Program (Waveny)3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Waveny's adult day program for people with Alzheimer's or dementia. Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with full-day and half-day options, a light breakfast and a multi-course lunch, light personal care and bathroom assistance, and transportation through local resources. Waveny describes it as new.
- Adult day program (in Norwalk)ElderHouse Adult Day Center7 Lewis Street, Norwalk, CT 06851
A certified not-for-profit medical and social adult day center that names New Canaan among the towns it serves. Open Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with an on-staff nurse for health monitoring and medication management, and door-to-door transportation. The van runs in the Norwalk area, so ask whether rides from New Canaan are covered. About 11 minutes by car from Town Hall.
Help choosing
- Local contact for older adultsNew Canaan Municipal Agent for Aging77 Main Street, New Canaan, CT 06840
The Southwestern CT Agency on Aging lists Human Services as New Canaan's Municipal Agent, the local contact who helps older adults and caregivers connect with services, benefits and community resources. A good first call when you do not yet know which program fits.
- Regional Area Agency on AgingSouthwestern CT Agency on Aging and Independent Living1000 Lafayette Blvd., 9th Floor, Bridgeport, CT 06604
The regional agency that serves New Canaan. Its Aging Answers line connects you with an Information Specialist for housing, Medicare and other aging questions, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. It keeps a directory of adult day centers and notes that limited scholarships are available for eligible adults.
- Caregiver support programNavigator: Alzheimer's and Dementia at Home (Waveny)3 Farm Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
A complimentary, grant-funded Waveny program for New Canaan caregivers of people with Alzheimer's or dementia: 24/7 access to Alzheimer's and dementia specialists, monthly support groups, wellness checks and safety evaluations, help with insurance and public benefits, care coordination, advance care planning and discharge planning.
- HelplineAlzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (Connecticut Chapter)Statewide
A free 24-hour helpline for Alzheimer's and dementia questions. The chapter's site also helps you find local support groups.
Details were checked against each organization’s own website in October 2026. Drive times are routing estimates calculated in October 2026, and traffic changes them. Programs and hours change, so confirm with the organization before you go. Listing a place here is not a partnership or a referral arrangement.
Questions families ask
Is there assisted living in New Canaan, CT?
Yes. The Village at Waveny, at 3 Farm Road, offers assisted living and memory care in one residence, with personal care and healthcare monitoring throughout the day. Brightview on New Canaan is in Norwalk, not in New Canaan. In Wilton, The Greens at Cannondale and Sunrise of Wilton offer assisted living and memory care.
Is there a nursing home in New Canaan?
Waveny Care Center, at 3 Farm Road, is a 76-bed skilled nursing facility for short-term and long-term care, and it is operating now. Wilton Meadows Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, a 148-bed skilled nursing and rehab center, is in Wilton, about 17 minutes by car from Town Hall.
Where can my parent do rehab after a hospital stay near New Canaan?
Waveny Care Center offers inpatient short-term rehab, with physical, occupational and speech therapists, and Waveny Outpatient Rehab offers therapy on campus for people 16 and over. Waveny broke ground on a new short-term rehab building on May 27, 2026, and construction is underway. Wilton Meadows is another option in Wilton.
Where is memory care near New Canaan?
The Village at Waveny has a licensed nurse and certified nursing assistants on site around the clock and offers short-term respite stays. Waveny Care Center has a secure unit for advanced memory impairment. In Norwalk, Brightview and Bridges by EPOCH offer memory care. The Greens at Cannondale in Wilton does too.
Is there adult day care in New Canaan?
Yes. Waveny's Navigator Adult Day Program, for people with Alzheimer's or dementia, runs Monday to Friday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, with full-day and half-day options. ElderHouse Adult Day Center in Norwalk names New Canaan among its towns. The regional Agency on Aging notes limited scholarships for eligible adults.
Is there independent living in New Canaan?
Yes. The Inn at Waveny is a rental independent living residence with three chef-prepared meals daily, housekeeping and linen services and 24-hour security. Schoolhouse Apartments, at 156 South Avenue, is affordable senior housing, and the Housing Authority page lists other affordable housing.
Can home care be added while my parent lives in assisted living?
In Connecticut, yes. Endurance provides companion care and personal care inside assisted living and other communities, so a caregiver your parent knows can add hours for company, meals or the evenings. Ask the community how it works with outside caregivers, as policies differ.
What does Medicare pay for?
Medicare does not pay for most long-term custodial care. Its home health benefit covers part-time skilled care for people who are homebound, not 24-hour care, and not custodial care when that is the only care needed. Ask any facility what is covered after a hospital stay, for how many days and at what cost.
What is the proposed Life Plan Community at Waveny?
It is an early-stage concept Waveny is exploring on town-owned land west of Lapham Road. It is not approved or built, no final design or layout has been approved, and no final ground lease has been proposed, so it is not an option for families today. Waveny's own FAQ explains the concept.
How do I know whether home care or a community is right for my parent?
Start with what the day looks like and what your parent wants. Some people want to stay in their own house, and others want a place that handles meals and company. Many families combine them. Talk it through with our care team, or call the town's Municipal Agent for Aging for a local view.
Talk with our care team
Let's talk about care in New Canaan
Tell us a little about what's happening, and we'll call to talk it through. The first conversation is free, and nothing starts until you say so.
Sources for this page (21)
- Waveny: Care Center
- Waveny: short-term rehab
- Waveny: outpatient rehab
- Waveny: The Village
- Waveny: The Inn
- Waveny: adult day program
- Waveny: Navigator program
- Waveny: Life Plan Community FAQ
- Waveny: home page (rehab building groundbreaking)
- Brightview on New Canaan
- The Greens at Cannondale and Wilton Meadows
- Sunrise of Wilton
- Bridges by EPOCH Norwalk
- ElderHouse Adult Day Center
- Schoolhouse Apartments
- Town of New Canaan: Housing Authority
- Southwestern CT Agency on Aging
- Medicare: long-term care
- Medicare: home health services
- LongTermCare.gov: long-term care insurance
- VA Aid and Attendance