Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings

Is Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings in Ridgefield licensed by the state?

Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings appears in the Department of Public Health's active ALSA roster as ALSA.0000129; the license was originally issued December 1, 2008 and its current term ends September 30, 2026.

4 of the 43 active ALSA licenses in the county predate it. Because Connecticut's license attaches to the care agency rather than the residence, a new license date can mean a new operator rather than a new building.

Did Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings have a different operator before?

Yes: the eLicense export shows 1 earlier assisted living services agency license recorded at 640 Danbury Rd, the most recent under the name Great Pond Crossing at Ridgefield.

• Great Pond Crossing at Ridgefield — ALSA.0000079, inactive, issued August 13, 2002

When the license number changes, Connecticut treats the new operator as a new agency. Ask what changed for residents: fees, the assisted living supervisor, the aides' employer and the services included in the base rate.

Does Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings offer memory care?

The public license data does not say: DPH keeps no published list of dementia special care units, so families have to ask Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings whether it runs one and request the disclosure document that goes with it.

The law asks for adequate staff, a staffing plan filed with DPH and yearly dementia training. Auditors noted in 2023 that memory care has no minimum staffing requirement, which makes the night-shift number worth asking about. How Connecticut regulates dementia care in assisted living.

What are the alternatives to Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings nearby?

The closest other licensed ALSA is Ridgefield Station in Ridgefield, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line, licensed since 2022.

What medical care is close to Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings in Ridgefield?

Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings is in Ridgefield, part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region (WestCOG); the nearest acute-care hospital in CMS's hospital data is Danbury Hospital, about 3.8 miles away in a straight line.

Ridgefield has about 4,686 residents 65 and older (18.7% of the town) in the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey, and 2 active ALSA licenses in DPH's export. Next is Norwalk Hospital at about 14.2 miles. Distances are straight lines between coordinates.

If nursing care is needed later, the nearest CMS-certified nursing homes are Laurel Ridge Health and Rehab (same ZIP code, CMS 3 of 5) and Saint John Paul II Center (4.4 mi, CMS 2 of 5).

Has DPH taken regulatory action against Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings?

DPH's posted regulatory action orders do not name Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings. That list is short and covers formal consent orders only.

Most problems are handled through inspection findings and corrective plans that never become public orders, so the inspection paperwork is the document to request.

What should families ask Benchmark at Ridgefield Crossings before moving in?

Use the state data to steer the tour: ask when the current operator took over from Great Pond Crossing at Ridgefield and what changed for residents.

• Ask for the residency agreement and the ALSA service agreement side by side: the MRC charges for housing and core services, the ALSA for care.
• Ask who the assisted living supervisor (the required registered nurse) is, and how the 24-hour on-call nurse is reached at night.
• Ask for the fee schedule and the history of increases; MRCs must give 90 days' notice of recurring-fee increases and ALSAs 60 days.
• Ask whether the community accepts residents whose assisted living services are paid by the Connecticut Home Care Program for Elders, and what rent is charged if so.
• The license term ends September 30, 2026; ask whether renewal has been filed.