About Garden Path Elder Living— A 130 year history of exceptional service to elders
Garden Path Elder Living has been a non-profit, mission-driven organization since 1892.
Our Mission: Caring for Your Family as Our Own
Our Vision: A family of residents who are living lives of meaning and vitality, however they define it.
Our Commitment to Each Individual in Our Community :
We take the time to get to know each resident and through this process we learn their likes, interests, and hopes. Our committed and engaged staff utilize a care model intended to support the unique personalities and needs of our residents. We recognize the strength and conviction of each individual and feel strongly that, to be of greatest support and service to our residents, we must meet them where they are with compassion and understanding.
We always say we work in our residents’ home, rather than saying that they live where we work.
Because we see our residents as members of our family, they maintain the identity that they arrived with. We move to meet them where they are, rather than expect them to change to our offerings. Some residents like to go for a walk, some can’t; some want to participate in all our activities, some want only a few or even none; some require only to be checked in on each day, some need more consistent attention.
Whatever the needs of your loved one, when they join us, they’re treated as the wonderful and singular individual that they are.
Green Living:
Vermont's the Green Mountain State and we choose to be green. We have flower and vegetable gardens, we use locally sourced food and we compost and recycle. Capital improvements include energy efficient appliances, LED lights, high insulation values, and tight air sealing.
Our gardens feature raised beds with clear, wide pathways to improve access for our residents who want to help maintaining the beds by weeding and watering, or to grab a ready-to-eat snack of cherry tomatoes or berries. We also have a gazebo and several small sitting areas with what we call ‘conversation benches’ for residents and their guests who enjoy spending time in the gardens.
Our History:
The history of Garden Path Elder Living dates back to 1892 when Dr. Henry Holton and a group of concerned citizens incorporated as the Brattleboro Home for the Aged and Disabled. That Home on Western Avenue in Brattleboro—eventually known as Holton Home—was in operation for 130 years. Although Holton Home closed as a residential care home in 2022 it is still owned by GPEL and is currently providing housing for travel nurses.
In 2015, the two homes merged under the name Garden Path Elder Living. We are a small non-profit with a local Board of Trustees committed to guiding this critical local resource for elders into a strong future.
Board of Trustees
Kris McDermet, President
Lee Madden, Treasurer
Cathy Coonan Johanna Murphy
Katherine Cummings Cathy Osman
Vern Grubinger Cindy Pearson
Margaret Lewis JoAnne Rogers
Bonnie McKellar