‘Martin supports Pilot Program reform’ (Bristol Press)

Belanger said Martin, a Republican who represents Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth and Thomaston, has assisted him in advocating for increased support of assisted living programs. The Pilot Program, he explained, was created in 2002 to “help low asset disabled seniors afford assisted living.” He said that it was created with the hope that if the experiment went well, it could someday be improved.

“Decades went by and now the time has come,” he said.

Right now, Belanger said, there is a “disparity” in state aid. In nursing homes the state pays $10,000 a month for Medicaid. He said they pay $9,000 a month for those receiving assistance in the community. For those in assisted living, the maximum amount they can receive is $2,900 a month. Belanger is proposing increasing that amount by $1,600 a month to $4,500 a month for the maximum package amount.

“What a gap,” Belanger said, when explaining the situation to the room full of seniors and their family members. He also said that in 2017, the last time the numbers were checked, the pilot program had saved the state $300,000 by helping people stay in assisted living programs instead of going into more expensive nursing homes.

Belanger added that, currently, only 1 out of 10 assisted living facilities are participating in the pilot program. That number may increase, he said, if the state assistance is higher. Besides Shady Oaks, other area facilities which participate include Arbor Rose in New Britain, Mulberry Gardens in Southington and Middlewoods in Farmington.

In 2023, Martin proposed Senate Bill 316 which would have directed DSS to revisit the pilot program. The bill did not pass the house due to “running out of time” during that legislative session. Belanger said seniors are also running out of time.

Martin and Belanger hosted a meeting with DSS in Dec. 2024 which he said helped to move the conversation forward. Then, they did so again in April 2025.

“I felt that both of the meetings were constructive and forward thinking,” Belanger said. “They seemed open to increasing the top care package assistance.”

This last October, Belanger said, Shady Oaks hosted three Democratic representatives – Rep. Mary Fortier, who represents Bristol, Rep. Mike Demicco, who represents Farmington and Unionville, and Jane Garibay, who represents Windsor and Windsor Locks. He also spoke to them about wanting additional support for the Pilot Program.

This January, Shady Oaks had a further meeting with the Connecticut Office of Policy & Management (OPM) and DSS regarding the issue.

“We are grateful for Sen. Henri Martin’s pioneering work,” Belanger said. “At that meeting, the state officials warmly regarded our proposals. Sadly, they said that it could still take some time. But, that does not take away from our gratitude to Sen. Martin for helping get the voices from our residents to OPM and DSS.”

Belanger said he felt OPM and DSS were “warm” to the meeting, and would not have been without Martin’s advocacy.

In 2024, Belanger nominated Martin for the Connecticut Assisted Living Association’s “Legislator of the Year” award, which he received that year. He was ceremonially presented that award again on Friday by Belanger and Carter.

Carter said he was “so enormously pleased and grateful” to Belanger and to Martin for their efforts to advance this issue.

“Under Tyson’s tutelage, we had made amazing progress with OPM and DSS,” he said. “We are thrilled to honor Sen. Martin today for his help. He has taken the time to be with us today during a very busy time of the year for him, with the legislative session starting Feb. 4.”

Martin said that during a typical legislative session 4,000 to 5,000 bills are brought forward and of those 300 or so become law. He thanked Belanger and Carter for the recognition.

“I never thought I’d receive the same award twice,” he joked.

Martin praised Belanger for his work behind the scenes, sharing this knowledge of the industry and how the system works as well as his frustrations. He said he felt that reform was “almost there” and he feels “practical, common sense” will ultimately prevail. He said assisted living costs approximately $5,000 a month depending on care received, versus the $10,000 or so a month people might expect to pay in a nursing home.

“It makes too much financial sense not to do,” he said. “But Connecticut is a big ship and sometimes it takes some time to nudge it in the right direction. We’re almost there and we’re going to continue fighting. Hopefully in short time we will be able to get a bill through.”