Seven decades ago a Danbury Hospital nurse opened her home to seniors in need

Seven decades ago one Danbury resident combined her love of nursing and love of neighbor and created a family business that has spanned three generations. Her name? Barbara Filosa.

Today, Filosa’s granddaughter, Jennifer Malone-Seixas continues the hands-on approach, sensitive style, and commitment to quality of life begun by her grandmother in 1947. “January 2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the Filosa facilities,” says Malone-Seixas.

Top-rated, Filosa, and sister building, Hancock Hall, had humble beginnings born when Barbara Filosa, a nurse at Danbury Hospital, began taking elderly patients into her home on Hakim Street in Danbury. “By 1959, she had run out of room and added a wing to bring the nursing home’s capacity to 30 beds,” says Malone-Seixas.

Again, in 1972, using adjacent land that she had purchased, Mrs. Filosa added additional space to increase the capacity to 60 beds.  “By this time, both her daughter and son-in-law, Frank and Barbara Malone, had become actively involved in the daily operations and strategic planning of Filosa.  Between 1994 and 1995, Filosa was completely renovated and almost entirely rebuilt to become a new and modernized 64-bed facility,” says Malone-Seixas.    

While 70 years has brought advances in technology, medicine, and the professional landscape, Malone-Seixas says that the core mission of Filosa and Hancock Hall has remained the same: to promote the health and well-being of our residents in a caring and supportive environment.

“To me, this anniversary celebrates a spirit of entrepreneurship, the importance of women in leadership roles, a family commitment to serving its local community, and the extraordinary dedication, talent, and hard work of well over a thousand employees, many of whom have devoted their entire careers to us,” she says.

Learn more about Filosa, for Nursing and Rehabilitation and Hancock Hall


 We are proud to welcome Filosa and Hancock Hall to our family of sponsors. Please look for more news and stories about these two skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers located in the heart of Danbury.

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Submitted by Danbury, CT

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