A dire scene in a local senior living community dining room was swiftly righted, thanks to the heroic actions of one young worker. Phyllis Bagdasarian and her tablemates were enjoying dinner at New Horizons at Marlborough when she began to choke. Brian O'Leary sprang to action, rescuing the 93-year-old resident with a life-saving Heimlich maneuver.

"How lucky was I that day?" Bagdasarian exclaimed to Channel 7 News. "Really and truly, Brian doesn't usually serve my table. Somebody put him there that day. Someone from above."

A devout Catholic, Bagdasarian attends regular services at New Horizons' spacious on-campus chapel. She was there, in fact, at Mass, when the news crew arrived to interview her.

Brian O'Leary first joined New Horizons' waitstaff in 2018 while attending Marlborough High School. Now a senior at Worcester State University, the 21-year-old returns to the senior residence part-time during school breaks and has been promoted to dining room supervisor.

"My training just took over," said O'Leary, who is also an Eagle Scout. "I felt capable. I'm hopeful that others here will be able to do the same if that situation happens again."

New Horizons requires all its dining room supervisors and senior staff to undergo Choke Saving Procedures training every year, according to Executive Director Betsy Connolly.

"A choking incident can occur at any age," said Connolly, who holds a master's degree in gerontology. "But the remedy presents its own dangers. In an older population, especially, factors like reduced bone density and other health conditions make it increasingly precarious to attempt the Heimlich maneuver without proper training and follow-up."

New Horizons' on-site nurse attended to Bagdasarian immediately after the incident. The retirement community has a nurse scheduled on site 24 hours a day, according to Connolly.

"Brian has been through the training so many times that he knew exactly what to do," said Connolly. "He acted so quickly that the whole episode was over in about five seconds. We could not be prouder of how he handled a frightening situation."



About New Horizons

Located at 400 Hemenway Street, about 13 miles west of Route 128, New Horizons at Marlborough offers a continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, respite stays, and a geri-psychiatric program.

Although the community is nondenominational, much of New Horizons' large Catholic population participates in daily Mass and communion at the gorgeous on-site Cardinal Cushing Chapel. Interested residents are welcomed to act as lectors, greeters, eucharistic ministers, and sacristans.

In addition, weekly prayer services and bible study classes provide frequent opportunities to practice their faith as part of a community, without leaving home. Protestant and Jewish religious services are also offered.

New Horizons' heavily wooded 40-acre campus features numerous unusual amenities, such as a large heated indoor lap swimming pool, multiple theaters, and a game room, greenhouse, and fitness center. Residents also enjoy the convenience of having an apothecary, a general store, and a four-seat hair salon all on site.

Group activities at New Horizons include regular exercise classes, art programs, educational presentations, movies, book and bocce clubs, Jeopardy and Texas Hold'em tournaments, chorus, musical entertainment, and off-site excursions to museums, restaurants, shows, and sporting events.



No rent increases for at least six years

The strictly not-for-profit New Horizons at Marlborough is currently welcoming new residents to its MetroWest senior living community. Thanks to a unique rate-lock policy, new residents are guaranteed no increases to their rent and board fees for at least their first six years. These fees include all charges for lodging, gourmet meals, water, heat, air conditioning, basic cable TV, local telephone service, parking, and regular maintenance.

Residences for a single person, including three home-cooked, gourmet meals daily, are available from $2,430 per month. More information about New Horizons is available at CountryCommunities.com.

Prospective residents and their families are encouraged to contact New Horizons at Marlborough at 508-460-5200 to arrange a time to tour the campus, meet current residents and staff, sample a home-cooked meal, and attend Mass.