Prepared to move forward

Sylvia had been thinking about moving into a retirement community for quite some time and wanted to thoroughly consider all her options. A leaflet came through her door from Birchgrove which make her curious. And the rest, as they say, is history. Here's her story.

I’d been looking at various types of accommodation for quite some time as I wanted to consider all my options when a leaflet came through my door from Birchgrove. It made me quite curious, so I visited the show suite with my daughter, who manages my finances.

Everyone we met was incredibly kind and I was immediately taken with a bright two-bedroom apartment which I now live in. It’s so spacious and has a balcony overlooking the gardens which are lovely.

I’m particularly pleased with the design of the kitchen and bathroom – everything is so user-friendly and of such high standard.

All the people here are so nice. The staff go out of their way to make us comfortable, and I enjoy getting to know my new neighbours and hearing about their lives. Living here means I can remain independent.

My daughter taught me how to use the computer so I can order my groceries online and walk to the shops, but really, so much is taken care of for us that we are really spoilt.

When I think of friends in similar situations, a lot of them hang on to their houses for their offspring. Then end up, with no choice, in a nursing home. I was very fortunate to get in just at the right time. If I’d delayed any further, I’d be stuck at home, very much on my own. Whereas here I’ve company, a new social life and plenty of opportunities to try new things like singing in the choir and armchair aerobics.

I’ve queues of friends wanting to see where I live because they see it as a novel concept, but as I say

‘you have to be prepared to move forward’

and make the adjustment whilst you can.”