Woking News & Mail 20 January 2022
How a home visit transformed my life
Assisted living has been a popular lifestyle choice for many years, and it’s not hard to see why. Security, freedom, new friends and a fresh start are all enticing reasons to make the move. Although it can be a little daunting, there are numerous reasons why living in a self-contained assisted living apartment is such a positive experience for so many.
Not as mobile as he once had been, Bill was delighted when one of the Birchgrove retirement advisors took Birchgrove to him…
“I was living alone in Kingston during the lockdown and only one neighbour offered me anyhelp. She was a lovely person with two kids, but she was the only one. And I've been living
there 38 years.
“I saw an article in my local paper, so I emailed to find out more. When the sales lady got intouch, we had a chat, and she offered to visit me at home to make things easier for me. The visit was a great way to help me find out more about living in a retirement community whilst in the comfort of my own home. While chatting, she sensed I was keen, so she offered to pick me up and take me to Sidcup to have a look around Queensgate Apartments
in person, which was great. They even gave me lunch, and I sat with the team and got to meet some of the other residents. I find the people here so very lovely. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful.
“I moved in on 11th November and I haven't looked back since. It's great living here. I've got fewer worries. Where I was, I couldn't keep on top of the upkeep of the house or garden; it was all getting overgrown. Here I don't have to worry about anything anymore – paying for gas, electricity, water, or any of that.
“It's a strange thing if you think about it. You don't realise how isolated and lonely you have become and how much difference it makes to see and be around people until you come here. It's taken me time to get used to it, but I am easing in gently. Yes, moving here has helped me regain my independence but what I am really touched by, are the social opportunities that have given me a whole new lease of life.”
Birchgrove’s high quality self-contained apartments are beautifully designed for people in later life. They are smart, comfortable, light and secure. Great for socialising in, but just as good for relaxing in too.
Because our apartments are not for sale, you’ll find our retirement advisors are not trying to sell you anything, rather they are there to help you consider your options. Our intention is to act as a guide for you whilst you’re making your own choices about how and where you want to live. Often this is best done by coming to visit you at home to listen to what is important to you, instead of showing you what we think you need.
There’s a Birchgrove retirement community at Queensgate Apartments, Sidcup, Woodbank Apartments, Woking and Lower Mill Apartments, Ewell which opens in the spring.