Husband and wife, Steve Sinclair and Philippa Goddard, did their due diligence before choosing to move into a retirement living community.
“We checked 28 different retirement villages! We sat separately and wrote lists of what we wanted. Things like no stairs, public transport accessibility, parking, and storage, were on both lists,” said Steve.
“There were a few things on Philippa’s that weren’t on mine, and vice versa. You know she wasn’t concerned about the availability of local golf courses, I was. The general ambiance of the place was important – it’s quiet here.”
After a long search they finally settled on moving to BaptistCare’s Aminya Village in the Hills District of Sydney. “After three weeks, we were sitting here and I said, ‘I’m comfortable’. We made the right decision. We made it before other people had to make it for us.”
One of the main reasons for Phillipa and Steve’s decision to move into a retirement living community was the access to services as they get older including access to care on site and a range of community facilities.
“I’m not seventy yet but you’ve got to look ahead. This was a once only move. We feel very much at home. We downsized. We got rid of all the furniture other than the bed and two leather lounges. We came in with a measuring tape and had everything else made to fit.”
Downsizing didn’t mean a loss of freedom, in fact – according to Steve – it gave them more. “There will come a day when we aren’t capable of going out as much, so we enjoy it while we can. We enjoy theatre. We take six ensembles a year. And we have a big family.”
“It’s about the services and facilities for when we are not in this situation that matters. There’s so much good about Aminya Village it’s hard to tell… The fact I don’t have to climb up on anything! To me it’s important as I know so many people that have fallen off ladders.”
From a financial perspective, Steve says the only thing that varies week to week is the electricity bill. “Everything else is set. We can look at where our assets are and decide whether to only go to Port Macquarie, or off to Alaska and Canada like last year.”
See more of Phillipa and Steve’s story here
To learn more about BaptistCare’s retirement living communities or to book a tour visit baptistcare.org.au/retirementliving or call 1300 275 227.
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