Retirement living keeps me young

April 04, 2024

The only thing Michelle Ruffels regrets about moving into Caringbah’s Fatima Court Retirement Village is that she didn’t do it sooner.

Downsizing with her late husband David, the retired aged care nurse said she feels younger today than when she moved into the popular estate 10 years ago.

“As funny as it sounds, living in a retirement village keeps me young, mostly because I’m so happy, it really is that simple,” she beamed. 

“I think people are frightened by the word retirement and somehow see it as the end, but really, it’s just the beginning. 

“You retire from work, but you don’t retire from life, there is so much going on here, you can do as little or as much as you want.   

“We have dinners at the pub, get together every Friday for afternoon tea, celebrate birthdays, have happy hours, barbecues once a month, and none of this would be possible if I lived alone.

“I really don’t understand why anybody would want to live by themselves and be lonely, when you can live somewhere like this. 

“Where we used to live, we only really knew our neighbours to wave to, now I consider my neighbours my second family. 
 

“There’s a real feeling of community here you don’t find very often. 

“Don’t let the word retire stop you, I’m doing more now than when I was in my own home.

“I moved in at 60 and just wished I had of done it so much earlier.”

Southern Cross Care NSW & ACT’s village is an intimate estate of 12 spacious, modern units offering the privacy of living on your own with the added bonus of a 24-hour emergency call system, ground maintenance and a modern recreation centre where you can socialise and hold gatherings with your neighbours, family and friends.

Village Liaison Officer, Retirement Living Sydney, East and South, Jane Hurst said residents can start their retirement journey without any of the worries of home ownership.

“Our retirement villages are designed to offer a sense of community, security and independence,” she said. 

“You move into your home with the peace of mind that maintenance, gardens, and grounds are all taken care of so you can go and enjoy doing what you want. 

“Many of our residents use the capital they have released from the sale of their family home and do all the things they have always wanted, like travel. 

“One of our residents is about to take off on her 31st cruise, she can go knowing everything will be taken care of and she doesn’t have to worry.”