It was always going to take something special for Barb Simpfendorfer to move from her beautiful Highton home filled with antiques and cherished memories.
“I vowed I would never live in a retirement village,” Barb said.
But when Barb could not find a suitable unit to downsize to in Highton and she heard a Ryman Healthcare retirement village was being built less than 1km away, she knew she had to find out more.
READ MORE:
“There was a free bus trip to Melbourne to see Nellie Melba Retirement Village and I was impressed with the quality of everything, the friendliness of the staff and all of the amenities on offer,” she said.
“The tour of Nellie Melba really helped to change my mind about retirement villages.
“I am a Christian and believe God directs my life and, in this case, He slowly changed my mind to the retirement plan he had for me all along.”
A visit to Ryman's Nellie Melba community in Melbourne made Barb rethink her vow to never live in a retirement village.
With a “very close and caring” family around her, Barb was also impressed by how Ryman’s Highton sales advisor Jody Keating-Gorton encouraged her family to be involved in the decision-making process.
“My grandson is very caring, and he wanted to make sure Grandma had what was right, so he and my daughter looked at the plans with me and they felt it was definitely the right thing to do,” she said.
Barb is now preparing to move into a beautiful three-bedroom villa at Ryman’s Charles Brownlow Retirement Village at 157 South Valley Rd.
Having lived in the Highton area for all but 10 years of her life, the village’s location and offerings mean Barb will be able to retain all the wonderful old aspects of her life while enjoying state-of-the-art facilities and support.
.jpg?width=1620&name=DJI_0418%20(Large).jpg)
Charles Brownlow Retirement Village will include 57 villas, 23 apartments, 60 serviced apartments, and 100 aged care beds.
The village’s amenities will include a cafe, cinema, bowling green, indoor pool, library and hair and beauty salon.
“I know there will be plenty of activities for me to do, and I’m out and about having coffee with friends fairly often so I like that I will be able to continue to do that,” she said.
“I have a lot of antiques that came to me from my parents.
“There are a few pieces that I love that I will take with me to the village - they have a lot of memories attached to them.”
Barb said there is already a sense of a Ryman community developing in Highton.
.jpg?width=1636&name=IMG_8439%20(Large).jpg)
Charles Brownlow sales advisor Jody Keating-Gorton.
“Jody is just a gem, I love her to bits because she has been so helpful every step of the way.
“I have also met a lady not far from me who is moving into the village and likes a glass of red, too, so we’ve already made plans to have a glass together when we move in.
“In fact, there are two other people from my street who are moving in too!”
Upon completion the village will include 57 villas, 23 apartments, 60 serviced apartments, and 100 care beds across low care, high care and specialist dementia care.
