Meet Our Residents: Doug Sutherland
At Maranoa Village we’re seeking to build a community that is strong and vibrant, and we enjoy hearing our residents’ stories.
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10 December 2018
Stories
| Retirement Living
At Maranoa Village we’re seeking to build a community that is strong and vibrant, and we enjoy hearing our residents’ stories. Doug Sutherland, our Residents Committee chairperson, reflects on what he enjoys most about calling Maranoa Village home.
Twelve years ago, on his birthday, we welcomed Doug and his wife to our village after they had relocated to Alstonville from the Riverina twelve years earlier, where he left his family’s farm in the hands of his son and grandson, marking four generations of Sutherlands working on the land.
A farmer all his life, it’s the convenient and relaxed lifestyle at Maranoa Village that Doug continues to appreciate, with the Alstonville town centre only a short walk from the village. At almost 90, Doug enjoys keeping active by playing bowls once a week and making the most of having everything he needs on his doorstep. “You can walk to everything,” Doug notes. “I bought a new car in 2006 and it only has a few thousand kilometres it.”
It’s when times are tough that the support of your community really makes an impact. When Doug’s wife needed more care due to a decline in her health, they had access to home care and residential aged care co- located on site at Maranoa Village. This meant that Doug could stay close to his wife, when she needed him most. As his wife transitioned into residential aged care, Doug felt the assurance he needed from Maranoa Village staff during the uncertain time.
“You’re here with us,” he remembers hearing. “And we will look after you.”
For Doug, Maranoa Village is more than a place to live; it’s a community, which he attests to its residents and staff. As chairman of the Residents Committee, Doug has an important role in encouraging everyone to get together and be a part of the village community, which he loves to do. “We are a community and a family,” he reflects. “And that’s just the way I like it.”
About Maranoa Village
Maranoa Village is a community that flourishes as a village within a village. Experience a friendly and vibrant community with everything you need just a short stroll away. Enjoy the very best retirement lifestyle within charming Alstonville.
Being located in the heart of Alstonville, Maranoa is just a short stroll away from all of the facilities you could ever need. Our community is designed so residents can connect and engage as much as they wish. Maranoa offers a regular program of events and activities. Some of our current activities include bus trips and morning teas.