We Checked 28 Retirement Villages

Husband and wife, Steve Sinclair and Philippa Goddard, did their due diligence before choosing to settle in to BaptistCare Aminya Village. “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.”

“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.”

“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.”

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.”