9 June 2021
When Brisbane’s Jasmine Normile began planning a move into a retirement village with her husband of more than 50 years, John, there was a critical requirement at the top of her list.
While fit and active herself, Mrs Normile wanted somewhere that offered aged care in the same location – John was living with dementia and they knew he would eventually need more care than she was able to provide.
“John was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about four years ago,” Mrs Normile said. “It was not too bad at first but as time went on I realised I should plan for the future – we were in a big house with a big block of land and it was becoming too hard.
“But I didn’t just want a retirement village on its own. I wanted attached aged care so I could always be near John.”
Mrs Normile found the perfect option at Stretton Gardens Retirement Village which, as well as its modern units and picturesque location next to Karawatha Forest, is co-located with an aged-care residence.
The couple moved into their beautiful two-bedroom unit 16 months ago. Unfortunately, they were only able to enjoy their new home for a few months before John’s condition declined to the stage where he needed more care. He moved into the aged care residence last July.
Shortly before, Mrs Normile had been at the supermarket rushing so she could get home to John when she fell, breaking her shoulder.
“It was a hard decision. I was always very reluctant, until I broke my shoulder and realised I needed to be able to recover and look after my health,” Mrs Normile said. “Alzheimer’s is such a cruel disease, but there is peace of mind knowing John is safe and well cared for, and still close – he’s 500 metres away.”
Mrs Normile has been able to return to doing the things she loves including golf a couple of times a week, and regularly visiting one of her two sons and her grandchildren at Bribie Island, a 75-minute drive away.
“Before, I would never stay overnight – I needed to bring John home – but now I spend a few days there,” she said. “And I really love living here – I love my garden, there are beautiful walking trails, everyone is so nice, and I see John whenever I want. It was the best move I ever made.”
To find out more about our Retirement Villages that are co-located with our aged-care homes or our LOW DEPOSIT | PRICE GUARANTEE offer for ParqueVista and Stretton Gardens, please click here.
