Laurie and Sally Jackson are enjoying a less stressful life after taking up a new aged care option for couples.
A loving married couple, Laurie and Sally Jackson are committed to living together throughout their retirement.
But last year daily life for the couple had become a struggle as Laurie cared for Sally, who has dementia, and battled his own health issues.
Their independent living unit, as much as they loved it, was no longer suitable as they needed support to live a more stress-free life.
However, Sally and Laurie couldn’t bear the thought of being separated from one another having been married for 30 years so moving into a nursing home wasn’t an option.
“Both of us had our parents live in nursing homes and we had decided that we did not want to move into one or be separated,” Laurie said.
Although we needed extra assistance, we wanted to stay together and keep our independence.”
New ages care where couples are welcome
Fortunately, Laurie and Sally found new aged care accommodation where they could enjoy independent living, together, and access a high level of assistance.
Laurie, 83 and Sally, 82, moved into Glengara Care, a premium aged care alternative, last year.
Daily life is now much more enjoyable for the couple, who no longer need to worry about cumbersome tasks like cooking, shopping and cleaning.
They also have comfort in knowing that they can choose how they receive care, which is delivered by registered nurses who cater to low, high and end-of-life needs.
“Our cleaner comes once a week, so we don’t have to worry too much about cleaning,” Laurie said.
“We don’t have to cook any meals, we don’t have to do any grocery shopping and we get assistance with showering, which is helpful in the mornings when Sally needs a fair bit of assistance.”
Ideally located at Tumbi Umbi on the NSW Central Coast, the modern apartments are beautifully appointed and designed to cater for any care needs now, and in the future
Unlike most aged care accommodation, couples with differing care needs can continue to live together and maintain their independence.
“Moving into Glengara Care has meant we have been able to stay together and live our own lives,” Laurie said.
“We enjoy a very independent lifestyle. We can come and go as we like – we can even go out at night if we wish and come back. We can have visitors come over. There are also laundry facilities so if we want to do our own washing then we can do that.”
Try before you commit
The decision to move into a new home, especially when you are ageing, is not one that is made lightly.
Laurie and Sally wanted to be sure they had selected accommodation that suited their needs before leaving their beautiful villa at Foresters Beach.
They thought Glengara Care would tick all their boxes, but they wanted to be sure, so they tried out an apartment through respite care.
“We moved into a furnished apartment for respite visitors and stayed there for three weeks,” Laurie said.
“It was great to be able to do this as we could see what living at Glengara Care was like before we moved in permanently.”
Care with a community feel
Laurie and Sally are making the most of their new home by leading a very active social life.
Glengara Care is nestled within Glengara Retirement Village, which means residents can be part of the village’s thriving community.
The Jacksons are regulars at many of the activities on the village’s busy social calendar.
“We enjoy all the activities, and we can also join in their functions,” Laurie said.
Laurie and Sally are loving their new, low stress life and haven’t looked back.
