Moving into a retirement village is a big deal for many New Zealanders. With a strong culture of independence, many Kiwis like to do everything themselves for as long as possible. Jan Callagher is no exception and was very resistant to the idea of moving out of the Glen Eden home she loved. But after finding out she could maintain her strong family connections and still have her son-in-law stay when he was in Auckland for work, moving to Bupa Sunset Retirement Village in Blockhouse Bay didn’t feel so daunting.
Jan is 87 years young, and last year her family floated the idea of her moving to a more supported living situation. All Jan’s children live outside of Auckland and were starting to worry about her living alone, but she wasn’t thrilled at the idea of leaving her home of several decades. “I loved my house and really didn’t want to move, but I have mobility issues, and the family was concerned,” she says. “I also didn’t want to lose the ability to have family members stay over, so none of it felt right.”
After looking at many retirement villages in Auckland, the family chanced upon Bupa in Blockhouse Bay. “They took me everywhere to visit, but I still wasn’t happy. Then we visited Sunset and I thought, ‘Oh, I could live here.’ There was something so welcoming about the apartment, and when I found out they allowed family to stay, it seemed like a much easier decision.”
Jim enjoys staying at Sunset with Jan when he is in Auckland for work
It’s a decision Jan is glad to have made. “I no longer feel stuck in my own home – I can get to everything so easily, even with my walker: the lifts, the library, the movie theatre, meetings, and activities. There’s always something going on – art classes, outings, talks, quiz nights. We even have the local kindergarten visit sometimes. And I can choose to be as sociable or antisocial as I want, depending on the day,” she laughs. “Everyone I’ve met has been so nice, and since it’s a smaller village, it feels like family.”
Jan’s son-in-law Jim is pleased too. “I get on very well with my mother-in-law, and when she was in her own home in Glen Eden, I used to quite enjoy the habit of coming and staying with her when I was in Auckland for work. I didn’t realise we’d still be able to do that when she moved into a retirement village. We’ve got a great little routine when I’m up here – I come over, do some emails, go out and get her dinner, and we watch a bit of telly together. There’s a place for me to sleep, and I head out the next day to the office.”
Jim, Tracy (Jan’s daughter), and the other siblings and partners feel much more relaxed knowing there’s someone at the retirement village who checks in on Jan every day and makes sure she’s okay. They are delighted she’s been able to maintain so many aspects of her independent life.
“She asked me about still staying over when we were looking at places,” says Jim. “So it’s great it’s been possible to keep that going. She says she likes the company, but I reckon she just loves me getting her takeaways!” he teases. Jan says, “It’s so nice to be able to keep some of the regular connections I had before. Sometimes Tracy and Jim both come up and stay for the weekend. I love having family around to break things up a bit.”
The whole family is very pleased she’s adjusted to her new life so well, and it seems Jan has even surprised herself. “It really does feel like home. The apartment is so lovely, and I have a big, long deck, which looks out over flowerbeds, and I’ve met so many kind people. I get my groceries delivered by online shopping, and life is much easier. I know I left it quite late, but I’m so glad I made the move and that my family can still be part of my life the same way they were when I lived at home.”
