After spending some 20 years living on her own in the five-bedroom Sydney home where she brought up her family, Dorothy Pearce knew it was time to make a change.
At the age of 93, Dorothy decided to move into the Uniting The Garrison retirement village at Mosman, on Sydney’s Lower North Shore.
Dorothy’s move meant she would be able to live closer to her daughter Deb Harrod - also a Mosman resident - and also not have to worry about looking after her house.
It also meant she would benefit from living in a safe and friendly village environment, located in a short walking distance to shops, services and public transport.
Six years later, Dorothy is a valued and much-loved member of the Uniting The Garrison community.
“I sit outside my apartment quite a bit, and it is amazing the number of people who come up and talk to me,” Dorothy said.
“We also have a very active social committee here - including events for Easter, Anzac Day, Christmas and the Melbourne Cup - along with regular music, entertainment and raffles.”
Dorothy also does her part by making amazing desserts for other residents - including bread and butter custard pudding, apple pie, apple crumble and fruit cakes.
Dorothy’s daughter Deb added: “Uniting The Garrison wasn’t the only retirement village we looked at, but when we walked in here we immediately felt the thing you can’t buy - a feeling of belonging.”
“It also means my mum is close by. This village is only a ten minute walk from where I live and if Mum is not feeling well, I can be here every day if I like.”
Uniting The Garrison is one of two Uniting villages in Mosman, and the other being Uniting Killarney.
About Uniting’s Mosman retirement villages
Uniting The Garrison is a 74-dwelling village located just 100m from Mosman’s main shopping precinct, where you’ll find an array of restaurants, fashion boutiques, pharmacies, banks, florists, hairdressers, fruit shops and delicatessens.
It’s also on the doorstep of high-frequency public transport, including to the city, Chatswood and northern beaches.
Uniting The Garrison features its own solar-heated swimming pool, residents’ lounge, community room, library, gardens and BBQ facilities.
Uniting The Garrison is co-located with a 60-bed residential aged care facility, which means it’s easy to move when residents are no longer able to live independently in the retirement village.
Set around a historic home and with leafy, landscaped grounds, Uniting Killarney is a 33-dwelling village located on the other side of Spit Rd from Uniting The Garrison.
This means that, like Uniting The Garrison, it is also very close to the local shops and public transport, along with all the best that Mosman has to offer.
Uniting Killarney has a community room, computer room and communal gardens, along with a library, greenhouse, BBQ facilities and piano.
At both locations, residents have access to regular visits from local health practitioners, including physiotherapists, dietitians, podiatrists and GPs, along with pastoral care and church services.
“I wanted Mum to be safe”
Ms Harrod said it was reassuring to know her mother was close-by, and safe and happy at Uniting The Garrison retirement village.
“Our family home was a long way from a bus stop, which made it harder for Mum to venture out,” Ms Harrod said. “In addition, it was a big piece of land which backed onto a golf course, which meant you could get snakes and possums around the house.”
“I wanted to relieve Mum of the pressure of looking after that house and get her to a place where she could do whatever she wanted to do, and where she was safe.”
For the last three years, Deb Harrod has also become part of the Uniting The Garrison community, by leading the village’s residents in fortnightly and free 45-minute chair yoga sessions. This allows residents to use and stretch their muscles, while still remaining seated.
“A lot of people don’t feel they can do yoga, but don’t realise that chair yoga is in fact very inclusive. It means people using walkers and wheelchairs, or who are on crutches, can still participate,” Ms Harrod said.
About the apartments
Apartments are currently available at Uniting The Garrison and Uniting Killarney. Anyone is welcome to discuss these apartments further with Uniting, including taking a tour of the villages.
Uniting The Garrison includes a range one-bedroom apartments, starting from an affordable $505,000* or even less with Uniting’s flexible deferred management fee (DMF) options.
These apartments have a fresh and modern appearance, many having been recently renovated, including getting new carpets, painting and kitchen and bathroom updates.
Learn more about Uniting The Garrison
Uniting Killarney has a range of one-bedroom apartments starting from $420,000* or even less with Uniting’s flexible DMF options.
Light filled apartments feature contemporary finishes and overlook a tree-filled courtyard.
Learn more about Uniting Killarney
For a limited time only, Uniting will pay moving costs and recurrent fees, to the value of $10,000, for residents who move into Uniting The Garrison or Uniting Killarney. Terms and conditions apply.
Residents will also pay a departure fee when leaving the village.
This content has been prepared for Uniting by Downsizing.com.au
Information contained is intended as a guide only. Any interested parties should make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of the information.
*This is assuming a deferred management fee (DMF) of 30% - see uniting.org/retirementcosts for more details.
