Pat no longer worries about her daughter’s future since moving into Wesley Mission’s Frank Vickery Village.

“I’m more at peace here than I’ve probably been for the last couple of years,” she says. “Moving here has fulfilled my wish for my daughter, Mandy, to have her own space. It’s given her a new life.”

When Pat’s health took a downward turn that lasted a year, she started worrying about her daughter’s long-term care plan. Mandy, who’s now in her mid-50s, and her sister, have lived with a rare incurable condition since they were born.

“There’s only 12 in the world and I happen to have two of them. Their brains are covered in lesions, and they just keep growing. Nothing they can do about them,” Pat explains. “They’re on a seafood-free, dairy-free and red-meat-free diet.” Pat smiles, “But I’ve learned to cook pork in 50 different ways.”

A load off

Now Pat is no longer concerned if her health takes another downward turn, or if she needs to stay in hospital, because she knows Mandy will be looked after.

“We didn’t expect all the support when we came here, but the people are just so lovely,” Pat says.

For Pat, it’s been a joy watching Mandy become more independent since moving to the Village.

“I try not to go to the activities that Mandy likes because I want her to have her own space. It has done more than I imagined. I’ve had someone say to me, ‘She’s blossomed since you’ve been here’.”

Mandy often pops down to the café for a coffee either by herself or with friends she’s made at the Village. She also enjoys going to the gym or playing word games while Pat takes part in meditation and chair yoga.

“This place offers everything you could want. And what more could you wish for?” Mandy exclaims.

Finding a place to call home

Downsizing from a two-storey house to a two-bedroom unit, Pat is thankful she no longer has a large home to maintain. And although she misses her garden, including the roses she planted in memory of her late husband, she’s made her balcony her garden.

Pat says their unit is spacious enough that Mandy can use her walker.

“We’re on the third floor and it’s flat. So, if I want to, I can walk around. And there’s a lot of people that we talk to that are on that floor,” Mandy explains.

Pat continues, “The rooms are big enough. We’ve set Mandy’s up like a bedsit, and she’s got her television. And the bathroom’s huge. We can even dance in there.”

Mandy adds, “It does feel like home.”

Compassion, community and care

It’s not just the facilities and activities that make it feel like home, it’s the people. From the moment they walked through the Village’s doors, they felt welcomed by both staff and residents.

“The staff here are wonderful. When Mandy had an accident on Christmas Eve last year, they were up in here in a couple of minutes. Can’t speak highly enough about the staff here,” Pat says.

Both Pat and Mandy agree they feel surrounded and supported by the Village community.

“We’ve met so many people and everyone’s so friendly,” Mandy says.

Pat adds, “You don’t have to be isolated here at all because like I said, there’s always something happening, something’s on or someone to talk to.”

When Pat started thinking about moving to a retirement village, she surveyed every village in the Sutherland Shire before she settled on Frank Vickery Village.

“This came out on top by miles. It’s the best monetary-wise and has the best facility offerings. It’s peaceful, very affordable and we’re safe,” she says.

Being the first mother and daughter to move to Frank Vickery Village, Pat hopes their journey can inspire another mother and daughter, or father and son, to follow in their footsteps.