Retirement isn’t a time to slow down for Bill. It's a time to enjoy life with loved ones, travel and give back to others. 

As a retiree in his 80s, Bill wasn’t quite ready to leave the area he had lived in for 45 years. But with his finances in mind, he started considering housing options that would work best for him and his lifestyle. He knew what he felt was the wise thing to do – to move into a retirement village. 

“I was quite happy where I was but the only reason really [that] got me to move was because of the economics. I can afford it and it leaves me sufficient funds to do a little bit of travel.” 

Making the move

When deciding where to live, Bill weighed a lot of factors. In his list of priorities, he wanted affordability, maintenance-free living, security, plenty of social activities and a great location. He was pleased that he found all that and more in Frank Vickery Village in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire. 

“I've had the opportunity of seeing the other places and [this is the] one that I felt was definitely more my style of life. “It ticked all the boxes. The village here is not far from my church that I’ve been going to for 40 years. There’s lovely grounds here and the amenities are first-class.” When he stepped into the unit, he was instantly impressed by its modern design and spectacular view. 

“It’s a lovely unit. I [have] an open kitchen with an island and I’ve got a balcony. This one looks across Botany Bay.” In addition to the village's wide range of facilities, Bill preferred to live close to his family, and living in the retirement village made his children feel at ease,  

“My daughters were very worried that I was living by myself. But I was very fortunate to find a home here. I can invite my family to come and have dinner with me.” 

The level of service provided by the staff also amazed Bill. After he casually mentioned his TV wasn’t set up right, the staff immediately made sure it worked for him right away and helped him get settled. 

“The staff here are lovely. They’re all very nice and they help everybody out.” With having on-site support, residents can contact and interact with the managers and staff, giving them peace of mind. 

Settling into village life 

As soon as Bill moved to the village, he quickly got involved in the village life. He volunteers, as many residents do, at the village shop and helps his neighbours with their grocery runs. 

“We have libraries here, a small gym (which I should spend more time in) and I’m a volunteer in the shop. I get to see people and help them.” 

He’s also been able to make new friends and connect with other residents in the village. 

“The men here get together on Sunday afternoons [and] we hold dinners once a month at the restaurant. It’s been great!” 

Despite COVID restrictions, Bill is thankful he can continue to remain active in his faith. As a devout Catholic, he has a strong devotion to attend church and read the Bible regularly.

He also enjoys on occasions watches the television program hosted by Wesley Mission CEO and Superintendent Rev Stu Cameron. 

“I’ve missed my church but in the meantime, I always look forward to listening to Stu every Sunday morning. I really relate to what he [says]. I actually met him not long ago at a Christmas function [and] he’s an amazing man.” 

Keeping an active lifestyle  

For Bill, retirement doesn’t always mean a slower pace of life, but simply more time for the things he enjoys doing.  

Through a lifetime of helping others, he likes to keep himself busy, filling his day with social activities and serving his community as a volunteer for different local organisations. 

“I’ve been a volunteer nearly all my life. I'm still very much involved with  St. Vincent de Paul where I do home visits and care calls for people to see if they’re doing okay. My favourite thing [to do] is going out, meeting people and helping them. 

“And living here now gives you a lot more. It’s a lot easier to do those [volunteering] activities than worrying about mowing lawns and things like that.” 

Whether it’s looking forward to pursuing a hobby or getting to know his neighbours, Bill’s new lease on life helps him enjoy his retirement to the full. And since moving to Frank Vickery Village, he’s been more than happy he can do that.