RETIREMENT LIVING

IT WAS the rolling hills and lush rainforest setting of Buderim that attracted downsizers Cynthia and Ian Rye to B by Halcyon.

Having lived on acreage, Cynthia and Ian were looking for somewhere to retire where they could enjoy a rich natural landscape without the burden of overwhelming yard maintenance.

“It’s mainly because we had property and we wanted to downsize,” Cynthia said. “It was a tropical rainforest. It wasn’t large but it felt large when it all grew and had to be cleaned up.”

Ian added: “We love the Sunshine Coast, and we love nature, so we were surrounded by trees. B by Halcyon has got that, and hills.”

B by Halcyon is Halcyon’s greenest community to date, with an environmentally conscious masterplanned design complemented by almost 6ha of private open space for the exclusive use of homeowners.

“What we wanted was something similar to the property we lived on where we were surrounded by total tropical rainforest, trees and green,” Cynthia said.

“We are on the edge of the swale, which is a dry riverbed about 17m wide. Halcyon has planted around 12,000 plants and trees there so it was like moving from what we had to something similar. We have our own garden, a beautiful big patio and lots of greenery around. It’s really good.”

The opportunity to live in a tropical rainforest aside, Cynthia and Ian were enticed to B by Halcyon by the prospect of being part of a community.

“I like people, I’m a real extrovert and I enjoy people’s company,” Cynthia said.

“We’d been here not quite a fortnight and we’d been invited to a street party and a barbecue and met a whole lot of people from our particular street. In our age group, it’s nice to be able to meet people and make friends of your own age and way of life.”

Cynthia and Ian are looking forward to making the most of Halcyon’s easygoing lifestyle, connecting to the community and living a comfortable life together in retirement.

“We can live happily ever after,” Cynthia said. Visit lifebeginsathalcyon.com.au through that process,” Fiona says.

Her advice is to initiate the process before care is needed.

“As people age, they will need help in some aspect of their daily life,” she says. “Don’t wait until you realise you are unable to do all those household chores you used to manage easily. It can take time to get the aged care assessment and the report back saying you’re eligible for home care support.

“After that, depending on package and priority levels, it could be a while before you’re allocated a home care package. It’s worth noting that the package can always be put on hold if it’s not needed at that time.

“We can help with starting the conversation earlier and assisting with the process before the need arises.”

GLUTEN-FREE MEALS MAKE LIFE EASIER

ONE in 70 Australians is affected by coeliac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes painful symptoms and irritation to the body when eating gluten, so there’s a reasonable chance that you or someone you know, has coeliac disease.

Gourmet Meals recently participated in Coeliac Awareness Week to help raise awareness of the importance of testing for coeliac disease, particularly within the food and hospitality industries.

It may be challenging dealing with coeliac disease, or living with someone that has this autoimmune disorder. One of the biggest challenges is finding tasty and nutritious meal options.

Dietary gluten is the biggest culprit for abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue and rashes, among other symptoms. Eating food without wheat, rye, barley, and oats is a good way to ensure these damaging responses stop.

Gourmet Meals has designed a menu with delicious meals that are safe for coeliacs.

A taste of the huge variety of gluten-free meals are tasty Chicken Florentine, cottage pie and delicious chocolate pudding and custard. Browse the menu at gourmetmeals.com.au isolation can be an issue as you get older, so we want to provide as many different opportunities as possible for residents to get out and see other people.”

Some of the events on this year’s social calendar include games evenings, tai-chi, yoga, gentle exercises, craft, aquarobics, table tennis, bingo, indoor bowls, book club, movie nights and bus trips within and outside Brisbane.

The monthly Sunday concerts are also popular with performances from jazz bands, barbershop quartets and local school bands and choirs followed by afternoon tea.

The social committee also donates to worthy causes with funds raised at its events including the Cancer Council’s Biggest Morning Tea, drought relief programs and music programs at local schools.

Serviced apartments at Compton Gardens start at $86,000 and independent living units at $130,000.

SALVOS Home Care provides a range of services such as domestic assistance, clinical care, assisted transport and social support to help older Queenslanders live independently in their own homes and communities.

Community Care general manager Fiona Sanders says that what she loves most about Home Care is its focus on supporting people to age in a familiar environment, independently and surrounded by things that they love.

“I think that’s the most important thing about us being able to deliver services to people in their homes,” she says.

Accessing Government subsidised home care funding can be a daunting process so the Salvos Home Care team offers obligation free assistance in navigating the aged care system. “We can assist by finding out what funding you’re eligible for and help you go

Call 1300 111 227 or visit agedcare.salvos.org.au

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

AN ACTIVE social committee ensures residents of TriCare retirement communities have many opportunities to meet with neighbours and socialise.

One of the many benefits of moving into a retirement village is that there is always something to do, and the wide choice of activities means there are plenty of friends around for social times if you choose.

A popular event is the monthly happy hour. Instigated by a resident four years ago, this regular event is now organised by the social committee with the aim of getting residents together in a relaxed social environment Compton Gardens Retirement Community resident and social committee chairman, Peter Myska says that happy hour is an excellent opportunity for residents to catch up in a relaxed environment and enjoy each other’s company.

“Everyone is busy with their own lives, so happy hour is one event where residents can mark it on their calendar each month to catch up,” he says. “Social

Call 3263 2788 or visit tricare.com.au

Care for a puppy in 2022!

Calling all North Brisbane puppy lovers

Could you care for a puppy in the new year? Want to make lifelong friends with like-minded puppy carers? Your role as a carer is to: • Nurture and socialise your puppy • Provide a safe space where your puppy can sleep indoors • Not leave your pup alone for more than 3.5 hours

As a puppy carer, you will be supported by expert puppy development trainers online and in-person. All expenses covered.

Online session via Zoom:

Date: Tuesday November 9, 2021 Time: 9.30am - 10.30am AEST Date: Tuesday November 23, 2021 Time: 9.30am - 10.30am AEST Date: Tuesday December 7, 2021 Time: 9.30am - 10.30am AEST

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