Key takeaways
|
Choosing where you will live during retirement can raise questions you may never have needed to ask before.
What will it feel like to leave the family home? Will you still feel independent? Will you know your neighbours? Will family and friends feel comfortable visiting? Will you remain connected to the community you have been part of for years?
Then there is another question that can easily be overlooked.
Who owns the retirement village you are considering, and what connection do they have to the place you may soon call home?
For people looking for a local retirement village in Lithgow, that connection can be an important part of the decision.
Staying connected to the place you know
Downsizing often involves much more than deciding what furniture will fit into a smaller home.
If you have lived in Lithgow or the surrounding region for years, your connection to the area may run through many parts of your life. Your friends may be nearby. Family could be within easy reach. You may have favourite local businesses, clubs, community groups, walking spots or places you visit regularly.
Moving home does not automatically mean you want to leave those connections behind.
Choosing a retirement village in Lithgow gives you the option of changing how you live while remaining part of a familiar community.
Kirkley Gardens is located in South Bowenfels, close to Lithgow and at the base of the Blue Mountains. Residents have access to public transport, with medical facilities, shops, restaurants and other everyday services a short distance away.
For someone who already calls the Lithgow area home, that can make the move feel less like leaving an entire life behind.
You are changing your home and some of the responsibilities that come with it, while many of the places and people that matter can remain within reach.
Local ownership feels personal
There are practical questions to ask when comparing retirement villages. Contracts, costs, maintenance, location, villa design and services all deserve attention.
There is also the experience of dealing with the people behind the village.
At Kirkley Gardens, Janelle is one of the local owners and is also the person prospective residents can speak with when they want to arrange a visit or find out more about the village.
That personal connection matters when the decision you are making is personal too.
Leaving a family home can involve excitement, uncertainty, sadness and relief. There can be decades of memories attached to a house, garden and neighbourhood. Family members may also have thoughts and questions about the move.
Having the opportunity to visit, walk through the gardens, see the villas and speak directly with someone connected to the village gives you more information on which to base your decision.
You can take the time to decide whether the place feels right for you.
A village that started with a local need
At Kirkley Gardens, local ownership goes back to the reason the village exists in the first place.
Kirkley Gardens began after Janelle Johnstone recognised that there was a lack of over 55s living available in the Lithgow area.
Together with Mary and Tony Hernandez, that local need became the starting point for Kirkley Gardens. As long term Lithgow locals and business people, they allocated five acres of land on the rural outskirts of Lithgow to create a retirement village for people who wanted to remain independent while becoming part of a smaller community.
More than two decades later, Kirkley Gardens remains privately owned by locals.
That history says something important about the village.
It was created in response to something happening within the Lithgow community. The people behind it understood the area because it was their community too.
Today, Kirkley Gardens has 29 villas set among five acres of established gardens in South Bowenfels. Its size, location and local ownership have helped shape the type of retirement community it has become.
Community support while you remain independent
The word support can mean different things in retirement living, so it is important to understand exactly what Kirkley Gardens offers.
Kirkley Gardens is an independent living retirement village. There is no on ground aged care service, and residents continue to manage their own lives, routines and personal needs.
The support found within the village comes from a different place.
It can be the neighbour who stops for a chat. It can be seeing familiar faces as you walk through the gardens. It can come through optional social activities and opportunities to spend time with other residents when you choose.
It is community support in the everyday sense of the word.
You still decide how you spend your day, where you go, who you see and how involved you want to be.
That independence is an important part of life at Kirkley Gardens. The people who live here have their own interests, families, friendships and routines. Living in a village simply gives them a community around their home as well.
A smaller village changes the experience
With 29 villas across five acres, Kirkley Gardens is a boutique retirement village.
That smaller scale can influence something as simple as recognising the people who live around you.
Neighbours become familiar. Conversations can happen naturally while you are outside. You can join village activities when they interest you and enjoy your own space when they do not.
The gardens also form an important part of this setting. They provide open space around the village and reflect one of the features the Lithgow and Blue Mountains region is known for: its natural surroundings.
For people who have come from a family home with a garden, moving somewhere with established outdoor spaces can also help retain a sense of openness.
You can enjoy the gardens without carrying the same responsibility for maintaining a large property yourself.
Family still has a place in your new home
The decision to move into a retirement village rarely affects one person alone.
Partners may be making the decision together. Adult children may want to understand what life in the village will be like. Grandchildren, extended family and close friends can also be part of the conversation.
Kirkley Gardens encourages residents to have family and friends visit and stay.
That matters because downsizing does not mean your home stops being a place where the people you care about are welcome.
Your villa becomes your home, and your relationships continue to be part of your life there.
For families helping someone compare a retirement village in Lithgow with options across the Blue Mountains or further afield, visiting together can also help everyone understand what independent village living actually looks like.
Choosing a place that still feels local
There is no single retirement village that will suit everyone.
Your decision depends on the lifestyle you want, the level of independence you value, the location that works for you and the type of community in which you can imagine yourself living.
Local ownership adds another consideration.
Kirkley Gardens grew from a need identified within Lithgow. Its owners have longstanding connections to the area, and the village has now been part of the local community for more than two decades.
For someone who wants independent retirement living in Lithgow, that local history can mean something.
You can remain close to the town and region you know, live independently in your own villa and become part of a smaller community where neighbours have the opportunity to know one another.
If you are exploring retirement villages in Lithgow or the Blue Mountains, take the time to visit the places you are considering.
Look beyond the villa itself. Walk around the grounds. Ask about the people behind the village. Find out what happens day to day. Think about whether you can picture your own routines, family visits and everyday life there.
If you would like to see Kirkley Gardens for yourself, contact Janelle to arrange a visit to the village in South Bowenfels.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kirkley Gardens a locally owned retirement village in Lithgow?
Yes. Kirkley Gardens is a privately owned retirement village in South Bowenfels, Lithgow. The village was established by local owners after a need for more over 55s living options was identified within the Lithgow community. It remains locally owned today.
Does Kirkley Gardens provide aged care or on ground care?
No. Kirkley Gardens is an independent living retirement village for people over 55. Residents live independently in their own villas and manage their own daily routines and personal needs. Kirkley Gardens does not provide aged care or on ground care services.
Where is Kirkley Gardens located in relation to Lithgow and the Blue Mountains?
Kirkley Gardens is located at 14 Kirkley Street, South Bowenfels, on the outskirts of Lithgow and at the base of the Blue Mountains. The village is close to public transport and a short distance from medical facilities, shops, restaurants and other local services.
