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No one would believe that Lola is 90 years old. She has great energy and a lively, welcoming personality.

Which is why being diagnosed with macular degeneration was such a disruption to her lifestyle. Her fading eyesight meant that she had trouble living by herself, reading phone books and following recipes. She also found that maintaining her four-bedroom house was getting harder and harder.

In this time of difficulty Lola left her home and moved into the independent living units which are part of Twilight’s Hunters Hill Village. These are self-contained full size apartments operated by Twilight Aged Care that allow residents a free and easy style of living.

Lola Voss’s move to Hunters Hill is part of a growing trend of older Australians ‘downsizing’. Where people are finding their houses are too large to maintain or do not suit their lifestyle anymore, they move ‘down’ into smaller and more manageable homes without the maintenance. With Sydney’s expensive property market, selling and downsizing is a financially viable option. According to Real Estate View Australia, there is a “growing trend seeing Australians aged 50-59 selling their large, family sized homes to move into smaller, more luxurious dwellings in more desirable areas”.

Lola says that moving to a smaller home was not a financial decision, but an aspirational choice. She feels more independent in her new home. The apartment does not need the vast amount of upkeep that her four-bedroom home required and now she has more time to do what she wants. She can cook for herself, go shopping with her daughter-in-law, and relax listening to Talkback radio.

“Twilight really looks after you”, Lola says. It is easy for her to arrange for the on-site kitchen to provide a meal when she feels tired. There are personal alarms available for immediate attention. Staffs often do routine checks on the condition of the unit, making sure that appliances are functional, and residents are comfortable. And there is more to look forward to as Hunters Hill Village is building a new cafe on its grounds. This will give Lola the opportunity to grab a coffee in the morning and have a community space on her doorstep to meet with friends and family.

If you have friends, family or neighbours that want to know more about the Hunters Hill Village Retirement Living have questions or would like to arrange a tour, please call Helene Francois on 0404 805 865.