“It is the first time in our nearly 50 years of marriage that we’ve lived alone. We have a big family, so we always had my mother-in-law, our kids and grandchildren with us,” Mrs Ellis said.

“It was the right time for us to make the move into independent living. We wanted to enjoy life, and we are! Friday night Happy Hour, regular day-trips, pizza and trivia night and barbecues, we haven’t stopped having fun and we’ve made friends that have become more like family.”

One of their new friends is Judy Harris, a resident of Calvary Ryde Retirement Village for more than two years. Her and husband Brian were looking for a more carefree lifestyle when they made the move into independent living.

“I’m often telling my friends much we like living here and how friendly everyone is,” Mrs Harris said.

“We used to live in West Ryde, so we love that we’ve been able to stay in our community and close to our loved ones. I’m still able to stay involved with all the community groups I always have supported.”

Earlier this year when Mrs Harris had a knee reconstruction and was worried about her husband being on his own, she asked Calvary for some extra support.

“We organised for Calvary Home Care to assist with the cleaning. It was a load off my mind and so easy to organise. Even though I’ve now recovered, we’ve kept the extra help,” Mrs Harris said.

“I love not having to worry about the big things like home maintenance and yard upkeep. Just knowing that help is always available is a relief.”

For anyone interested in learning more about retirement living, on Thursday, 30 October, Calvary Ryde Retirement Village will be hosting an open day to offer the community real insights into retirement living.

Calvary General Manager Aged Care, ACT and Southern NSW, Ben Williams, said the day features talks from experts on topics including right-sizing, legal advice and what to expect from retirement living.

“We want those considering making the move into independent living to know what their next step looks like. Hearing from the experts at Calvary Ryde Retirement Village will give you a glimpse of what your new life could be like,” Mr Williams said.

“We have a wonderful community at Calvary Ryde and I encourage anyone thinking about making a change to their lifestyle and embracing retirement living to come to the open day.”