In a year that has seen its fair share of challenges, thanks to COVID-19, Metlifecare residents have kept spirits up by looking out for one another.
Community is a key reason many people choose to move into a retirement village, with Metlifecare residents reporting they made an average of six new friends in the last year, double that of senior Kiwis living in their own homes.
New friendships can have lifechanging outcomes, which rang true for Metlifecare Palmerston North Village residents Barbara Fryer and Joyce Tait, who met during lockdown last year, after Joyce had recently moved into the village.
Barbara would sit on her porch every day in lockdown, and Joyce would walk past on her daily walk, until eventually, they struck up a conversation and ended up talking for hours. Their conversations became part of their daily routine and the pair have been best friends ever since.
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“We’ve both lost our husbands, so it’s been so lovely having someone to talk to and do stuff with. Joyce has ended up becoming my closest friend,” says Barbara.
Their story is one of many, with Metlifecare residents reporting they had regular and meaningful conversations with eight people per week on average, compared to the five people per week by senior Kiwis living at home.
Some residents have helped create a community within the village, like Maxine Watts and Gillian Checkley, from Papamoa Beach Village in the Bay of Plenty, who instigated the launch of the ‘new look’ village library.
What was once a handful of books is now a wide-ranging selection of catalogued books, audiobooks, jigsaws, games and more. The library is managed by Maxine and Gillian, who have become special friends over their love of reading.
Photo / Supplied.
“We often say to each other that we can't believe that we found each other. We’re like kindred spirits, and this library is our passion,” says Gillian.
Maxine and Gillian also belong to a monthly readers group that aims to bring residents together regularly to discuss books they've read and share new authors. This has created a community of people with a common interest, providing a “home away from home” for resident readers, says Maxine.
The ‘Girls Gardening Group’ at Metlifecare Edgewater are also providing a service that both staff and residents are incredibly grateful for.
Wanting to help the village gardening team, resident and green thumb Daphne Verdon paired up with talented gardeners Joan Milne and Janice Sisson to transform the communal and individual gardens at the East Auckland village.
"When residents can't look after their own gardens anymore, we offer to take over for them," says Janice, who has been actively beautifying her neighbours’ gardens since moving in two years ago.
"I think it has made a lot of the residents happier," says Joan. "It's nice to know it has made a difference, and that people appreciate it."
