Arriving at Snug
Elspeth and Kay are long-term friends, originally from Kettering. They are part of a vibrant, close-knit community, with Elspeth leading the Kettering Walking Group and being an established resident at the Snug Village Independent Living Units with her husband, Ray. Kay and her husband, Chris, are preparing to move into one of the new independent living units on Frost Street, just down the road.
Elspeth said her move to Snug seemed inevitable, "For 15 years or even more, I have been a volunteer here. I've always thought I would end up here. My mother was in the home in Edinburgh, and she used to love going out and joining in. So, when I became a volunteer, I'm doing for them what my mother would have liked me to do had I been over there."
Kay admits that Elspeth was a motivating factor for her move to Snug after her glowing reports of the independent living units. However, it's not only her making the move from their Kettering friendship group, "There's one already here, someone is coming into Unit 6, and another one into 5 in the next few weeks, so it's amazing, isn't it?" explains Kay.
For both women, the strongest motivator has been considering the future and their families. Elspeth explains, "We came here basically for a network of safety for our children because they don't have to worry about us if we go to the next stage, because the next stage is here." Kay agrees, "I guess we more or less came for the same reason. My family is in Victoria, my sister is in Queensland, and Chris's family is here. So, we came back here to be with his family because his mother was getting old, she lived till 95, and then we just stayed on in Tasmania."
Downsizing
For Kay, the process of moving and downsizing feels overwhelming. "Friends walked into the new unit and said, 'Ohh, it's wonderful. It's fantastic.' But they haven't tried to move in!"
Having already made the move, Elspeth reassures her that it can be managed, "Before we moved in, we went to Africa for three weeks. We had everything in the shed, all labelled and boxed up. We came back on Friday, had an open house on Saturday, and then started moving. We were leaving behind a lot of stuff I didn't want. I've only got 3 pots and pans now… I don't need all this stuff."
Elspeth also donated many of her books to the Snug Village community centre. "There are about 2000 of them over there, really, because everybody here downsizes… So I don't have to go to the library, I just go over here with my key."
She has found that downsizing has helped her focus on what's important: "This is our life. We travel, we eat, we drink... the responsibility when you're here lessens... You don't have to go mowing the lawn. It used to be a joy to visit your lovely garden. Terrific. And then it becomes a chore… 'I'd better go and weed today, look at that tree that needs pruning.'
Ray had half an acre of garden, and we were self-sufficient for 26 years. I say, 'Do you miss it?', 'No,' he's very quick to reply. I tell everybody I'm on holiday… I think attitude-wise, that's what you've got to do. You don't say, 'Oh, gosh, I've missed this beautiful family home.' Instead, you get excited and do something else."
Elspeth and Ray now travel extensively, which has become much easier while living in the units. "Here you lock up and go. It used to be when you came back, who knows what time of night the plane came in, Ray had to go around with the torch and turn on the pump, and turn on the taps, and turn on this, and then look at the grass and think, 'Oh no, we've got to mow it.' Here we just come back and sit; it's sorted."
Elspeth, who recently received support at home, attests to the helpful services available. "There's a lovely lady from Woodbridge who comes every Thursday, and I think it's quite nice to know that once a month, she gives a really good rub. The other thing is that if you're in My Aged Care, you can get community transport. You know, my husband hasn't got very good eyes at the moment, so we don't drive into Hobart anymore. We just phone up community transport, they bring us back three hours later."
In the coming months, we are excited to welcome our new Snug residents into the community.
What's happening on Facebook...
