Pauline's Story
“Oh Shirley,’ I said. ‘I’m not moving there. It’s depressing. It’s got those big brick walls.’ ”
It was Pauline’s hairdresser who had recommended the St Vincent’s Southport retirement villa to her to begin with. Pauline wasn’t convinced. “Why don’t you stick your head through and check it out? She said”.
“I looked in and had a look two or three days a week for a few weeks,” Pauline says.
“There were renovations happening to the rooms. I used to say to the builders, ‘Oh it’s me again, you mind if I have a look.’ ”
“Been here about 6 years now.”
“I love my unit. It’s small. But what else do I need?”
At first, hearing the name ‘St Vincent’s’ and knowing the community provoked a lot of hesitancy.
“I didn’t want to come in here because I thought you have to be Catholic, but you don’t.”
“I thought I wouldn’t be accepted because of my age, but everything worked out fine, and it went absolutely wonderful. So, I’ve been blessed. Very blessed.”
After all the decision making, came the move. But Pauline, like many others making the decision to downsize, had to take her time.
“My unit over there which is about twice the size of this place. I had to have that decluttered about three times before I moved over here.”
“I had to buy all new furniture here as well. It was time for a change. Good for a change.”
“With COVID, I just felt so safe here. I’m blessed. I’m blessed to be living here.”
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