Downsizing is never easy and even harder when it involves paring down possessions gathered over six or more decades. We talk to residents of Cedars Village about the process of moving home late in life and the benefits of living in the retirement community on Dog Kennel Lane.
Joan, Pat, Maureen, Ina, Jan and Bill agree wholeheartedly that relocating to Cedars Village was their best decision ever.
Ina sums it up. “When you come to Cedars you don’t buy a bungalow, cottage or flat, you buy a way of life.”
And it’s a lifestyle that seems to suit them all down to the ground.
The Village allows the best of both worlds by offering independent living without the responsibility of property or ground maintenance. Added to this there is the convenience of essential and leisure facilities close to hand in the Grade 2 listed Mansion House, plus the pleasure of living in the 22 acre landscaped grounds.
“ We now have SSSI status, a site of special scientific interest “ says Bill, “there’s a plaque in the meadow!”
The wildlife in the grounds is prolific and the latest creature to take up residence is a pheasant with her twelve chicks.
An annual charge applies, which can seem initially steep, but when you look at what it covers, it’s money well spent.
“ We are paying for the most lovely environment and so many services“ says Ina
“ We get our bedlinen laundered once a week and a cleaner for an hour a week. Any gardens are kept in order, and there’s so much to do. And we get health care. ”
Residents can play pitch and putt, croquet or relax in the elegant Victorian conservatory. There is a restaurant, library, snooker room, shop, a ballroom – the venue for frequent events and entertainment plus a health centre manned by a team of in-house nurses and a regular doctor’s surgery. Hairdressers, beauticians and chiropodists visit, a fresh fish van comes calling and there’s a bus service to Watford and Chorleywood.
But the bar is voted the favourite facility of all.
Run by residents, it’s open lunchtimes from Wednesday to Sunday and profits go to the Residents’ Association. The restaurant, a franchise, offers top quality meals and a chance to socialize every lunch time and Wednesday evenings.
So what else is good about Cedars?
“ You can be as solitary or as busy as you want…as soon as you open your door there is somebody to talk to.” explains Pat.
The unobtrusive resident watch system is a real bonus. A pressure pad is discreetly sited under the carpet in the bedroom doorway in
every property and any movement activates a light in the medics’ room. If the light fails to go on by mid morning the team will check on
the resident. There are also two emergency pull cords, one in the bathroom and another in the hall.
“ When you go to bed a night you feel secure.“ says Joan, “but you can opt out of the alert scheme and get it disconnected if you prefer.”
The hardest thing of all, agree the residents, is making the decision to move in the first place, but they have some tips…
Sort belongings gradually and sell as much as possible through local noticeboards and ask grandchildren to sell on ebay for a commission. Just do it.
“You’ve got to let go, it’s stimulating coming to a new environment”
“And don’t leave it too late” adds Maureen, “move while it’s not too much of an ordeal – between 70 and 80 is ideal for most people.”
Although, insists Bill, ”Age is just a number.”
Jan, the newbie (married to Bill for a few months after meeting him on a choir trip to Malta) sums up
“I love the fact that you don’t feel old here because everyone is in the same boat. Some people are well into their nineties and leading a very active life. We keep each other young.”