18 months ago we introduced Diane and George Refalo who had decided to relocate permanently to Moran Kellyville after short and successful respite stays. We recently caught up with Diane to see how they were going.
“We came to the decision to move to Moran when we found ourselves needing more support with our care. We had been caring for and supporting each other for a long time but as we have gotten older, we recognised that we can’t be each other’s carers anymore. George was finding it hard to maintain the house and garden and my progressing condition made it hard for me to cope with cooking and cleaning and all the things we took for granted when we were young”.
Diane explained with a giggle that although she and George had the option to have rooms close to each other they decided to each pick a room that suited their own needs. George started his respite care a few weeks before Diane and loved his room in River Rain, he’d begun to make some friends and decided that he didn’t want to move. When Diane came to choose her room, she found one which ticked all her requirements in Forest Hill. She explained, “I just didn’t want to compromise, and George didn’t either, so we decided to please ourselves.”
When we asked her how that was going, she told us “It’s great and works really well for us. We meet up in the dining room for meals and we hang out in each other’s rooms when we feel like it. I love a bit of peace and quiet and I enjoy a bit of space to read and relax. George likes his podcasts, to read and listen to music, he’s also very social and likes to invite friends in for coffee from time to time.”
Kiana Gohar, Moran Kellyville’s Community Engagement & Wellness Manager told us
“Diane and George have been together for over 50 years. They are a lovely couple who made a wonderful life together and that’s not stopping because they have moved into residential aged care. They have made a pro-active decision about how they want to spend the rest of their lives…and they are most certainly making every day the best it can be.”
Not being one to miss out on having the last word, Diane said “When we first moved in, I said that I was looking forward to spending my days enjoying food that someone else has cooked, watching someone else do my cleaning and laundry and spending quality time with my husband, children and grandchildren and I have achieved it! We have made new friends too, we are very happy the care and support of the team at Moran Kellyville, it’s a beautiful Home”.
If you would like to have a chat with Kiana about planning for your care needs, please get in contact.