text: Ken Bridge | Cardinal Freeman Retirement Village
  The Residences: 2 Bed 1 Bath 1 Car
  The Residences: 2 Bed 2 Bath 1 Car
  ILU: 2 Bed 1 Bath
  Cardinal Freeman: Unit 326
  Meet Helen and Denise
  When is the right time to make the move to retirement living?
  As many people know from personal or family experience, it's not uncommon for seniors to delay moving from a longheld family home that no longer suits their needs and has increasingly costly upkeep and maintenance demands.
  Yet as all social research shows, reluctance to face the thought of moving from the family home is one of the major reasons elderly Australians report such disturbingly high levels of loneliness and social isolation, particularly following the loss of a spouse or with the onset of age related health conditions that make it increasingly difficult to get out and about.
  According to other seniors who have, however, taken the "leap" and downsized to an over-55s village, the optimal possible time to make the move is when you are still active and healthy enough to take full advantage of all the facilities, services and social activities on offer and make a wide circle of new friends.
  "The best thing by far about a retirement village is the community," comments Mark Maybury, manager of Ashfield's state-of-the-art Cardinal Freeman Retirement Village. "Our residents often say their social lives have expanded enormously after moving here. Of course there's no pressure to join in, but there's such a wonderful variety of social activities and facilities on off er here, most residents find themselves getting far more involved than anticipated."
  Cardinal Freeman resident Ken Bridge fully agrees, saying his basic message to seniors unsure as to the right time to move to a retirement village is, "Don't leave it too late!"
  "Come in and enjoy the wide range of activities, make new friends, broaden your circle of social contacts and your experiences", Ken advises. " A village like Cardinal Freeman adds an excitement to life. There are just so many things to do here - walking groups, social clubs, discussion clubs and book clubs. I've found such a wonderful community here, so many generous people who want to share their time and experiences."
  Ken says another major benefit for seniors is that living in a purpose-built village is so easy and comfortable. "The apartments at Cardinal Freeman are very well planned for our generation, everything is at hand, and you don't have to worry about climbing up and down stairs or doing any home or garden maintenance," he says. "We are also blessed in this village to have a good leadership team who are accessible, available and particularly nice people."
  "Come in and enjoy the wide range of activities, make new friends, broaden your circle of social contacts and your experiences" - Ken Bridge