Pam

My first experience of the village was when a friend’s mother moved in some years back. I visited at Christmas time, I’ll never forget it, there was a fayre going on, I thought ‘wow, it’s like a cruise ship’, my friend then moved in and it made me think.

As I found myself having more falls I realised, I’d like to move where my friend was. It took me six months of considering before I decided to move while I could and while I was fit enough to enjoy the facilities. The decision was made, I sold my house and moved in September 2022.

Moving here was the best thing I’ve done. My husband passed away in 1999 when I was in my 50s so I’d been on my own a long time. We didn’t get to enjoy retirement together, I had to learn to start again and start a different life, but moving here really was the best step for me. It’s not perfect but nowhere is, I think the village is the best of both worlds though. You can come and join in, if like me, you’re a person who enjoys joining in but you can also shut your door and just enjoy your own company too.

I took part in the BBC documentary that was filmed at the village this past year where a group of us learned BSL, this was a wonderful experience, I think it’s important to keep my brain active and this was a great way of doing it. My daughters are happy with me being here as they know I’m safe and enjoying my life.

Rosie

From our point of view as a family, the practical side of Mum’s move went smoothly. We spent time together at Mum’s house sorting through belongings, making decisions as a family, and arranging for a removal company to take care of what she wanted to bring with her. Downsizing was the hardest part for all of us, but because we talked everything through openly and Mum was fully involved and able to make her own choices, it became a positive and even reassuring process. Mum often says now that when the time eventually comes, it will be a much more manageable task for the family to deal with.  It can be a tricky conversation to have but because we were all involved with it, and she was very able and capable of making decisions it was in fact a good way of tackling things.

The village was very welcoming and on arrival we received a visit from a member of staff to welcome mum, go through paperwork and provide us with information and regular follow up checks to ensure mum was settled and knew how everything worked.

We had discussed the move with mum as a whole family and concluded it would be a good move for her to be in accommodation on one level due to her mobility declining a little and to have support available to enable her to continue living independently within a community which had plenty of amenities for her to enjoy. The option of the Bistro was perfect for times when she didn’t want to cook for herself, especially the option of a Sunday roast and the hosted theme nights.

Mum has always been sociable, and has made lots of new friends through shared mealtimes and activities as well as neighbours looking out for each other. Fish and chip Friday is a huge hit and it is lovely that a table is reserved for singles to join and eat together and form new friendships. Mum is very settled and happy and she often says it is one of the best decisions she has ever made. We as a family are all very happy with the decision too. We know that immediate help is on hand for her and I am only a ten-minute drive away. I would definitely recommend retirement villages for families for peace of mind and for their social aspect. Residents can be involved as much or as little as they like and there are plenty of amenities onsite, Mum’s village is also located very close to High Wycombe for a wide range of shops and restaurants, a Morrisons and Sainsburys are very close and the Spindle and Thread Pub within walking distance.

Mum was thrilled to be involved last year in the BSL documentary filmed at the village and that experience together with the success of the move has given her a new lease of life and many new friends. This, as a family, is our favourite part of the decision we all made together.

Rebecca

I am so glad Grandma moved to Hughenden Gardens. The village has the perfect balance of independent living and care or support when needed. We get to visit her a lot. Quite often we just pop into her apartment for a visit and a coffee, or we head to the Bistro. The facilities are great, I love that there is a salon, gym and even a little shop. We often say that it feels like an all-inclusive hotel! Mum and I went along to both screenings at the village of the BBC documentary, Old Hands, New Tricks which Grandma starred in which we thoroughly enjoyed. We were also so proud to attend Grandma’s BSL graduation event a few months later. It is really lovely to see how happy she is there. It has given us all peace of mind that she has lots of people around her.