78-year-old Margaret Parry has been thriving with a brand new lifestyle and new friends since her move to Churchill’s McIndoe Lodge in East Grinstead, and her family couldn’t be happier about it.
“Mum was one of the first to move in here,” explains Margaret’s daughter Debs. “She loves her apartment, which is a corner plot on the top floor with amazing views across town to the forest – it’s really beautiful. She was in a bungalow previously, which was a lovely home, but she wanted to have more people around her and enjoy the social life that comes with a retirement living apartment.”
She adds: “Now Mum has regular coffee mornings in the Owners’ Lounge, a monthly fish & chip night and plenty of other opportunities to meet up and socialise with her neighbours. She has a jigsaw puzzle partner who she sees most afternoons. My sister and I both visit regularly too for a catch up and a natter, and when we do it’s great to see her making other new friends and enjoying good company in her retirement years.”
Although Debs and her sister both live nearby, it gives them both peace of mind to know that Margaret is surrounded by other people she can depend on. “It’s reassuring to know the Lodge Manager is there to look after things,” Debs adds. “Other Churchill team members are never far away and her neighbours all look out for each other too. During lockdown she bubbled up with another Owner for company, and it was amazing for us to know that she was safe through what was a very difficult time for all of us.”
Now that life is back to normal, McIndoe Lodge’s town centre location on Garland Road is another big positive. Debs says: “It’s brilliant for the shops, which mum can easily walk to for anything she needs. I got her a new shopping trolley which she wasn’t keen on at first, but now she agrees it’s the best thing ever – and I’ve even got one myself!”
“We all attended the McIndoe Lodge Summer Party recently and it was wonderful to see mum having fun in the beautiful garden and Owners’ Lounge. It summed up what the retirement living lifestyle is all about for her, and we’re so glad to see her enjoying life to the full with plenty of friends and no worries.”