Faces of Baptcare | Meet Marion Cummins from Baptcare’s The Orchards community
- 29 Aug 2023
Marion is a much-loved member of The Orchards Retirement Living community, both by staff and fellow residents.
“Marion is a gentle soul who always asks how we are and is genuinely interested in the answer,” comments Hannah Horsley, Retirement Living Manager at The Orchards.
“Marion is a great organiser of events that bring the community together and she genuinely cares about the welfare of others. Marion epitomises the retirement living dream.”
Her fellow residents speak of similar qualities.
“Marion is one of the kindest, most thoughtful and loyal people I know, and she is a great listener,” said fellow resident Kaye Elliott. “She is always giving to the community and is always willing to organise events to bring the community together.
Another resident, Carol Chivers, wholeheartedly agrees. “Through Marion’s many adversities, I admire her ability to cope with dignity, intelligence and grace,” Carol said.
We enjoyed a wonderful chat with Marion about her transition to retirement living and the hidden surprises in this new phase of life.
“Moving into a retirement living community can give you a real sense of security and by that, I don’t mean safety security – I mean emotional security. Having your living situation – your home – sorted out you can then go on with your life and enjoy whatever you wish.”
Can we start by saying congratulations Marion on 59 years of marriage. That’s quite an innings these days!
Yes, it is a while but he’s worth sticking around for! Actually, we’ve been very lucky and very happy. We have two children, Jane and David who are both kind, loving and supportive people.
Can we hear about your journey to The Orchards community? What led you into looking for a retirement living option? And why The Orchards?
My husband Terry and I have been living in The Orchards community since June 2022, then Terry became unwell and needed to spend time in The Orchards Residential Aged Care for respite. Due to his health conditions, the Doctor advised that he should remain in care there.
Seven years ago, Terry was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and Lewey Body Dementia, a progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function. It was around this time that we first looked at The Orchards Retirement Living community because it was near our family home of 52 years in Lower Templestowe.
The apartments were being built and even though I didn’t think that I could live in an apartment after being in a house with a big garden and lots of space, we put our names down as “interested”. I particularly liked the kitchen and bathroom in the display set up.
With Terry’s declining health and increased caring responsibilities, I realised that we needed to move out of our family home. We needed to look ahead, and I needed to look after myself too. I realised that if I was to go down then the Marion/Terry ship would sink too.
How long did you and Terry live together in The Orchards apartment?
Not long. A few months after we moved into the apartment, Terry had a TIA (Editor: TIA stands for a transient ischemic attack with temporary period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke) and was admitted into respite care at the RAC. Our wonderful care specialist advised that Terry should stay in respite at The Orchards aged care community for four weeks.
Unfortunately, his health has been slowly declining. Now, his brain is not talking to his legs due to the effects of Lewy Body and Parkinson’s disease so he has become bedridden. The Lewy Body dementia includes hallucinations that are very challenging for him. He has a wonderful attitude towards his illness. He faces each day without complaint, says he is very comfortable and ably cared for and that he always needs a big cuddle and a chocolate.
Your move into the Orchards was amazingly timed.
Yes, people say we were lucky. But it wasn’t luck. We planned to move with the sensible advice from our family doctor just in case something happened. And it just so happened that something did happen with Terry’s health, and fortunately we were prepared.
You mentioned that you’ve been in The Orchards pool this morning running a water exercise group? Can you tell us a bit about that?
Yes, I was a water exercise leader with Arthritis Victoria for more than 15 years, and I really enjoyed it and love the water, so I’ve started up a group here. It’s a new group that just started a few weeks ago and we have six people who join in. Hoping for a few more as it has great benefits for our ageing bodies!
Is it comforting having Terry nearby?
It is reassuring that we are still connected by a short walk and that I can go over and visit Terry at any time.
Living close to Terry is also important for him. It helps Terry to know that I’m close by. It’s the best place to be in a challenging situation.
What are the benefits of the aged care home being co-located within the retirement living community?
A huge positive is the proximity of the RAC/RL combo. It means that Terry is being looked after and I have more energy to look after Terry as my time isn’t consumed by travelling to visit him.
Caring is cumulatively exhausting – and not just physically exhausting, It’s emotionally exhausting, so having some practical logistics like travelling to see Terry taken out of the equation means that I have more emotional energy which is what Terry really needs from me.
What has surprised you about retirement living?
The apartment is modern, spacious and thoughtfully designed but the main standout surprise is the community – it is so supportive.
It is wonderful to have support from Hannah (Hannah Horsley, The Orchards Retirement Living Manager) and the residents.
While we’re talking about Hannah, I’d like to give her a special mention. She is one of the reasons Terry and I signed up at The Orchards. She was there to greet us when we first inspected the apartment and she was so positive, bubbly and helpful to us. Anything I’ve ever asked of Hannah has been met with a positive response. She’s fun and direct and she really does make the place tick with the able and willing help of Aggie and Vincent. (Ed. Aggie Massarotti – Retirement Living Support Co-ordinator at The Orchards and Lifestyle Assistant, Vincent Ferraro).
Apart from the people and Hannah, what are your other favourite parts about living at The Orchards?
I love the pool and all the activities on offer, such as the movies, Bridge, Tambola, special occasion events and group outings. There’s always all sorts of things going on. We’ve been to the ballet, the Lume and even have an international dinner coming up. We are looking forward to AFL footy day and a Christmas karaoke night.
I’ve made some good friends – we have a lot of fun together. Even meeting people in the lift is wonderful, especially if you are both in dressing gowns and slippers looking for your newspaper! I really appreciate the casual, relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere of our community, we all seem to be in the same boat rowing with the same aim, to enjoy life, make new friends and having great fun along the way.
What would you say to someone considering a move to a retirement living community?
There is complete freedom of choice regarding how much you want to socialise and how involved you’d like to be. There are lots of fun activities on offer if you’re interested.
The most important thing is that you have the support of management and other residents there should you need it. There is always someone to turn to in a moment of need and they are so close to you – just a few steps and you can knock on a door for help.
And you’re with like-minded people. I think that the people who move into retirement living want to participate and be part of an active community. After all, aging and loneliness do not make good bed fellows. To have companionship walking, playing games or sharing a glass or two stimulates both our bodies and minds.
What do you think is the most important thing about finding the right RL environment?
Moving into a retirement living community can give you a real sense of security and by that, I don’t mean safety security – I mean emotional security. Having your living situation – your home – sorted out you can then go on with your life and enjoy whatever you wish.
Thank you, Marion, for your time. I’ve really enjoyed talking with you and know that your reflections on your retirement living journey at The Orchards will help (and entertain!) many people.
You’re welcome. It has been wonderful finding out about myself.
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