News

Elaine and Ivan have been living at Epsom Village for more than 12 years, and they couldn’t be happier. They love the location, the gardens, the social events, and the organised trips to the countryside. They’re some of the most popular residents at the village; with their friendly attitude and cheeky sense of humour, they certainly add spice to retirement life!

At Real Living our communities have a strong sense of purpose. Epsom Village’s midwinter dinner raised $350 for Save the Children: Ukraine Children's Emergency Fund. On top of that, the residents had the best fun dressing up in blue and gold, enjoying Ukraine-inspired food and celebrating their special friendships.

Some of our villagers are so vibrant and energetic that when they turn 90 they give us a big surprise! Eileen is one of the most active residents at Epsom Village. She organizes the Cinema sessions and the Quirky Quiz, she joins most social events and tags along to all the trips. And she doesn’t look one day past 70!

Easter is a time of tradition, togetherness and joy. Our residents have shared lots of special moments with their Real Living families. They participated in a Cornhole competition with the Easter Bunny as a referee, they had a Happy Hour with fabulous Easter bonnets and some residents let their creativity shine - just have a look at this charming chicken for the best Easter egg hunt!

At Real Living we love Ireland’s National Day so today we’re sharing one of the favourite ways to celebrate it: baking Irish Soda Bread. Louise is one of our residents and star bakers and she has a tried and tested recipe for this popular Irish staple.

When it comes to outdoor parties, our stunning gardens offer the best backdrop. Epsom Village had an Al Fresco Party this week to celebrate all the birthdays that fell into the 2021 lockdown. It all started with some quiet melodies, but at the end all the residents were dancing to Abba under the old oak tree.

You don’t need to be retired to move to our retirement villages. With an entry age of 55+, many of our residents still work part-time or even full-time. Take Mel for example, she’s the Practice Manager of a busy Orthopaedics surgery, and she also has a very busy social life, inside and outside of the village. Moving to a retirement village allowed her to live to the fullest without the hassles of home maintenance.

Auckland City Hospital has 100 Blue Coats volunteers, way-finders who make sure that patients and visitors find their destination without stress. Epsom Village residents Margaret and Lesley are two of those volunteers. They love helping people and find this role extremely rewarding.

At 77 years of age, Neville swims 2km three times per week. While most of us are having our first coffee, he’s down at the beach to train. His devotion for exercise started when he was young: he has 11 marathons under his belt, innumerable medals, and he is the current New Zealand Ocean Swim Series champion in his age group.