In Sydney’s harbourside suburb of Balmain, where geraniums spill from terrazzo pots and the streets are lined with cafes, a group of professionals were contemplating what they wanted their next phase of life to look like. Educated, healthy and aged in their 50s and 60s, they were wondering: How can we build a better retirement?
Among them was Keryn Curtis, 55, a journalist and ageing consultant with a thorough knowledge of the aged-care sector. When she thought about what she would like her senior years to look like, she wasn’t satisfied with what was on offer. She wanted to ensure her community connections remained intact, but also that she would have access to the services and care she may need as she grew older.
“A lot of people say, ‘I’m not going to think about that until I need to’. That’s when you lose all your choices,” says Keryn. “The idea is to make those choices when you’re our age. To think about it and have a plan.”
She and some friends created The AGEncy Project. Their motto is: “Growing older with gusto in the community we know and love”. Their aim: a co-housing space where people can spend their later years in a setting that offers independence without isolation. “It’s part of our sensible, proactive plan to give ourselves the best shot possible at an independent, active and engaged old age,” Keryn says.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
