Before moving to Benevolent Living, Mavis Phipps was very lonely. Her friends had started to dwindle as her dementia progressed and her regular outings were becoming a lot less frequent.
Her daughter Gail, along with Gail's other siblings were worried about Mavis's loneliness and they were also concerned about her safety and wellbeing. After sitting down and speaking with Mavis, Gail decided the best option was for her to make the move to her new home at Benevolent Living.
Gail said that she was overwhelmed with how much her mum has fitted in and how quickly she settled. After only being at Benevolent Living for 8 weeks, Mavis had developed some beautiful friendships and loved being able to mingle with the other residents, their families and of course the staff.
Gardening had been Mavis's passion for a very long time and she was able to continue her love of being in the garden here at Benevolent Living. In her first week, she was given her very own garden to take care of. The care staff, gardening staff and other residents, especially Mavis's friend June, helped Mavis create a picturesque garden just like you would see in a magazine.
Not only did Mavis enjoy her gardening and the social interaction, she also loved the activities on offer and Gail says she was never in her room and was always up and about which was great to see.
"She didn't miss a beat," said Gail.
Gail said that she couldn't believe the difference she saw in her mum since moving her to Benevolent living and was very happy with her decision to settle her mum at Benevolent Living to fulfil her twilight years.
Sadly Mavis passed away in June 2018 but her legacy continues to live on in the gardens at Benevolent Living.