Page 4 - CR Spring Newsletter 2023

4 RESIDENCES REVIEW, SPRING 2023

RESIDENT PROFILE

David Lewis and Nala

January 1978 the family moved to Sydney, decision to retire and close the business to be
Australia. We both acknowledge that coming to able to stay home more and support Cathie.
Australia offered the family a great new lifestyle
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, Cathie's
and one that we would never have had without
dementia significantly worsened, and with the help
making the move.
of my daughters made the difficult decision to
After six months looking at property, we bought 94 seek residential care for Cathie. She became a
Baulkham Hills Road. Baulkham Hills which was to full-time resident at Moran Aged Care in February
be the family home for the next 45 years. We 2022. The Moran facility has proven to be a very
settled the girls at school and Cathie found herself comfortable place for Cathie, and I visit her
a new job. We both got involved with local sport, frequently accompanied by our beloved family
Cathie joining the Winston Hills Netball dog, Nala.
association and I the Baulkham Hills soccer
association. The family quickly met and made
many new friends. Over the years in Australia our
family expanded. In 1996, our eldest daughter,
Gillian gave birth to our first granddaughter,
Rebecca. In 2001, our younger daughter, Suzanne
gave birth to our second grand daughter, Sarah.
Followed by our grandson James in 2002.

I enjoyed much professional success with Dexion,
being involved in many of the major distribution
centre design and fit outs with storage and
handling systems in Australia and overseas.
However, in the year 2000, now Logistics Director, In 2022, I started considering moving from our
Dexion and I decided that it was time to part ways. Baulkham Hills home so started getting the house
ready for sale while visiting retirement facilities.
Cathie and I started our own consulting company,
Early 2022 I made my first visit to Cranbrook
DCL (Distribution Centre logistics). I handled the
Residences and though very impressed I was just
clients and contracts and Cathie managed the
not ready to move. In February this year I was
books. Cathie took her job very seriously and
notified that an apartment was for sale, and I
would give me a hard time if I couldn't account for
decided to view. Within 48 hours of my visit, I
my expenses, which was a fairly regular
made an offer which was accepted, and the
occurrence. The business was successful and
process to sell Baulkham Hills began in earnest.
allowed us to travel frequently overseas on
From my first visit in 2022, Cranbrook Residences
holidays to places such as Canada, America,
always stood out to me as a desirable place to
South Africa, Europe and Asia. We also
live.
purchased our holiday house at Callala Beach
and visited with our black Labrador, Gemma, on a Nala and I have settled in well and we are both
regular basis until in 2017 we decided we had had very comfortable and impressed with the total
enough of the beach and sold. facility and the residents who have made us feel
very welcome; I know that If my wife Cathie was
In 2019, it started to become clear that Cathie's
here with me, she would be in total agreement.
cognitive ability was declining, and after seeing
the specialist it was confirmed that Cathie was in
the early stages of dementia. I then made the