‘The best move I’ve ever made’
‘I would really encourage other people to give it a go’
When Phyllis Cusworth met her husband, Gerald, it was love at first sight. They were both 18, he was in the Fleet Air Arm and Phyllis was in the Wrens, and soon they were married. Sadly, they only had 20 years of married life before Gerald died unexpectedly from a heart attack at 42. Phyllis was left to bring up her two children alone – son Trevor, who was 20 and daughter Sharon, 16. She admits she struggled after losing Gerald, but forced herself to keep strong for the sake of the children. From the moment Gerald died, Phyllis had to make all the important decisions on her own, including recently moving into an independent-living flat. Now Phyllis wants to encourage other people who may be struggling in their own homes to consider independent living. “I’ve had arthritis since I was in my 30s and I’ve now got severe rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, but I’ve always just carried on,” says Phyllis. “I was beginning to struggle in sheltered accommodation, so I decided to move.” Phyllis (82) and her family have moved house 11 times in 21 years when Gerald was in the Fleet Air Arm and later when he was a prison officer. “My daughter helped me with the last move, but I’m quite used to it. It took me a while to settle, but now I couldn’t be happier.” Phyllis spent her working life at the Hull telephone exchange and volunteered at the Hull Royal Infirmary when she retired. She now uses her skills to help organise raffles and social events for other residents. “There’s something going on every day and I love organising events. “As you get older, you worry more, but moving into an independent living flat is the best move I’ve ever made. I have my own front door and I do my own cooking, but there’s a restaurant if I want a break. There’s company if I want it, or I can watch TV in my own flat. I feel safe and secure, and there’s help available if I need it. “I would really encourage other people to give it a go.”