1300 653 967 
Provide Feedback 
At Amaroo, our Buckley and McMahon Caring Centres have been providing high quality care for over 40 years.
Every single resident who enters one of our Caring Centres comes with a unique story, and in our blog series Residents of Amaroo we will introduce you to the inspiring people who make Amaroo their home.
In this blog post we introduce you to Margaret.
Meet Margaret
Margaret has called Buckley Caring Centre her home for over a year.
Born in England, Margaret moved to Australia with her family in 1966 when she was 18 years old.
Margaret met her late husband, Duncan, in England shortly before relocating and kept in contact with him over the coming months.
“We used to write to each other. When I got to Australia, I wrote to him and told him all about the beaches, the hot weather and the swimming.”
A few months later, Duncan moved to Australia to be with Margaret and the couple got married in 1968.
Putting down roots
Before moving to Buckley Caring Centre, Margaret lived locally in Kenwick, where she and Duncan bought a block of land and built their home in 1979.
When it came to work, Margaret expressed her joy at being a stay-at-home mother to her 4 children.
“I didn’t have to work! My husband was an electrician, and he had the work’s vehicle, so I had the car to myself and used to run around in it.”
Dealing with hardship
In 1998, Margaret received a medical diagnosis that meant she would need to undergo a difficult operation.
Despite the operation going well, Margaret experienced several complications post-op that initially went unnoticed.
She explains that her husband could tell something was not right with her pain level and returned late one night to insist that someone check on his wife.
“I’ve often thought to myself if my husband hadn’t come back at that time, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”
Margaret entered a rehabilitation centre and was eventually well enough to return home under the guidance of a specialist. Duncan became her carer, and she began to improve as the years went on.
In 2016, however, she sadly lost her husband and expresses the panic she felt during that period.
“That was very difficult. I thought how am I going to cope? I’ve been in my own house for 50 years, and I didn’t want to leave.”
Deciding for herself
Margaret’s sister and close friends rallied around her during the time following her husband’s passing, frequently checking in on her and helping her with her shopping.
Her son, Glen, would also visit and help her out which she was extremely grateful for.
“He was ever so good to me. He used to come over and help me around the house with fixing things and mowing my lawn.”
With the additional help, Margaret continued living independently at home for several more years.
“I managed in the house for 6 years and that [waiting] is the best thing I did. But my feet started to swell, and my balance walking was a bit difficult.
After I realised I’d got these issues I called my sister Lillian, who lives in Pinjarra, and told her that I’m going to live in a nursing home.”
Why Buckley?
Margaret knew she wanted to live at Buckley Caring Centre from a previous experience she had at the facility.
“When Duncan was alive. Duncan and Glen went on holiday, and I stayed here for a fortnight and really liked it.
So, when it was time for me to go to a nursing home I picked here,” Margaret explains.
Enjoying life at Buckley
Since moving into Buckley, one of Margaret’s favourite activities has been making decorative cards in the craft group.
“I’ve been sending the cards to my family who live in England.”
She still sees her close friends who come to visit and take her to her Church service every week.
“My friend Jenny comes to see me, and I get a phone call from my sister.
If I need anything my sister will bring it for me when she visits from Pinjarra.”
Her son Glen also comes to visit her whilst her daughters live in Melbourne.
Margaret still lives as independently as possible in our Caring Centre, even providing support to other residents.
“I get on well with one lady who’ll say to me she’s old enough to be my mother!” Margaret laughs.
“We talk lots and I let her know I’ll take her down to mealtimes we’ll just go very slowly.”
Margaret also gets on well with staff and is happy with her care.
“I like it here. They’re very kind to me and very clean.”
At Amaroo, our mission is to provide a positive and supportive environment for our residents like Margaret, where their level of care changes as their needs do.
We understand that the decision to move into a residential aged care facility can be overwhelming and that’s why our friendly team are here to help you through the process.
Call us today on 1300 653 967 or book a tour of our caring centre here.